POLITICAL INFORMATION: THE VIET NAM GOVERNMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R000700750001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 29, 1947
• Content Type: IR

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CONTROL
U. S. OFFICIALS OW.*Y
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP
INTELLIGENCE REPORT
11
L1'
25X1 A 226/
95856
COUNTRY French Indo Chinn
DATE:
25X1 A
SUBJECT
Political Informations
Government
The Viet Aram
INFO.
DIST.
July 1947
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PAGES
9
ORIGIN
SUPPLEMENT
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1. The People's Committees are roughly designed in the classic Marxist model of
PeopleeDs Soviets, although there are some important differcnces. In the election
of P.Za.rxist Soviets the vote is weighted heavily in favor of the city proletariat
as against the other classes. The People's Committees in Vietnam, however; are
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xtEE IMAM '- '~iR = u'1 # A011=
The People's Committees
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cl N`MA.L J [?EI,.I.M 'IC~a
elected by universal suffrage-all. raen and uoraen over 18 years of age 0 Atten-
dance at elections is not compulsory, but Government pressure usually succeeds
in reducing abstentions to less than 25 The elections are controlled by
skillful Government propaganda,
2. The People's Committees are in theory the source of administrative power.
Aecordin; to the present Vietnam Constitution (adopted 9 November 1946), Vietnam
is divided, from the administrative point of view, into 3 BoNorth, Central and
outho . Theso Tao are the geographical equivalent of the 3 Ky: Tonkin, iann :1,
Cochinchina; but it .must be noted that the Ho are supposed to be purely adminis-
trative subdivisions, not separate states like the old Ky. Each Bo is divided
into a number of provinces; each province into a number of Huyon (Annarose
equivalent to the Chinese Iisien) each Iluyon into a number of Xa (comet nes or
villages). Each of those divisions elects its oim People's Co u ittoe as follows:
a. Xa: population of each Xa elects People's Codnmttee for that Xa by direct
popular vote.
bet IIuyen: populxstion of each Huyen elects People's Committee for that U~Lyen
by direct popular vote.
co Province and I3o: sane as Xa and Iluyen0 There i3 no iridirect election of
People's Comnh ttees o In addition to the People's Committees C:hich exist on the
four different levels enumerated above,, there is the National Assembly v-hich
is the equivalent . of a People's Committee for the ti?rhole country; also elected
by direct popular vote
Article 59 of the Constitution states: "Tire People's Committee (on each level)
maker decisions on local problems 3 There decisions must not be in oppoc Lion
to the directives of the Committees on the hi.;lier levels.". It is this in-
conspicuous provision in the Constitution which pormits a complete negation in
practice of this theory of power ster7r i.n ; upLvmrd iron. the people through the
Cor_ A. "ttees to the ^xoverniaent; and in fact reverses the flow of power, changing
it into one from a central dictatorship do Ti to the level of the individual.
The Pcoplev~Cor~nttees and the iccutave Cor;m3ttees
The implementation of this reversal of the flow of potrer is through the t: ,e of
Executive Cor1nittees on each level. Article 59 of the Constitution cont_:nucs:
'The Executive Committee is charged urith these duties: (1) to execute the
orders of the Comm mittee on the next higher level; (2) to execute the de(l.sions
of the Peoplovs Committee on its oT;j:i Level, ,ft,c.r these decisions have I:?-)en
approved by the Comrdttce on the hi., ,hor level; and (3) to direct the adr.?inistration
of the locality." Article 60 stag;:: The Fx3cutive Cor:uitttee is responsible
both to the Committee on the next hi ;her level and to the local People' Conui ittee o"
Article 61 at?ates: "The details of the organization of Poopl? v s Comndttees
and of Executive Conmiittees will be fixed by Goverrsraent decree," 25X1 A
An example of such a decree (based, of course, not on the present cons a u ion
but on a similar provision in the previous one) - appears in the Official-journal of 23 July 1946 and provides for the creation of a "Special Re;ion of Ho3ay"
(107-05#20-57),, in which the Executive Corry i.ttec of the People's Coi nii tt ce reports
directly to the People's Committee of .13ac Bo (Tonkin) rather than to that of the
Province of 'luanr; yens Hord ay is an 1portant coal mining center).
