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SOUTH VIETNAM
001 . ARLY OCTOBER
SUBJECT VIET CONfi POLICY OH KAO OF VIETNAMESEU.S. PRISONERS IN VIET CONG RENIN THE..
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PE PORTat VIET CONG (VC) C BEN TRE PROVINCE, OPERATED TWO PRISON. CAMPSPERIOD O (FIELD COMMENT: VC BEN TREGOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (GVN) KIEN HOA AND PART OF VINH ONE CAMP WAS FOR MILITARY PRISONERS, SUCH AS ARMY OFREPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (ARVN) AND REGIONAL FORCES <RF) TROOPS,SECOND PRISON WAS FOR PERSONS ACCUSED OF WORKING FOR GVNSERVICES.OF. PRISONERS IN THESE TWO CAMPSTHIS PERIOD. THE CAMP FOR MILITARY PRISONERSERSONS AND THAT FOR CIVILIANS FROMO AS APRISONERS WERE KEPT IN THE MILITARY PRISON CAMP FOR OF SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR, WERE INOOCTRINATFO AW) THE CIVILIAN PRISON CAMP, THOSE FOUND TO HAVE COMMITTBDAGAINST THB VC WERE INTERROGATED AND THEN SENTENCED BYCOURT. SOME PRISONERS WERE,,
HA I CAT, CHIN CUOI, YENSUONG, NGUYEN VAN TIE P, HOANG I, HO VAN , NGUYEN VAN ND NGUYEN.
Z, INHE CENTRAL OFFICE FOR SOUTH VIETNAM (COSVN)IRECTIVE TO THE VC MO CAY DISTRICT PARTY COMMITTEE INSTRUCTING IT TO REVIEW THE RECORDS OF ALL PRISONERS AND,N THE CRIMES WHICH HAD BEEN COMMITTED, TO DETERMINE t'HF.THET? THEY/ SHOULD BE RELEASED OR EXECUTED. IO THAT PRISONERS HELD IN OTH THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CAMPS,AT THIS TIME WERE RELEASEDNONE WERE EXECUTED. COSVN ALSO DIRECTED THAT THE DISTRICT PARTY COMMITTEE ESTABLISH TEMPORARY DETENTION FACILITIES AT THE DISTRICT AND VILLAGE LEVELS TO HOLD PRISONERS. THE DIRECTIVE STATED THAT THE CHANGE WAS NECESSARY TO ECONOMIZE ON FOOD AMD TO RELEASE GUARDS FORUtTf.S. THE DIRECTIVE NOTEDACK OF SECURE AREAS IN THE PROVINCE WAS EXPOSING THE PRISON CAMPS TO GVN OPERS
tunt PRISONERS. WOULD PROBABLY RE LESS EMBITTERED ftGATNTT THE ' f "ELEASED THEN, RATHER THAN LATER BY THE GVN FORCES.
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JSMD THAT THE PRISON CAMPS IN VC MO CAY DISTRICT MERE NOT AT FIXED LOCATIONS. PRISONERS WERE INITIALLYHE VILLAGEEAM FROM THE DISTRICT SECURITY SECTION OR SENT TO THE DISTRICT FACILITY FOR QUESTIONING. CHIN , CHIEF OF THE DISTRICT SECURITY SECTION, DECIDEDRISONER SHOULDXBCKTBD OR INDOCTRINATED AND RELEASED". AT THE DISTRICT AND VILLAGE TEMPORARY-CAMPS, IT WAS THE PRACTICE TO DIVIDE THE PRISONERSROUPS OF THREE, EACH MAN ROPED TO TWO OTHERS, AND PLACE THEMAMOUFLAGED TRENCH. TVO GUARDS WATCHED OVER EACH THREE-MAN GROUP AND THE TRENCH WAS SURROUNDED BY BOOBY TRAPS MADE WITHHE GUARDS WERE ORDERED TO MOVE THE PRISONERS IN CASF OF GVN OPERATIONS IN THE AREA, BUT AT TIMES THEYINNCH UNTIL THE OPERATION WAS OVER. THEY ALSO HAD INSTRUCTIONS^ TORISONER IF HE ATTEMPTEDAPE AMD, WHEN BEING PURSUED BY GVNUARD COULD SHOOT PRISONERS IP NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ESCAPE.
A. JsAID THATILLAGE COMMITTEE WANTED TO CAPTURE ERSONPECIFIC REASON, THE COMMITTEE FIRST GOT THE APPROVAL OF THE DISTRICT SECURITY SECTION CHIEF. HOWEVER,Afl ARMED AND OPERATING C AREA, HE COULD BE APPREHENDED WITHOUT
PRIOR
WHO WERE TO BE RELEASED WERE INDOCTRINATEDSECURITY SECTION CADRES, BUT IP THE PRISONER WERE AN ARVN
OFFICER, ADRE FROM THE DISTRICT SECURITY SECTION WAS SENT TO CONDUCT THE INDOCTRINATION.
FROM COSVN SPECIFIED. PRISONERS WEREBE RELEASED ORUT_RiTHER TO BE SENT BY THE MOST EXPBDI-MEANS TO THE MILITARY REGION HEADQUARTERS. . PRISONERS
WERE CONSIDERED VERY IMPORTANT FOR PROPAGANDA EXPLOITATION AND WERE NOT TO BE MISTREATED.
7. BETWEENC MO CAY DISTRICTOTAL OF NINE PRISONERS, OF WHOM SIX WERE RELEASED AND
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8. (FIELD COMMENTi THE JOINT PERSONNEL RECOVERY CENTERTHAT OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE SUBSTANTIATES THETOWARDND VIETNAMESE POLITICAL
PRISONERS AS REPORTED
9. FIELD DISSEMi EMBASSY USAID CORDS 7TH AIRSTTH MI CP OSI AT SAIGON! SENT TO CINCPACARPAC^"_ J _
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