◆ SpookStack

eer eere ae he ee a i a ne aE ONE ae ee eae main RMT OO AE CAR pT va ode a 7 * ~ Nosren ot Bini, chairmcn of the NLF delegation enc o member of the Frant’s Central Comminee, who spoke 7 mmm we . ‘ -_ with Bronson Chith, Russeli Johnson, and me ior 2 note of the Proenix ris aTsaem ___ H. the aware ley program in South PIONIGitely two hairs. Tar: sior. 10 North Vicruam Vietnam, Macsine Linh raised the issue of obtaining Quaker relief for the Fron: zo assis: those hurt by the wer in anc around the liberated areas In South Vietnam. “We welcome your a: uterial assistance,” she said. “For ihe time being, your beljy on medical aie anc mapey is in a good direction.” Madame Binh's associate, Ha Thanh Lam, the NLF representative in I'vague, clarified 2 farther reason for the Fron:’s interes! i Quaker relief. “Y: and ‘Your activities,” he ’ pointed our, “thon;h proceeding from good motivations, n be used by the U.S. and Saigon Governments to enhance the presti;e and the ‘pacification’ efforts of the S3jcon puppet repame. " Wherever voluntary agencies ers ek bhoose to establish relief operations in cooperation with Saigon, he said, they inadvertently encourage and enable US. and Saigon miliary forces to evacuate and destroy nearby contested villages and to herd people toward new “approved” docatiems adjaceni 10 the relief facilities. The Front, therefore, serks outside aid 10 give an aluernative to those whose villages are razed. Informed of Friends’ continuing concern that Quaker meical or relief personnel accompany our relief sup- pues, Mademe Linh explained that “the time is no: right—that ir was unlikely that our personnel could spezk Vietnamese, operate by Aashlight in underground caverns, keep pace with the Liberation Forces, and sur- vive on the basic dict of the Vietnamese. Already the Front’s experience with American prisoners has revealed how much “special sttention™ foreigners require. In con- cluding, Madame Ninh said gently: “] suggest you re- examine your plans.” Perhaps, she suggested, Friends could find “another way” to extend relief to her people. “We hope,” she added, “that these words may give you some food for thought” 7 * Possible Nourishment for Friends’ Peace Witness “Food for thought’? Yes, J brought back quite a bit from Bratislava. I offer these final observations for Friends’ further digestion. 7 First, Yam convinced that the Vietnamese with whom I met value the witness of Friends as a istinct conzribu- tion toward ending the war. They made it clear that they welcome the medical supplies of American Friends both as 2 contribution to the ratiel of their cue aetna & wee ee $8 Reb AR Od SS aUaeT ing ahadte as 2 confrontation with the U.S. Government's sirategy of attrition. J realize that some Friends have felt no medical 2id should be extended save on our terms, while others urge that we shift the focus of our energies to “more political” efforts to stop the wer. Still others have ex- pressed concern at mixing what they perceive as our reli- gious responsibility for relief with our political responsi- bility for protest. For myself, 1 should merely like to urge that while we continue to deliberate over what a more relevant, more radical, more Quaker action toward the war should be, we do not lose sight of the very rea] and" distinct witness we can make now. For if indeed it has become the national interest of these United States to, bleed the Vietnamese ro death or the conference table, then surely the least we can do is to put our government on notice that Friends are in the business of giving transfusions. A Different Commanding Officer Second, while striving to maintain our unequivocal opposition to hatred, violence, and bloodshed on both sides of the war, we dare not overlook the implications oi our relief work in connection with the political struggle for peace. We cannot continue to “help wherever we are permitted to help” without asking political questions— or answering our own religious queries. Every humani- tarinn met aire eel nee hae listen) prereset, ; 1 4, Seiigli ALL WE peibuia sigs pesilical EULIOC LUE eS. a Le ously, with the recently announced cutbacks in USAID funds to South Vietnam and the ‘shift of village work from civilian to military command, US. voluntary relief ‘ agencies are likely to find themselves under ineréssing