5, In practice -.lraost the sole function of the People's Convattee is to elect
the T xecutive Cor_ri ttee on its oVVrn level. This election, litre the others,
is ;guided by skillful propaganda fromi above., After havir7 elected the ' iXecutive
Conaai.ttee, the People's Cornuittee tends to disappear from si ;ht a It is Supposed
to rioet every sic months to approve or disapprove the actions of the .ecutivo
Committee a As a rule those ratifications are perfunctory. Special meeti_n s of
the Peoplo's Comr7ittee are soraetixies hold in order that they may be rec;Orred to
assurie outward responsibility for an action -uhhich is sufficiently unpopuJ`?.r to
cnamse the ?'xeciitive Committee to hesitate--a scanessoat functions
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The Executive Committee
6, The Executive Committee on each level consists of a President, one or more
Vice-Presidents, and a Secretary. Often the President and Vice-Presidonts are
figureheads, with the real power (such as it is) being exercised by the Secretary,,
All administrative power is exercised by the Executive Con mitten in accordance
with rather rigid directives from above,
7. In like runner, on the National level, the. Cabinet is the equivalent of the
Executive Cor.rittee just as the national Assembly is the equivalent of thu
Peoplees Cor~.anittee. The Cabinet is controlled by the Vietminh. The National
Assembly is as much the puppet of the Vietnir h as the Peoplea s Corariittees are
puppets of the Executive Corunittees. Be=use of the true reversal of the floc, of
power (described in paragraphs 3 and 4) local Government and police duties tend to
bedbrne coordinate functions under the' '.-kocutive Coraraittoo and the Departmnt of
the Interior Frith the latter becorzting the deciding, factor.
Local Officials
f a The authority of local officials is closely circumscribed. Local officials in
' iett}tinh controlled areas were useable to discuss pith source A any specialized
field. of ~,overnrnont, such as education, lags enforcement., population changes,
4axation, it:hick would nominally be considered to be under the overall direction
or study of the administrative officials of a city or province,. Few loco.;.
officials had much knovlledre of the social, econoruic, or commercial aspec3: s of
their comrunities; or if they had such knowled e, they indicated that the,- were
not authorized to discuss such ratters
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Another means by which the local officials are kept in line is the Secret Police,
rho observe their activities closely. Central ; overnnrent officials are similarly
.ia,tched. The Secret Police encourage informers to report exactly vhat th;.(y see
a Yid hear without comment. Source 3 trzs told by several different persons on Y;'rhort
4te had recently called that they had been visited by Secret Police ir; :odic teiy
after sourcea s departure to verify their connections with hire, their conversations
and their actions,,
state that some local officials are arrogant blockheads but the rr jority
are mere machines. It has been previously reported that 110 chi
rani adrv is the lir:.ta.tions of his auUnistrative officials, for t1iich he blames
the lack of adenuateeeducation and administrative experience during the French
regUie. Other reports indicate that many sriall functionaries are betginnir g to
iLfLtate the mannerisms and arrow _,es of forrucr French functionaries). According
to source A, local officials in gene, al are young; men who have only in eleiientaxy
education but pleasing personalities. In some of the hamlets the officials are
the village elder:;. A great many of the local officials arc former revolutionists
who had suffered prison sentences under the French; many had performed ;uerril.lna
and underground activities during the Japanese occupation. Because of the narrow-
ness of the directives which govern their posers as acirrinistrative off'ic ,-; ?.s, they
have little initiative or opportunity for individual judgment. 4hen an 6c -ibt
whey do nothing until receiving instructions from higher authorities. Thi 3 tends
,o result in apparent obstr etioniurt,
U, This inability to make decisions on the spot results in clumsy and sluggish
Wrt1nistration with a mmcitain, of red tape. Persons can rove from one area to
another only with all the ri xni ?ole of obtaining special permission from the
now authority for each succeedin step. It is irtpossiblo to visit an official ---
without naicirt ; a previous appointment. A representative of the Information Depart-~
merit of the liinistxy of the Interior tires assi, to source A during part of a
trps inoVietminh-controlled areas for the purpose of raking all necessary arrange-
i source; but p ly oven this representative had to --o through all
the usual red tape. '.henever he succeeded in arranging a ncotin , he seemed
ex renely excited as.though it were suite a. triumph. (See par. ?9) Difficulties
of administration are increased by tyre lot?,-noss of coruitunications. 11any officials
corric-nted on t d~' ff ' cults
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because of officials being scattered and communications being poor.
