Vietnam steps in after rebel attacks in Laos VIENTIANE -- Laos has been forced to seek military help from communist ally Vietnam after suffering losses at the hands of rebels from the Hmong minority, Western diplomats said. Military-transport vehicles carrying Vietnamese troops have been seen on the streets of the capital in recent weeks, they said. However, Hanoi issued a swift and angry denial. ""These reports are totally fabricated and malicious,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Phan Thuy Thanh said. Massive military support from Vietnam in the late 70s and 80s largely eliminated what remained of an anti-communist militia which the CIA recruited among the Hmong during the Vietnam War, although low-level attacks continued through the 90s. Washington granted asylum to several tens of thousands of former Hmong militiamen after the end of the war in 1975, including their leader General Vang Pao. A diplomat said that emigre groups were now funding large-scale arms deliveries to those who stayed behind. The weapons are being smuggled in across the Thai border. They have enabled a sharp escalation in rebel attacks in recent months. Vientiane would not admit to the mounting rebellion, even though it stopped allowing tourists from visiting one of the country's most popular attractions, the Plain of Jars, which lies in a previously safe part of Xiang Khouang province. But on Tuesday, following last Sunday's bomb blast at the capital's morning market in which 15 people were wounded, the authorities finally acknowledged they had a security problem. ""Investigations suggested that the explosion was caused by persons who wanted to destroy the peaceful atmosphere of Vientiane,'' government spokesmen said. Agence France Presse - June 5, 2000.