QUANG TIN PROVISIONAL MILITARY PROSELYTING SECTION AND VC POW CAMPS

Created: 4/21/1967

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

COUNTRY. SUBJECT

: .SOUTH VIETNAM (SVN)

: QUANG TIN Provisional Mil Proselyting SectionOW Camps

tary

OF REPORT i

AND PLACE OF ACQUIS mow

DATE OP INFO ! 6

7 (R) : SaIGON, Vietnam

OFEF:

An

the jurisdiction of the

Source served as an Adjutant of,the POW camp

lilitary Proselyting .Section, in QUANGvlnce, SVN. The MilitarySection covered the three main elements of propaganda, penetration and PCW camps. Capturing PGWs was the task of battl ifield agencies.comprised ofunits and village guerrilla troops. Th iy surrendered them to the district gency who either kept then or passed themhe province PCW camps. Prisoners

CW camps were either

were transferred from lower to higher ageric central line camps or rear base camps.

IUS MACV

US EMBASSY (OSA)

ATTACHMENTS 1

None

Dale

?3

ted

At the central linops, the prisoners areas were classified and then sentamps. At the rear base camp, prisoners prior to their release. Source

ana surrenderere froo local or battler regional PCW rear base were det- ined while being indoctrina-det ils regarding tho rations

RSFEaSMCES:

2.

E,CO,OCOJ Edition 6'

SOUW,CO. Edition 6

SGIFheet IkJW,. 3dltion 2

During the periodanuary to6 Source was an adjutant of tho VC prisoner of war (POW) camp under the jurist Lotion of the Military Prosolyting Section in QUANG TIM Prorincial CJowaitteo, called CUU LONG, QUANG TIN Province, SVN, under the leadership jof HAI. The organisation structure of the Proselyting Section was as follows; Chief, HOUYBN HIENj Deputy Chief, NGUYEN NAM; Administrative StafQ, THANH; and Printing Staff, SI. There were five or six additional personnel.

The Military Proselyting Section covered three main oloraentsi propaganda, penetration, and POW camps. The propaganda eliment (composition unknown) shared the office with the Military Proselytin ; Section, was to produce leaflets and documents to indoc

areas. Source did not know the cadre organization or activities of the penetration element.

The chief of tho POW olemont was NGUYEN NAMilitary Prosolyting Soction). Thisamps: central line oamp and rean base camp, central lino camp was not known.

Chief of the itablished two kinds of PCW The cadre organisation the

established near battle-

Tho central lino camp consisted of many mobile

fields during the operations. Theae mobile ba es were ln chargo of receiving prisoners and surrenderors from local or battle area. After classificationranio* ioned, US or Allied troops, civilians, lightly wounded, suspects) prisoners and surronderers would be sent to the provincial or regional PCW rear base canps.

rear base camp was locatedecure are*}. Here capturedofflcera and soldlors were detained while being indoctrinatedtheir release. One rear base camp was built! at coordinatesense mountainous areaay's walk southwest of HAU DUCHY) and aboutilometers, southwest of BA Mountain

Tho PCW element was organized A. Board of Directors

Director

Deputy Director

Adjutant

follows!

: NGUYEN

: LE BA CCN(

c

Instructor

Aid Interior Guard Squad

Squad loader

Strength

i Akl!

protect soourityl

i nine personnel (HONG, THANH, nine Soviet modified rifles

nstallations and matlintain

local family housed

The quartering location for the Military Proa (lyting Section was KY LONG

Village, TAM KY District, QUANO TIN Province.

one or two personnel. Source arrived However, he was unable to observe the VC installations as entries and exits to hamlets were restricted. Inthlaoved to PHUOC CAM,eters from the route loading tp TaJ( ky. There they were alao diapersed among the populace.