12. The national ~..elfare Associations are not elected. In every case, their
membership in each district comprises nearly the whole class of persons t
whom he Association is applicable; for examples the I=IJortenZ s Association
or '13ational ',~elfare" includes practically all the women in the district.
Membership is theoretical ly voluntary, but propaganda and pressure make it
nearly compulsory. Jusi; as the I'cop oIs Committees exist on. various levels,
so do the National Welfare Associations. The activities of the Associations
are directed by Executive Committees of the Associations, who are chosen by
meetings of the members of the Association under suitable "guidance" from above.
Unlike ?: he People's Committees, which tend to disappear.in practice, the Associa-
tions nre very active; but are naturally under rigid control by the Executive
Committees of the Associations Just as in theory the i xecutive Committee of
the People's Committee is jointly responsible to the People's Committee itself
and to the Executive Committee of the People's Committee or.. the next.. higher level,
so in theory the Executive Comrai.ttee of the Association is jointly responsible
to the members of the Association itself and to the Executive Committee of the
Association on the next higher level. In practise, the Executive Committee of
the Association is solely responsible to the Executive Committee of the Associa-
tion on,tho next higher level; and the general activities of the Associations
are governed by the Executive Committee of the Association in question on a
national level. On this high level, the Executive Committee of the Association
is in close touch with the various Ministries, which g! eot or request (they do
not order) the. Association to conduct given activities in connection with the
responsibilities of those I.iinistries. Wiese might include, for exuample, a
public health program undertaken under the joint auspices of the Liinistry of
Public Health and the Department of Information, Public Works programs, etc:
Mien the program has been agreed upon, the Executive Con,. ittee of the :association
on the Rational level gives implementing directives to the Executive Corzaittoos
of the Associations on the level of Bo,, Province, Iluyen, and Xaaa On each level,
the relationship between the r ecutive Committees of the People's Committees
and the Executive Committees of the Associations is merely one of liaison, not
one of authority in either direction.
There are three main types of Public elf.'are Associations: (a) By categories
(age, sex, or religion); (b) By profession, business,, or trade; (c) Cultural
and allied associations.
Associations bey Categories.
l3. Examples of Associations by categories are: Public ':.elfare Associations of
Children, Youth, Young Lien, .;omen, Old People, Catholics, Protestants,
Buddhists? These Associations differ among one another in organization and
function.
14. The members of the Boys' and Girls' Associations are Inrovan as 41Bas boo Shoots"
who will one day grow up strait ,ht and strong as bamboo trees. They are divided
into two groups, those under 11, and those over 11. no children are encouraged
to sing popular revolutionary sons as well as the old songs of the country,
They are encouraged to write and perform skits and plays; catching bandits and killing
traitors are the themes of their games. They have bonfire parties in the moonlight;
and go on picnics to the country where emphasis is on discipline and know ng the
country in order to be good ,guides. They are taught sor.phore signaling and how
to send up fire balloon signals. These children's -groups are enthusiastic and
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serious. T"any of the children have been guerrillas for several years, They
learn about arms and. about security measures and they are encouraged to be
daring. They also serve as ,volunteers for the Red Cross, riorale-builders for
the Army (a sort of "Special Service"), cooks for army messes, and makers of
clothes for the needy?
