Pathet Lao

American  

[pah-tet] / ˈpɑ tɛt /

noun

1. the Communist nationalist group that took over the government of Laos in 1975 after two decades of civil war.

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Example Sentences

Still, slowly the generation of leaders who came of age during the years of the Viet Cong and the Pathet Lao is slowly fading from the political stage.

From Economist • May 14, 2015

In 1962, the CIA recruited a clandestine mercenary army of 30,000 veterans of previous guerrilla wars from Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines to fight the Pathet Lao.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2014

After Saigon fell, more than 1,200 Americans were evacuated from Laos when the Pathet Lao, backed by the Soviet Union, took power.

From New York Times • Jul. 11, 2012

The Ho Chi Minh Trail, used by North Vietnam to supply Viet Cong fighters in South Vietnam, ran through the area, which was also roamed by communist guerrillas known as the Pathet Lao.

From Washington Post

Background: In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy.

From The 2002 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency