Article 26 CHAPTER V-IMPLEMENTATION The Commanders of the forces of the two parties shall ensure that persons under their respective commands who violate any of the provisions of the present Agreement are suitably punished. Article 27 The present Agreement on the cessation of hostilities shall apply to all the armed forces of either party. Article 28 The Commanders of the forces of the two parties shall afford full protection and all possible assistance and co-operation to the Joint Commission and to the International Commission and its inspection teams in the performance of their functions. Article 29 The Joint Commission, composed of an equal number of representatives of the Commands of the two parties, shall assist the parties in the implementation of all the clauses of the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities, ensure liaison between the two parties, draw up plans for the implementation of the Agreement, and endeavour to settle any dispute arising out of the implementation of the said clauses and plans. Article 30 The costs involved in the operation of the Joint Commission shall be shared equally between the two parties. Article 31 The signatories of the present Agreement on the cessation of hostilities and their successors in their functions shall be responsible for the observance and enforcement of the terms and provisions thereof. The Commanders of the forces of the two parties shall, within their respective commands, take all steps and make all arrangements necessary to ensure full compliance with all the provisions of the present Agreement by all personnel under their command. Article 32 The procedures laid down in the present Agreement shall, whenever necessary be examined by the Commands of the two parties and, if necessary, defined more specifically by the Joint Commission. Article 33 All the provisions of the present Agreement shall enter into force at 00 hours (Geneva time) on 23 July 1954. Done at Geneva on 20 July 1954. For the Commander-in-Chief of For the Commander-in-Chief of the Units of the Khmer Resist- the Khmer National Armed ance Forces and for the Com mander-in-Chief of the VietNamese Military Units (signed) TA-QUANG-BUU Vice-Minister of National Defence of the Democratic Republic of Forces (signed) General NHIEK TIOULONG 11. AGREEMENT ON THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN LAOS, JULY 20, 19541 CHAPTER I-CEASE-FIRE AND EVACUATION OF FOREIGN ARMED FORCES AND FOREIGN MILITARY PERSONNEL Article 1 The Commanders of the armed forces of the parties in Laos shall order and enforce the complete cessation of all hostilities in Laos by all armed forces under their control, including all units and personnel of the ground, naval and air forces. Article 2 In accordance with the principle of a simultaneous cease-fire throughout Indo-China the cessation of hostilities shall be simultaneous throughout the territory of Laos in all combat areas and for all forces of the two parties. In order to prevent any mistake or misunderstanding and to ensure that both the cessation of hostilities and the disengagement and movements of the opposing forces are in fact simultaneous. (a) Taking into account the time effectively required to transmit the cease-fire order down to the lowest echelons of the combatant forces on both sides, the two parties are agreed that the complete and simultaneous cease-fire throughout the territory of Laos shall become effective at 8 hours (local time) on 6 August 1954. It is agreed that Pekin meantime shall be taken as local time. (b) The Joint Commission for Laos shall draw up a schedule for the other operations resulting from the cessation of hostilities. Note: The cease-fire shall become effective 15 days after the entry into force of the present Agreement. Article 3 All operations and movements entailed by the cessation of hostilities and regrouping must proceed in a safe and orderly fashion: (a) Within a number of days to be determined on the spot by the Joint Commission in Laos each party shall be responsible for removing and neutralizing mines, booby traps, explosives and any other dangerous substance placed by it. In the event of its being impossible to complete the work of removal and neutralization in time, the party concerned shall mark the spot by placing visible signs there. (b) As regards the security of troops on the move following the lines of communication in accordance with the schedule previously drawn up by the Joint Armistice Commission in Laos, and the safety of the assembly areas, detailed measures shall be adopted in each case by the Joint Armistice Commission in Laos. In particular, while the forces of one party are withdrawing by a line of communication passing through the territory of the other party (road or waterways) the forces of the latter party shall provisionally withdraw two kilometres on either side of such line of communication, but in such a manner as to avoid interfering with the movement of the civil population. Article 4 The withdrawals and transfers of military forces, supplies and equipment shall be effected in accordance with the following principles: (a) The withdrawals and transfers of the military forces, supplies and equipment of the two parties shall be completed within a period of 120 days from the day on which the Armistice Agreement enters into force. The two parties undertake to communicate their transfer plans to each other, for information, within 25 days of the entry into force of the present Agreement. (b) The withdrawals of the Viet-Namese People's Volunteers from Laos to Viet-Nam shall be effected by provinces. The position of those volunteers who were settled in Laos before the hostilities shall form the subject of a special convention. (c) The routes for the withdrawal of the forces of the French Union and Viet-Namese, People's Volunteers in Laos from Laotian territory shall be fixed on the spot by the Joint Commission. (d) The two parties shall guarantee that the withdrawals and transfers of all forces will be effected in accordance with the purposes of this Agreement, and that they will not permit any hostile action or take action of any kind whatever which might hinder such withdrawals or transfers. The parties shall assist each other as far as possible. (e) While the withdrawals and transfers of the forces are proceeding, the two parties shall not permit any destruction or sabotage of any public property or any attack on the life or property of the local civilian population. They shall not permit any interference with the local civil administration. (f) The Joint Commission and the International Commission shall supervise the implementation of measures to ensure the safety of the forces during withdrawal and transfer. (g) The Joint Commission in Laos shall determine the detailed procedures for the withdrawals and transfers of the forces in accordance with the above-mentioned principles. Article 5 During the days immediately preceding the cease-fire each party undertakes not to engage in any large-scale operation between the time when the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities is signed at Geneva and the time when the cease-fire comes into effect. CHAPTER II-PROHIBITION OF THE INTRODUCTION OF FRESH TROOPS, MILITARY PERSONNEL, ARMAMENTS AND MUNITIONS Article 6 With effect from the proclamation of the cease-fire the introduction into Laos of any reinforcements of troops or military personnel from outside Laotian territory is prohibited. Nevertheless, the French High Command may leave a specified number of French military personnel required for the training of the Laotian National Army in the territory of Laos; the strength of such personnel shall not exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) officers Article 7 Upon the entry into force of the present Agreement, the establishment of new military bases is prohibited throughout the territory of Laos. Article 8 The High Command of the French forces shall maintain in the territory of Laos the personnel required for the maintenance of two French military establishments, the first at Seno and the second in the Mekong valley, either in the province of Vientiane or downstream from Vientiane. The effectives maintained in these military establishments shall not exceed a total of three thousand five hundred (3,500) men. Article 9 Upon the entry into force of the present Agreement and in accordance with the declaration made at the Geneva Conference by the Royal Government of Laos on 20 July 1954, the introduction into Laos of armaments, munitions and military equipment of all kinds is prohibited, with the exception of a specified quantity of armaments in categories specified as necessary for the defence of Laos. Article 10 The new armaments and military personnel permitted to enter Laos in accordance with the terms of Article 9 above shall enter Laos at the following points only: Luang-Prabang, Xieng-Khouang, Vientiane, Seno, Paksé, Savannakhet and Tchépone. CHAPTER III-DISENGAGEMENT OF THE FORCES ASSEMBLY AREAS— CONCENTRATION AREAS Article 11 The disengagement of the armed forces of both sides, including concentration of the armed forces, movements to rejoin the provisional assembly areas allotted to one party and provisional withdrawal movements by the other party, shall be completed within a period not exceeding fifteen (15) days after the cease fire. Article 12 The Joint Commission in Laos shall fix the site and boundaries: of the five (5) provisional assembly areas for the reception of the Vietnamese People's Volunteer Forces, of the five (5) provisional assembly areas for the reception of the French forces in Laos, -of the twelve (12) provisional assembly areas, one to each province, for the reception of the fighting units of "Pathet Lao". -The forces of the Laotian National Army shall remain in situ during the entire duration of the operations of disengagement and transfer of foreign forces and fighting units of "Pathet Lao". Article 13 The foreign Forces shall be transferred outside Laotian territory as follows: (1) French Forces: The French forces will be moved out of Laos by road (along routes laid down by the Joint Commission (2) Vietnamese People's Volunteer forces: These forces will be moved out of Laos by land, along routes and in accordance with a schedule to be determined by the Joint Commission in Laos in accordance with principle of simultaneous withdrawal of foreign forces. Article 14 Pending a political settlement, the fighting units of "Pathet Lao", concentrated in the provisional assembly areas, shall move into the Provinces of Phongsaly and Sam-Neua, except for any military personnel who wish to be demobilised where they are. They will be free to move between these two Provinces in a corridor along the frontier between Laos and Viet-Nam bounded on the south by the Line SOP KIN, NA MI-SOP SANG, MUONG SON. Concentration shall be completed within one-hundred-and-twenty (120) days from the date of entry into force of the present Agreement. Article 15 Each party undertakes to refrain from any reprisals or discrimination against persons or organizations for their activities during the hostilities and also undertakes to guarantee their democratic freedoms. CHAPTER IV-PRISONERS OF WAR AND CIVILIAN INTERNEES Article 16 The liberation and repatriation of all prisoners of war and civilian internees detained by each of the two parties at the coming into force of the present Agreement shall be carried out under the following conditions: (a) All prisoners of war and civilian internees of Laotian and other nationalities captured since the beginning of hostilities in Laos, during military operations or in any other circumstances of war and in any part of the territory of Laos, shall be liberated within a period of thirty (30) days after the date when the ceasefire comes into effect. (b) The term "civilian internees" is understood to mean all persons who, having in any way contributed to the political and armed strife between the two parties, have been arrested for that reason or kept in detention by either party during the period of hostilities. (c) All foreign prisoners of war captured by either party shall be surrendered to the appropriate authorities of the other party, who shall give them all possible assistance in proceeding to the destination of their choice. Article 17 CHAPTER V-MISCELLANEOUS The Commanders of the forces of the two parties shall ensure that persons under their respective commands who violate any of the provisions of the present Agreement are suitably punished. Article 18 In cases in which the place of burial is known and the existence of graves has been established, the Commander of the forces of either |