156 In some localities the specific functions of some of these Associations are
rather va?ue, In the great r .jori:ty of cases,, one of the most important and
conspicuous functions of the Associations is to furbish "volunteers" for
various sorts of public work, principally demolitions in connection with the
Scorched .,a`arth Policy, (See previous report on Viotr inh-controlled areas:
Sconor?;ai.c- InfocrsLtion The scorched earth Policy) But, in sober fact though
not theory, the really most important reason for the existence of these Associa-
tions is to tighten the Viot. ai.nh grip on individual members; an important phase
of this in to force these individuals to play a more or less conspicuous part
in Vietru-nh activities, which will so compromis them, that later, even if they
should wi3h to desert the Vietminh for the French or Nationalist Front., they
would not be able to do so for fear of French reprisal and punishment against
them in connection with these past activities under the Vietr.dah0
16. The. National '..elfare, Associations of Catholics, Buddhists, etc.., are instruments
ol: similar purpose to the above? In radd3.tion to attempting to use the existing
eel i -s ous -organization. to keep the people in line politically, a secondary purpose
!,Lo to neutralize the e ctivitio a and propaganda, of rival organizations of the sax:le
religions (for exrap1I., Christian Lea,, ue, Iioa Hao, etc) which have aligned them--
salvos with the Nationalist Front. For it is the responsibility of the
leadership of the Ire tiorkml . elfare Associations of Catholics to persuade tho faithful
that French Catholioo priests who denounce the Vietl: nh as Communists and anti-religious
aro just plain liars, (See previous reports on AAolo of the Church in Indochina
and the religious croups in both the Vietminh and the Ua.tiona.llst Front).
A3sociat3 ens by ':usiness? Profession,,aorTra de?
176 Examplas of Association by Profession.- Doctor., Lawyers, Schoolteachers,
;u' ,mpl_es of Association by Business: T anicors, shophoopors, . .mpl es by Tra< e?
ilwaay . orko' n, ors{ rater c, 1 Diner a PE L s ~1 ? . "T7.11 be scan that son, of them are
in the natur'; of guilds or business associations; others a kind of emasculated
trade union or peasantet organization. Their function is clearly different
from that of their apparent pa: a.llol in democratic countries, .mss strikes arse
prohibited by law and would be repressed ,by ruthless measures, the 11trade-union"
associations have little poz:rer, !aach of those .associations may be~compon;nt part
of more -generalized associations; for exsmple, Ralluay :.orkers, Printers, P..iners
Associations are gathered to-ether in a :general, ff,orker s Association" ? Sig' .larly,
h ssocin tions of Peasants, of Tenant Farmers, of Landowners, nay be gathered to-
gether in National .:elfare Associations for Agriculture. In general, the purpose
of these :associations is to keep the various professional, business, trade and
agrio?iaitural itroups strictly in line -7.;ith Vietninh policy, In addition, they
undoubtedly serve a useful purpose in aadvisin hnd coordinating commercial
poll.cy a.ncix f1uc race f, i ndirectl) the educational program, and the dissemination
of ; ropagaanda .
1.36 It, will be noted that any given individual can hardly escape from. belonging
to at least one National ..e1fare Association. Zvon if he has no religion,, no
profession or business, and no cultural attainments, he has at least a given age?
In practice, individuals will usually belong to two or more such associations?
A business woman for instance might belong simultaneously to the local :Jordon's
Association,, the :'uddhistst Association., and the ?Lerchfantse Association. Thus
the political grip of the Vietminh on individuals is tightened in a multiplicity
of ways?
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l9 One of the m~ ghtiest political weapons wielded by the Vietminh is the National
'..elfare Association for Culture. The outward purpose of these associations is
to spread and popularize culture in general.. The real purpose is to spread
culture of a definitely tendentious (pro Vietminh) nature a For this purpose .
a number of vehicles are used, including lectures, eakpositions, publications,,
orchestras., theatres, and travelling theatrical trcupeso The means of promoting
tendentious works of art, at the expense of non-tendentious ones, is subtle
and effective rather than blatant, Naturally, all works of art whose tendency
is in any vay hostile to Vietminh policy (mention of Nationalist Front, nention of
Trotskyists,, harsh criticism of Britain or America ) is prohibited from circulating,
On the other hand, purely neutral :.teas (paintings of land; capes or flowers, for
instance) are not prohibited froi.i circulating; they are merely given loss favor-
able opportunities. In a land of scarcity of means this is quite effecti o
2O The Cultural Association on the Uatioral level, which formerly enjoyed a striking
and even brilliant career at I/anoi., is no established at Tuyen 7uarag, (1O5-l4,
2l-L;.M The chief of this Association is 1IGU10 dinh Thi, a (Stalinist) Communist.