One rear base camp was built at coordinates0enseareaay's walk southwesthe HAD DOC Districtilometers southwest of BA MountainI(coordinates BSrear base camp consisted ofeters thatch buildings,meters opart which accomodated ho toersons. In addition,two mess halls, one for POWs and tho othor for the Board ofbuilding provided lodging for thehere was one referenceono

Tho roar base camp consisted of twootor thatch buildings, about ten meters apart, whicho SO Persons. In addition, there wore two mess halls, one for POWs and the othet for the Board of Directors. One building provided lodging for tho guards.buildings were aboutoeters apart and were surroundedamboo fence and protected by the guard unit.

nee ofVN piasters. Money was given byurned it over to the

The monthly ration for rear base personnel consisted ofilos of rice, throe kilos of sweet potato andVN piaster* for food. The cadres and personnel ate together. The meals consisted of cooked rice and salted fish* only, prepared by the guard section. The soldiers had tohoir food by gathering custard, banana. buds And pumpkins. Sometimes, they went fishing with nets or grenades. Theyjseldom had pork and soldiers who had money could buy food in tlje lowland.

Each merobor of the unitonthly all The Director received uo SVN piasters per men Military Proselyting Section to the Direotor wh Adjutant to be doled to personnel.

Cadres and soldiers who had been neither NVN regular troops norIssued yearly one suit of black peasant's rpyjama or khaki uniform,of shorts, one belt for containing rice, one blanket, one olecefor use as raincoat, one ruokeack (every third year) and oneand repatriates had to uao tho clothing and equipmentfrom

Most of the unit members Buffered freer malnutrition and all had malaria.

Medicines were available for malaria, dysentery, influenza and coughs. Antibiotics were used in treating wounds. Infiltrators brought enough tonics to last two years. If they became seriously ill, they were given shots. Depending. on the seriousness ofllness, individuals were entitled to two additional piasters to pure} ase supplementary food.

Uii From January tohe POW camp was1 Involved ln food and animal production. Rice and ten thousand manioc trees were cultivated. quare meter paddyfield yieldedilos of rice per harvest. The cultivated area was locatedountain slope approximately two kilometers south of the barracks. They raised four pigs andhickens. The cadre3 and soldiers also participated in repairing barracks, digging trenches and carrying supplies.

Inource and two comrades named* HA NAM and THANH wereto the Military Proselyting Section and assigned to production ln KY SON Village, TAM KY District, QUANG TIN Province. After getting two buffaloes from the Military Proselyting Sectfion, they cultivated0 square meters of paddyfield which hac been abandoned by the local people. They0 manioc treosquare meters of sweet potatoes on tho mountainside. Inefore harvest time. Source went on home leave to BINH DINH Province,where he was capturedctober

Although Source was responsible for managing the PCW camp he had notinstruction regarding PCW tranfers. His comrades told him several POWs must be- transferred from lower, to upper agencies. Capturing POWs was the task of the battlefield agency vhich was comprised of operation units and village guerrilla troops. The battlefield agency surrendered them to the district agency (Military Proselyting Section). Afterthe POWs, the district agency would either transfer or keep them.

The district PCW carap was reserved for detaining regional and militia troops in the district. The provincial POW camps were either central line camps or rear base camps. The Regional Agency received the important prisoners, such as SVN non-commissioned or commissioned; officers and US and allied roops. Source did not know they would be treated there. He was told that they would be liberatedather long indoctrination.

Each agency was required to have soma personnel an charge of esoorting prisoners. Prisoners traveled by foot to the receiving agency. Thewere neither handcuffed nor blindfolded during tha journey.

The first responsibility of the agencies concerned was to put theand confused prisoners at "ease by explaining the VC line and policy. The prisoners must be told thateriod of necessary indoctrination they would be liberated. The belongings of POWs must be carefully kept and recorded. eceipt listing the amountoney and jewels was written clearly and the owner's signature obtained. (If the prisoners weretheir belongings would be brought along with them. If they were liberated, their belongings would have tobock to them.

Allere interrogated on the spot by tije agencies in charge of capturing them. (Source did not know whether or not they later would be interrogated by the other agencies). Source jleamed that the interrogators paid the most attention to the biographies and occupations of prisoners. Source did not know the interrogation

The agency capturing the prisoners had to provide food within one or two days. If prisoners were detainedistrict over three days, theagency wouldeport to the province to claim expenses. Tfco

ZJ

l

an of the Prcyinc.given bv tbe

and mustard).

sauce.

21. The monthly ration of each POW or surrenderer includedilos ofupplementilos of sweet potato andVM piasters for food (fish

Original document.

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