The Haw Wars (Thai: สงครามปราบฮ่อ) were fought against Chinese quasi-military refugee gangs invading parts of Tonkin and the Siam from 1865–1890. Forces invading Lao domains were ill-disciplined and freely demolished Buddhist temples. Not knowing these were remnants of secret societies, the invaders were wrongly called Haw (Lao: ຫໍ້; Thai: ฮ่อ; Chinese: Hao). Forces sent by King Rama V failed to suppress the various groups, the last of which eventually disbanded in 1890.