This Association and its subsidiaries include the great majority of the r tional],yy
known uriters, artists., and musicians now in Tonkin, as well as a nur.iber of lesser.
known ones. I.Tany of these are persons of outstanding ability. 2very Iluyen has
its Cultural Associations, In ti?c towns, she chief activities of the Cultural
Associations are the rsar?na? ement of expo aitions, concerts, lectures, theatres,
and receptions for VTT R a; in the villages: lectures., discussion groups, travelling
theatrical troupe, and :;roue sin;ingd
;.... R!'
DINS ,TI>r; ~ ~7~, ? , e.T? y. a I4? ,., J a VJ..' 11 J_.al T , i-. .lR
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25X1 A Note: Previous reports have indicated that such dissatisfaction
wd ts; the diverse elements---the French and their satellites., the Nationalist Front.,
the Trots],-yists, and possibly the Conservatives of the Vietr_.nh-have already made
use, or will shortly make use, of this dissatisfaction for their own end the hard-
ships attendant upon the Scorched Sar th Policy (see previous report on t r`%s policy)
and the wholesale displ a.cea_cnt of populations constitute an over present threat to
25X1 X Vie ;'seta Binh hold, on the people),,
25X1X
^ 21 '.7itiiout exception every business s?L:.n and every business woman n E: by source
in Vietrminh-controlled areas was unhappy about the present situation. Their
antagonisn toward the Government varies. I.Ierchants in Cao Bang were frank in
their crib casrao As to the irin mate future., it is normal that business ::ion
take a poor vie;,, of the business stagnation which results from. lack of i=ports and
exports., imeosition of restrictions on transport, and other lir..tations. For
the longer tern, point of view, it seems unlikely that business interests will
necessarily become a group opposed to the Vietminh, unless the Government makes
sent
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vent has laid dorm no clear policy concerning private business. 25X1A
The Constitution provides that "private property shall be respected.`' Under present
conditions this clause is of little value). No clear lisaitations of the Coven .dent's
proposed competition with private business nor of a possible policy of national-
25X1X izat-ion have been promulgated. aorz.e business men' therefore suspect the worst,
22. Despite the general feeling; of fear and uff~rillinO ess to criticize the Govern-
ment openly., one ti?rell-educated Government official spoke to source with :urpri-
sing frankness. He said that Goverment officials gc.aerally 'Vlore a die ya.ce to
the country poorly informed, incompetent, and powerless /to act on behalf
of the welfare of the people/? (See paragraphs 8-1l) . lie stated that the pre-
sent government is Coxmmi list and 1_.Dny people fear the extension of Coruna rd.sm in
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the country even though the present pattern of government has not yet many
similarities with that of the USSR. He said that everyone was watched;
and ' in particular if two or more people gather together their activities
25X1 X are under rigid surveillance; every one lives in fear of the Secret Pol.ice8
23. Source met. a number of persons who find trouble hating the French and
who asked if source believed the Vietminh stories about French atrocities.
Many of these people had pleasant associations with the French in the pv.. t and 25X1 k
inevitably look to France for guidance in cultural and economic matters. A small
group even considers the French, as individuals, to be wonderful people.
25XlXote: ridiculeb the last two sentences but also states that as terrible
as life vine un er the French, many people feel that the rreser t. is far worse
and look back wistfully upon the orderliness , o. the e~.rench, , ?iM,e however unjust
it was. Source D states that logic suggests' that there is a ;-rov~i ng number of
persons in Tonkin for whom the French seem the lesser of two evils and that these
persons include those of wealth., culture and influence).
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21, The most striking feature of life under the Vietnam Government is the pervading
sense of fear. Source found it a relief to return from this Near-ridden country
to the comparative freedom of Kuomintang controlled China;, In Tonkin no one
dares to raise any question or to express himself freely. Officials are even more
cautious than private citizens. Because the secret police are everyvihe e,, in-
formers do a thriving business. People are at all times subject to arbitrary arrest
and interrogation. The sense of fear is greater than in the Cow tinist-control..led
areas of China. Although many people tend to excuse this Vietminh terrorism on
the basis of rrar-time necessity., they resent it more strongly than the -terroristic
methods formerly employed by the French and later by the Japanese because Viet-
minh terrorism is more efficient and is done by their own people rather than the
foreign conqueror. This sense of fear among the population is regretted by the
Vietminh;? it is not Itself a fixed policy but is the inevitable result of the
terroristic methods used for the purpose of keeping the population under control.
