The following letter has been sen to the Vatican by the undersigned who is a Vietnam war veteran still living in South East Asia. It mentions an unreported "large scale civil war." 

Your Eminence:

I write to you to request the help of the Holy See.  At this time there is a large scale civil war in Laos.  The Lao government failed to pay the pensions to the retired Lao military, then the government confiscated the land held be the retired Lao military, leaving them with no way to raise crops to feed their families. The confiscated lands were given to Vietnam and Chinese interests, and as a consequence the retired Lao military took up arms against the Lao government.   President Obama failed to even mention this civil war in his recent speech in Bangkok. 

Also,there is a major humanitarian effort to help the poor people of Laos.  Since July, my associate Dr. Pao Yang has been in Bangkok meeting in person with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to discuss the details for this UN-approved large-scale humanitarian aid project.  When the aid is delivered, I know that your subordinate in Laos, Bishop Thao, will be contacted to assist with the delivery of the humanitarian aid on the ground in Laos; I pray that the Bishop and his congregation are well and safe. 

In Bangkok, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees should have all the details that he has worked out in his meetings with Dr. Pao Yang.  I do know Bishop Thao's relative in Providence, Rhode Island, and I endorsed the visa application of his wife, Mrs. Dao Thao. I hope that your good offices and the Holy See will help with these important matters.  Kind regards.

Yours in Christ, 
W. Tynan Brown
Notre Dame Class of 1972 
(I am referenced in the book Perfidy by John Holland)