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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05630 to 363-05635.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05630 to 363-05635
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Title
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Article about the execution of Phan Thi Thanh
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Description
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Original title: "The Unhappy Election". Keever's title: "Phan Thi Thanh Recounts being Elected to a Communist Committee, Captured, Now facing Execution", article about the execution of Phan Thi Thanh, published by the New York Herald Tribune
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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doopo
article # 5 of 15 article serios
page 1
Photos to accompany this article were sent to you in July, along with
shots of the Ilorth Vietnamese "invader" pho.
Photo of the vonan
shows hor in front of palm tree; also indoor shoto amolding
etc...
you've
already run one shot of hor in July.
THE UNHAPPY ELECTION
Phan Thi Thanh vas born 25 years ago in the small village of
Huynh Iden, 400 miles north of Saigon and 25 miles west of the old
imperial capital of Iluo. Her mother died when she was 16; hor
two elder brothers wont to lorth Viet Nam with the Communist guerrillas
at the close of the Eo French Indo-China War in 15. 1954.
Sho lived with her deaf, big fat blind fathor, 78-years-old,
who complained one day: "My son have been gone for ten years and
their vivos are not like daughters any more.
any-20* If they come to i soe us,
they don't."
We can not give thon order
they como; if they don't cone,
Thanh cultivates 1 acre of riceland,
exchanging labor with
the neighbors, and two 2 acres of gardonland, raising fruits,
* vegetables, pigs and chickens.
"Ilany non have intended to marry no,"
she confessed, "But they can't live with my father. He's a burdern
burdon."
She said the Communist guerrillas during the French/ Indo-China
Var taught her to read and write, "but I read the newspapers
slowly and my writing is of the popular level," she explained.,
cupping hor fingers around hand-rolled cigaroto cigaretto./ Sho
throw the cigarette butt on the floor where it shouldored away into
(More)
achoo.
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♥ doope
article 5 of 15 articlo sorios
Daco $ 2
She told it the story of her unhappy election:
One night, thirty Viet Cong (Communist) guorrillas cano to hor
hanlet with rifles and gronados. They were dressed in black shorts
and khanh khaki shorts. They asked the people in to assemble. Thoro
are about 80 to 90 adults in the hamlet; about 60-70 or these aro
The vonen aro 2 two-thirds of the paopopulation because the
vonon.
non are in the army or elsewhere.
The people told the Viet Cong: If you come here the national
any will cono and kill us.
The Viet Cong replied: Don't be afraid; wo have soldiers to
protect you.
Then when the people were assembled, they asked us to
mako domonstrations.
Wo dononstrated for four consecutive nights--
in the daytimes we were busy destroying the government strategic
hanlot (the fortifiod in hamlots established by the government,
supposedly the keystone of the pacification offort).
Wo wore busy
during the day touring down the bamboo fonces and the Viet Cong
rolled up the barod barbed wire fences. The people told the Viet Cong:
if vo dostroy this, the national army would cono, but they replied
that the army would not kill the people.
The strategic hanlet had been set up 2 years ago; I had helped
work on it, digging trenches, picking bamboo and making it into
polos and plunging it into the ground. The government gave the hanlet
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- Page 3
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doepe
article 5
Dago 3
several thousand piastres (US$30) for this work and I got 40 plastros
46 conto).
But the hamlet is considered an area which had lost its
socurity. Thero had boon a hanlot chief, but two months earlier he was
frightonod and wont to live in the village center and stayed with the
village council. Anytime ho noodod to sond papers to the hamlet, ho
aslood the hamlet people to tako thon. Ilic assistant in charge of
socurity vas kidnapped by the Viet Cong and we've heard nothing about
hin ainco*
So when the Viet Cong como, there was no hamlet chief or nor
any hanlot officials.
We used to have combat youth too, trained by the government for one
month and given rifles and a radio to defend the x hamlet. However,
a few months before, they wore dissolved so they gave their rifles
and radio back to the village council. Whon the Viet Cong came to
the hamlet, they asked three combat youth to join them and gave them
weapons. Those three were later killed in the big battle.