25X1 A Note: Last sentence also reported by 25X1 X
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25o Terrorism under the French was had enough but it was not very, systematic or
clever. It was chiefly' designed to suppress sedition and keep workers in Linea
Execution.. ivprisonraent, torture, and forced labor were the principal r:t .thods
used. Poulo Condor, although the most famous of the prisons, was by no means
the most horrible. The most usual torture was beatings; the most refined was
passing an electric current through the body. Terrorism under the French was
only in part a matter of fixed policy; it was greatly aggravated to the brutality
and sadism of minor officials, overseers, and prison guards. Note: 25X1 A
The ruthlessness and brutality of the French during the old regime is v.11 docu-
mented by the Vietminh; see for example the publication Temoignages, n.lblished
25X1 Xby the Vietminh in 1945. -reports that the construction of the: 'Tonkin-
I.nos Ilifhvvray before the war cost many Fiore lives than that of the Bangt-ok-4,oul?'
mein "Railway of Death" under condition; even more horrible; there are also
evidences of the French continuing; at present to make use of brutal policies in
some areas under their control. Precise details are not available and it may
be that such incidents could in part be excused on the ground of military necessity.
25X1 X - states that terrorism is a necessary instrument in class conflict and
exploitation, Ho real evidence is available, as to whether the French are contin-
uing terrorism as a r, ttor, at least in part, of fixed policy).
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_ 26b Japanese terrorism was more violent and more efficient. It roused the
whole people to a general anti-imperialistic feeling. Before that the people
had been merely antiFrench; but they came to realize that the danger of any
imperialism--French,. Japanese, Russian-left little to choose between one
another, The principal Japanese innovation was large-scale use of the
water torture, Viotrninh terrorism is far worse than either French or Japanese,.
It is more efficient and ruthless. It was more blatant during the period of
the occupation by Chinese troops, ,,hen the Viotr;unh was attempting to stamp out
the DD and the Nationalist Front e:Lcr::c, ,ts, Trotskyist., and French sympa-
thizers. Its principal instruments were assassination by burying alive or by
tying in sacks and throwing in the lake (because of the scarcity of cartrid.3es),
i grrisonmont,, and torture, Its most terrible refinezncrit, reserved as a friC,>:tening
example for _important political prisoners, was to dig an inclined hole in which
the prisoner was buried all except his head; he would then be given just enough
rice every day and his body would very slowly rot; however, such cases were
fairly rare. Since the departure of the Chinese troops the technique of
Vietminh terrorism has developed along more precise lines. There is absolutely
no freedom of speech. Strikes are forbidden. The lot of the worker is considerably
worse than even under the French regime. Although the workers tend to blame the
war, there is a strong undercurrent of dissatisfaction among labor and soldiers;
it is here that the Trotskyists will find fertile fields, Current Viet iinh
terrorise.-is purely fascist in technique (See previous report on the Vietnam
Government--Fascistic Aspects) but there is one important difference between
it and the examples of Germany and Russia. In Vietnam; imprison.ient, torture
and oxecutiex,, are attended with a minimum of publicity. This is in line with
the Vietminh effort to appear outwardly "civilized" and "democratic." Because.
of this secrecy it is impossible to arrive at an estimate of the number of
persons trhu have suffered from this policy.,, "Mysterious disappear-snces" are
extremely frequent and it is usually unknown :hothor the persons disappearing
are imprisoned or assassinated, Beatings and other minor tortures of criminals
and suspected criminals are innun-erable These are applied for the most part
to petty offenders, th:l- -yes; bandits, black rrarketeers, and violators of unim-
portant regulations. To some extent the rich are terrorized in order to take
possession of their wealth for the state. As to important political offenders,
25X1 some disappear mysteriously; but a more frequent technique is to leave them 25X1X
x25X1Aat large and watch them closely. Note; Regarding the futuxx
25X1Mcommonts that it would scorn impossible to govern Indochina without terrorism
as long as there is exploitation,, which seems inevitable under any re .,ne , hich
is now possible; this fact will help to build up the gro in power of t.'ne
Trotskyists whose propaganda is always aimed at the class struggle,).
