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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-01707 to 363-01713.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-01707 to 363-01713
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Title
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Article on the Mekong Delta
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Description
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Original title: "Red Rule in the 'Pink' Delta." Original caption: "Wrapup--article 3 of 4 article series." Article by Keever about the Mekong Delta for New York Herald Tribune
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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Doope
Wrapup-article 3 of 4 article serios
page 1
December 27, 1965
RED RULE IN THE PINK' DELRA
SA DEC, SOUTH VIETNAM-Since the February 7th
bombing of North Vietnam, the Viet Cong Communists in the
Mekong Delta have initiated a crunching policy to advance
their frontline aroas and to consolidato their roar areas.
by tightening their control of the rural peasants.
Officially, the Mokong Delta south of Saigon--where
no American combat units have yet been based--is one of the
bright, quiet spots where the Vietnamese government is
progressing well. The simple tranquility of fishing boats
passing through the fingor-like canals, the hootic automobile
traffic on the roads, the unbrokon routine of peasant life
would been to confirm the official version.
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Doope
vapup-article 3 of 4 article series
page 2
But, according to villagers, the Viet Cong have
virtually seized politica control of this rich rice-boul
area of Vietnam. The process of seizing control is not one
of violont, visible military battlos, but is instond the
invisible strangulation and isolation of government authority.
It is an economic, political, social and semi-military
process of subversion which might be termed termite warfare.
The limits of government authority has been squoyod into a
small ring of villages around provincial and district capitals
and trains the main isolated triangular outposts
along the main roads and canals., apparent government-controlled
center garo now contested a "pink" area fon mape botwoon the
expanding "Red"
areas and the government "white" hard-core
a2000.
For example, siz milos from Sa Dec, the headquartors
of the Vietnamese 9th Infantry Division, lios the village
complex of
Two of the three villages are in
already controlled by the Communists. The third village
named Tan hunn Deng is protected by one company of 100-51
paramilitary troops, plus platoons in two smaller outposts
ono and two miles away.
This is the story of the Nga Ba outpost, situated
two miles from the company headquarters and the Ba Thien og
one platoon situated one mile from the company headquarters.
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- Page 3
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Doope
Wrapup-article 3 of 4 article series
page 3
and
The company of paramilitary troops, housed in a
former ronch fort, is assigned to protect the village,
particularly the bridge strotching across a placid river on
which gidos several rice mills and brick factorios aro
functioning. The two outlying outposts, however, are
completely encircled by the Viet Cong guerrillas and as of last
month were totally isolated from the local population. To
pay salaries and to bring in supplies to the defendors of these
two posts, the government has to use at loast ton armorod
boats, including troops, and on every voyage they draw
Communist sniperfire.
The defonders of those two small posts dare not to
leave their compounds, although theoretically their small
unit patrols for intolligence information makes them the
"oars and eyes of the regular forces."
But, more accurately, ao ono villager explained,
"they are blind non in a jail," because they are so isolated.
Rarely do they dare to leave their post ovon to fetch vator
from the river two twenty yards away because the Viet Cong
have posted snipers around the perimeter. Last week, one
dofonder did stray from the outposts Eb barbed wire fonce
porimotor to get some water from the river.
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his
Deepe
wrapup-article 3 of 4 article serios
page 4
Ile was wounded by sniperfire on the bank of the river.
Ilono
He ales died and
Gody of his follow desonders dared to rescue him. After three days,
he died in the same spot. The peet commander asked his higher
headquarters for troop reinforcemamonts to pick up the body
that was twenty yards away from his own post. This request
was refused. The defonders of the post wore ordered to bury
the corpse inside the post itself. The defenders again refused
to pick up the body. Again, they were ordered to bury the
body. The cocond time, they obeyed the order, but since
their outpost lacked shovels they used their Imivos to dig
the grave and since they lacked lumber and nails they used their
Inives to rip off the wood from the walls of their outpost to
make the coffin.
