LAOS AFTER THE PARTY RETURNING HOME EARLY FROM A PARTY AT THE 
KING'S RESIDENCE IN VIENTIANE, FOREIGN MINISTER QUINIM PHOLSENA, 47, AND HIS 
WIFE DREW UP BEFORE THEIR NEWLY RENOVATED VILLA . ON GUARD 
WAS A PROTECTIVE SCREEN OF SOLDIERS FROM THE NEUTRALIST ARMY OF 
PREMIER PRINCE SOUVANNA PHOUMA . AS QUINIM MOUNTED THE STEPS, ONE 
OF THE SOLDIERS STEPPED FORWARD AND FIRED A BLAST FROM HIS 
SUBMACHINE GUN THAT KILLED QUINIM AND SERIOUSLY WOUNDED HIS WIFE . 
WHEN WORD OF THE MURDER REACHED THE KING'S RESIDENCE ON THE 
BANKS OF THE MEKONG, IT FAILED TO DAMPEN THE MERRYMAKING . 
THE BAND PLAYED ON, THE MINISTERS AND THEIR LADIES CONTINUED TO 
SIP CHAMPAGNE . SHRUGGED ONE GUEST : " NO ONE HAD 
IT MORE COMING TO HIM AND FROM MORE QUARTERS THAN DID 
QUINIM PHOLSENA . / HARD-WORKING, DEDICATED AND DEVIOUS, QUINIM LACKED THE 
CUSTOMARY LAOTIAN CHARM AND GREW UP CONSUMED BY BITTERNESS AND ENVY 
. UNLIKE MOST OTHER LAOTIAN POLITICIANS, HE DID NOT BELONG TO 
A RICH OR PRINCELY FAMILY . HE MADE A LOT OF 
MONEY AS A MERCHANT AND INVESTOR, BUT IN POLITICS HE WAS 
ALWAYS A MAN OF THE LEFT ; THOUGH OFFICIALLY A MEMBER 
OF SOUVANNA PHOUMA'S NEUTRALIST PARTY, HIS LINE WAS USUALLY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM 
THAT OF THE COMMUNIST PATHET LAO . QUINIM WAS WIDELY BLAMED 
FOR SPLITTING THE NEUTRALIST RANKS AND FOR FOSTERING THE RESENTMENTS AND 
DISSENSIONS THAT LED TO THE FEBRUARY ASSASSINATION OF A NEUTRALIST COLONEL 
IN THE PLAINE DES JARRES . IN HIS SIGNED CONFESSION, QUINIM'S 
ASSASSIN, A LANCE CORPORAL NAMED CHY KONG, CHARGED QUINIM WITH TRYING 
TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT AND BRIBING NEUTRALIST OFFICERS TO DEFECT TO 
THE PATHET LAO FORCES ENCAMPED IN THE PLAINE DES JARRES, WHERE 
AT WEEK'S END FIGHTING BROKE OUT THAT CAUSED 20 CASUALTIES . 
ASKED IF HE AGREED THAT QUINIM HAD BEEN PRO-COMMUNIST, PREMIER SOUVANNA 
PHOUMA REPLIED SIMPLY : " HE IS DEAD . PEACE TO 
HIS SOUL . / 