COURTS AND JAILS IN VIISMIN}I-CONTROLLED AREAS
25X1X
25X1X
27. Courts are under the control of the Central Government rather than the local
government. All personnel of the courts are appointed, In ;;eneral source
found the personnel of the courts to be, of good training and intelligence. The
law is primarily French law, with some Chinese law particularly in respect
to land. The jails source saw at Cao Bang and Thai Nguyen were reasonably
clean and airy. Even the food looked decent, At Cao Bang prisoners were per-
mitted to work outside of the jails in gangs on public projects, At Thai Nguyen
the only job for the prisoners was maintaining the compound of the jail itself.
Prisoners who have been sentenced,and those awaitin trial share the same quarters,
Men , ,,omen, and c heron also Jive together, Infants, too your; to SeFx~i~~ei;ed
fry ,:others, are t e~.en to ~ A _3_ n,~-';J, .;hs?i_? .ethers. Most prisoners are housed
in open rooms rather than private ceee1s. Source say some people in solitary cells
GO;NFIl ~ "D- L /CONT11OL .J. S. U FIC IC. 3..S ONLY
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CBFTIThL I Ttit"'EL LIG.,rc i GROUP 25X1A
which were dark and ill-smellirri Source was told that these people were
confined because of contagious diseases, but source does not believe this is trues
The individual cells at the Thai nguyen jail were in a separate room and on the
doors were hum, rings; source was told that these were for holding extra bars
across the doors but source does not believe this. Source saw no prisoners of
foreign nationality.
280 )no interesting feature of the court s}rsteri is the requirement that cases nr+.st
be tried within 45 days or the prisoner is released. :.hen a prisoner has been
c.,afined for 45 days awaiting trial, he is automatically discharged; this provision
cos _O:rthe court to try him -;:ith reason ble speed. In serious crimes a ainst
the state the maximum period is 4 months? Source asked several prisoners pending
i'rlal how long they had been held and in no case was their answer more than a month
.,r !.I a half. Court procedure was simple, dignified and nona.busive. Courtrooms
v,.x?o airy and attractive. Judges told source that there were fewer cases not and
::r~emed to expect some sort of compliment from source because of this fact, Source
.;7.1t that there is no total loss of respect for the orderliness of law in Vietnam,,
CONTROL IN VIST:.~ .Ii~COT 'iIOLL D x1,.Di1S q
25X1X
-2 29, Sowzrces were accompanied by a representative of the Interior Department of the
CP,itral Government? At each city the representative was given a local pass
c .ch vra?s typewritten and gave all details of who, when,, why., etc. These passes
iu-s not available for source's inspection- :.ithout the cooperation of the
la .erior Department sources would not have been able to visit Vietr inh-cont:c.Aled
area. The representative had to arra4ge all interviews and this was done with
co isiderable difficulty, baggage and passports were examined and stamped., ln.ly
1 ..?tures taken with the approval of tho government official were permitted. Police
(..'.'icers, including many in civilian clothes, frequently stopped and inspected the
i _i.= i.torsl p - .pers,
25X1X
?1 30., T";u following are the flap, and insignia of the Vietminh,.
- National flag of the Vietnam Republic
25X1 A? Notes It has been previously
reported that the red field of this flag
i of Soviet inspiration and the leaders
of the Nationalist Front claim that they,
trill insist on a change from this flag)
b0 Shoulder patch worn by members of the
V' trop National Army.
c Shoulder patch worn by the i'Tu Veit
{self Defense Corps), sometimes de--
srr?tbed as t"Volontaires de la Mort,. t'
This document contains infarg;.ti~sn
-affecting the national defense of the
'United States within the meaning of
the Frp1 rage A t 509 UOS.C. 31 and
32 a windeda Is transmission or
the revelation of its contents in any
manner to an unauthorized person is
prohibited by law,
'; `l~!.~1.:?C.73J Ii r 111 1*3 ONLY
"9r
Approved For Release 2000/04/18 : CIA