Following the grotesque burial, the morale of the
dofendors of the outpost was so low that the company commander
decided to rotate them. But the 100-man company ordered to
99sta rollove the platoon refused to accopt the commander's
order and the majority of the troops defected, leaving
behind their weapons, rather than be assigned to the fija Ba
outpost. The province chief and the district chief were
forced to visit the company and persuaded the defertors
return to the government ranks--but the order to shift to the
outpost was rescinded.
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Doope
Wrapup-article 3 of 4 article sorios
page 5
Last month, the Viet Cong ordered the peasants and
local businessmen working and living within a half-mile radius
of the outpost to leave the area. Within this half-mile
radius, none of the local villagers are allowed to live or
to move. Villagers have been assigned small canals for their
sampans rather than lotting them move on the major river twenty
yards from the outpost.
One of those moving out of this one-half mile radius
was a rice mill owner, who moved his mill brick-by-brick and
machine-by-machine to a location noarer government authority.
"The Viet Cong were very nice to give him the
permission to move his rice mill," one villager oxplained.
"Otherwise, he would have starved to death,. No one would
have brought thier rice to him to be polished since he was
within the half-mile radius around the post."
Since the bombing of North Vietnam, the Viet Cong
Communists have taken drastic and strict measures against
the population as they press forward with their policy of
expansion and consolidation. In their monthly propaganda
meetings with the villagers,
the Viet Cong cadre announcos
that "the Americans are vaging an all-out war against the
Vietnamese people. The people have to make a clear-cut choice
between their friends and their onomies. Those who want to
fight with the Americans can go to the governnont-controlled
area.
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Deepe
Wrapup-article 3 of 4 article series
page 6
Those who want to fight against the Americans can stay with
Thoro is no third choice."
The one exception was
those families who
have suffered from Anorican bombing and strafing raids could
£loe to government-controlled territory--but they could not
cooperated with the government.
Ilonce, in this SayDoc division headquarters town,
the refugee villagoro huo hivod in thoir sampans a
parkod along the riverfront. But thoy havo rofused to livo
in the refugee housing provided by the government.
Many of the wealthods landoumors have already boon
which
forced to floo to the government-controlled zones,
has given the Communists the effect of an economic purge of
the area. The vacated lands of the landowners, especially
the fruit gooves along canals, has boon systematically
booby trapped and mined by the guerrilla forces.
Now, the Viot Cong have told the large and the small
landowners that their land will be confiscated if they allow
their children to bocomo government soldiers. The few
wealthy landowners who remain in the area have been warned
they will not be allowed to hire peasants to help till the land.
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poopo
Wrapup-articlo 3 of 4 article series
page 7
----And the peasants have been warned not to be hired to the
these
landownors.
do tho
The woulthiest of those landowners must then
BACK Breaking
Le vesting
peasants job of planting and ev
ze the rice. Within the past month, the Viet Cong have
also withdrawn permission previously granted to the population
to visit friends and relatives in the government-controlled areas.
Even the father of one of the highest ranking generals at the
Vietnamese high command in Saigon, who had previously boon
authorized by the Viet Cong to see his son, is now a comi-
prisoner who is not granted the authorization op to leave
the Viet Cong areas.
The Viet Cong use pre-teenaged children to collect
taxos from the local businessmon, such as rico mill and
brick factory ounors. The Viet Cong have recently increased
their tax on the peasants rice to 40 per cent of the amount
AN
not consumed during the gear By the individual family se
AR
"export tax" is loviod on ico and fish produced in the
Viet Cong areas a-sold in the government areas, as though
the foodstaffs were passing from one foreign country into
another. And, in on invisible way, the Viet Cong have
own
established their government in the Mekong Delta which has
almost orodod the authority and presence of the anti-
Communist Saigon regime.
(Tomorrow: American Marine and Pacification headaches.)
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Date
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1965, Dec. 27
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Strategy
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Location
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Sa Đéc, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.2901; 105.7517
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B66, F4
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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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Collector
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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
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Language
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English