During the nootings, the Viet Cong told us they had como to
help the population and to install a new government in South Viet Nam.
They said in each hamlet and village the wonon should be organized
*to help each other. They said their motto wao: wo should mutually
holp each other.
Whilo tho Viet Cong stayed in the hamlot for four days, I coolzod
fico for then tuice, but they gave no the rice.
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- Page 4
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doopo
article 5
page 4
During one nocting, ovon as the cadre talkod, we hoard cannon fino
In the distance. The people were afzaid of the coming of the national
But the Viet Cong told the pooplo not to be afraid and that they
should stay in the meeting. They noted the people to dig
trenches--one for onch house--and along the roadside.
The meetings vore generally hold in the open yard under they sky.
Only one cadro did the speaking, while two others sat and listonod.
Thoro was no socrotary to take notes on the mooting; the cadro
who 014 the talking was strong, healthy, a little fat, in fact.
Bo apoio £luontly and quickly.
Sonotince I understood and sonotinos I didn't; but ovon
whon the people did not understand, no one darod to aalt questions. Be
astrod the population to voluntoor for variou Jobo-liko destroying tho
strategic hamlot,
When the cadro asked who would voluntoor, those who wanted to
nicod their hondend those who didn't want to raised their hands.
Everyone was afraid not to voluntoor. The cadro aplod: Is there
anyone who dares to disagree! No one did.
Phon one night, the Viet Cong acted no to round up the wonon to
come to a nooting in one of the family's bouses, Where are about GO
⚫onon in the halot, but only 30 cano to the mooting--the others vide
voro busy with their bhi childron. Ono Viet Cong soldier with a rifle
hopt watch outside the house and nonotinos ho'd look into the nocting.
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doogo
article 5
pace 5
At the beginning of the nooting, the cadro oaid that with tho
revolution tho Viet Cong must liberate the women so they have their
deserved place. He said they would organise a committee of vocan in
order to guide the womon and lead thoir activities.
Ilo asked who would be elected and suggested Guo capable cadro
one named Among and the other was mo. The vomon said they didn't Imow
if they could oloot no because I had served on the womon's committee
under the government, too. The women nottod, 12 they wore going to
have a pooplo's rogino, how could I be olectod.
The cadre replied that they could oloot anyone who was capable
and could look after their intoronto,
However, the wouon replied they did not imow who to elect and
so tam he appointed huong as
succested the cadre appoint sonoono.
chairman and me as vice-chairman. In lo actted the wonon if they
accepted and they said yes.
I was not vory happy or pround and I told the cadro that.
I said I didn't want to accept. It would be dangerous; the national
any could como and boat mo. Ilo paid I chould talto can charge of
the mir vonon because I have the past osporionco.
But again I ropliod I personally uno not happy. If I'a trusted by
the people and fairly elected, thon I'd be happy. (A government
interrogator noted that this view of fair oloction is charod by both
the Communists and the Americano, but it in alion to Vietnamcco
tions.)
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*doopo
article 5
DACO 6
Thon one day the government roops como and I led to a nearby
hamlet. Ono the first day, cannonsholls foll on the banlot; no ono
vas seinän Illod, but everyone was terrifiod. Four days later I
wont back to my hamlet, and at 9 in the morning the governmont
troops came to my hamlet.
At first I was scared and stayed in the tronch in my house.
But when tho Viot Cong fled, I asked them to tako no sit along.
They were not very happy to take me, but didn't force me to stay.
I told thom I wanted to go because I was elected vice-chairman
of the Women's Association and if I stayed the government would
azreat me and tortur no. So I said I was going with thom.
Tho Viot Cong flod towards the river and the national army
was coming from the other side. There was alot of shooting. Whon
it ondod, oight Viet Cong were doad. Ono vao the chairman of the
womon's committoo. I was shot in the fingor and captured. The
government said I was a Viet Cong and was fooding thon and acting as
a liaison agent for thon.
A high-ranking military officer said aho would be s
Ozocuted.
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Date
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1964
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Executions and executioners; Anti-communist movements; Political prisoners
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B187, F2
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
