◆ SpookStack

~ — on . i . a , . Tate. a ie : . ”% It would be expected that this courageous cratic of the military government would hold such opinions, but they were confirmed by numerous interviews with newsmen, diplomats, government workers, volunteers and Vietnamese from various walks of ~~ life. i De me be ae wens ee we eee - I revisited a Chieu Hoi center for VC defectors in I Corps and found that the population of the camp in one year had dropped from 300°to 89. A tour = - of the camp revealed little, if any, meaningful ectivity politically and the program % provide productive skills consisted of nine sewing machines and two barber chairs -Visits to the refugee camps confirmed the reports appearing in the American press as to the lack of sanitation, water facilities or cultivable land and attests to their overcrowded conditions with demoralization of the young and old alike. The American government has made several statements respecting increased eid to~ refugees and more attention to treating the thousands of civilian casualties but to date these have largely been promises for the future. Given the increased -.- pattern of intensified war, one can only conclude that we are deluding ourselves if we think our present methods in Vietnam are “winning hearts and minds", L. The Nationalists One is struck on a visit to Vietnam with the number of moderate nation- alists who, inspite of a rather harsh police state, continue to make known to any observer their belief that a solution to the war must involve the creation of a government in the Seigon-controlled areas which is not dominated by a military junta and which will be willing to’ enter negotiations with the National Liberation Front leading to some form of coalition government which is based on the power realities with which South Vietnam is confronted today. When the term nationalist ds used we are speaking of various political leaders, intellectuals, professors, student leaders and Buddhists who are basically anti-YC but who feel that it is better to attempt to create a government based upon negotiations among the Vietnamese rather than to continue with the destruction of their country, the enormous casualties, the growing corruption and degeneration of their culture plus the possibilities of a totally expanded war throughout the whole Southeast H Asian area. As one youthful Buddhist leader stated, "It is time for the Buddhists t to negotiate with the National Liberation Front. At least they are Vietnamese i whereas there is no hope with the Americans who are destroying our country". All of South Vietnam's Catholic bishops recently joined in a statement calling for an end of the war and negotiations with the NLF and Hanoi. eect Dr. Ton That Thien who is currently a professor at Van Hanh University and who was the editor of the Vietnam Guardian, a newspaper which has been closed by the Saigon government for over. twelve months, said, "Why,.if the United States wants to punish or contain China, bomb Vietnam? Why pick on us? Why do you send people who know absolutely nothing about Vietnam to devise programs for Vietnam? Why do you support a corrupt military government? Cannot we have a true nationalist government which will negotiate with the communists? Diem wanted -that, so he was killed. He was really a nationalist, s0 I supported him, but he was killed. How can you fight communisn with this military government? The people have no respect for this government. The other side is unreasonable, Ho Chi Minh blindly resists. Do they want Vietnam destroy- ed, the genocide of a people? That is what is happening. The Americans are making millions of refugees and killing masses of others.- Are you trying to win us with this bombing? The bombing of a tiny and poor country? “ ~27- ve teeny nie mee aE