Tl.lE REUNIFICATION \ OF VIET-NAM Editor'sNote Foreword CONTENTS PartOne 4 5 SurveyontheGenevaAgreementsofJuly20,1954........9 PartTwo CommuniqueIssuedbytheGovernmentofViet-Nam(April25,1954)21 StatementsbyMr.TranVanDo,RepresentativeoftheGovernment ofViet-Nam,attheGenevaConference(July1954).....21 DeclarationoftheVietnameseDelegation(July21,1954)...22 StatementbyPrimef1inisterNgoDinhDiemoftheNationalGov-ernmentRegardingtheGenevaAgreements(July22,1954)23 PresidentNgoDinhDiem'sBroadcastDeclarationontheGeneva AgreementsandFreeElections(July16,1955)..... ..24 DeclarationoftheGovernmentofViet-NamontheReunification ofViet-Nam(August19,1955)...............25 ReplyDatedMay22,1956oftheSecretaryofStateforForeign AffairsoftheRepublicofViet-NamtotheForeignMinister ofHerBritanic sGovernment.........26 CommuniqueoftheGovernmentoftheRepuhlicofViet-Namonthe ProblemofReunificationandElections(July26,1957).27 DeclarationoftheGovernmentoftheRepublicofViet-Nam (April26,1958)....................29 DeclarationoftheGovernmentoftheRepublicofViet-Namon theBadFaithandNegativeAttitudeoftheHanoiAuthorities (July17,1959)...................35 SpeechontheProblemofReunificationofViet-NambyDr.Tran VanTho..........................37 -3-Editor'sNote Hanywri terscriticaloftheRepublicofViet-Namoftencitedthefactthatthe electionsforthereunificationofNorthandSouthViet-Namwhichsupposedlywereto beheldinJuly1956asprescribedintheGenevaAgreementsof1954couldnotbeor-ganizedduetotherefusalofthegovernmentoftheRepublicofViet-Nam.Theyimp-Ii edthattheRVNgovernmentsimplywouldnothavetheelectionsbecauseitwasaf-raidthat Viet-Namwouldwin.Thiswasnottrue. Infact,SouthViet-Nam- whichwasnotboundbythe1954GenevaAgreements-neverrejectedtheideaoffreeelectionsunderinternationalsupervision.Itonly requestedthat Viet-Namloosenitsgriponthepeopleinordertoguarantee thatelectionsbefree.TheconditionssetbytheRepublicofViet-Namdidnotre-ceiveanyreplyfromtheNorth. Thedocumentsgatheredinthi sissuearetakenmostlyfromthebooklet"The ProblemofReunificationofViet-Nam"publishedbythe ofInformationof theRepublicofViet-Namin1960. -4-FOREWORD Thpunit'JAofthecountY'])h,asalwaysbeenthemadorconcernofthep-07)ernmentof theRepublic0"V1:et-Nam. AttheGenevaConferenceof1954theVietnamesedelegation,rejectinCitheidea ofa even ofthecountry.,recommendedthepY'ouningofthearmed forcesofthewopartiesinfixedareasandtheorganizationoffreeelectionsunder thecontroloftheUnitedlIationsOrganization.Thisproposalmetl,)ithaformaloppo-s1:tionfmmthevietCongoTheyprefepredtosiCinanaCireementwiththeCommandep-in-Chiefofth"FpenchRxpeditionaryCorDSdividinCithecountr!/andabandoninghalfof ,: ttoPed1:mperialism.TheVietnamesedeleCiationhadnothingtodowiththisDlot aCi01:nstnationalunit!!andrefusedtosigntheGenevaACireement. sincethentherehasbeennodoubtastotherespectiveresponsibi li tiesfor th"Zssituat1:on:ontheonehand,theCommunisttreasonthattheVietnamesepeoDle W1:IInotforCiet;ontheother,thedeterminationofthegoverl1Jl1entofthePepub'l1:cof Viet-Namtoredressthesituationandtoregaincorrrpletenationalsovereignt]1inre-unif!/ingthecountryinUbeptyandpeace. But,aftephavin(!dividedthecountr"thea:uthoritiesofthelIorthcallfor"con-sultahveconferences"withthepovernmentoftheRepublicof Viet-Nominorderto "discussgeneralelection.swithaviewtoreunification". S1:ncenOonehaseverseenfreeandirrrpartialelectionsunderaCommunistre(!ime, theirproposalisobviousl!!madeforpropagandareasons. ThegovernmentoftheRepulbicofinitsdeclarationofthe26thof l.958,pointedoutthpcontrad,:ctionsbetlJeenthestatementsandtheactsof theauthoritiesof NorthViet-Nam,theirbadfaithandthetendentiousnatureoftheir Dropaaanda.IteaUalll!consideredandanal1isedeachoftheouest?:onsthattheautho-ofNorthViet-N"arnhadrai.sedandfo;'theirOl,Jnpurposes.Itreaf-f1:rmeditsunchangedpositionontheproblemof reunificationb!)freeelectionsunder ,:nternationalcontra l. Tocreateafavourableatmo8phpY'efortheorganizat1:onof'freeelect,:onsthe governmentof theRepublicofViet-Nomhasreauestedtheauthoritie.softheNorthto introducefreedomof movementintheirzone,toreducetheirmi litm'))personne lto thesomelevela8thatexist"ing in theSouth,toabandontheirpolic)!ofsubversionand terrorism,toabo Ushtheeconomicmonopo liesoftheCommunistpart)!,tostoDusing postcardsasameansofpropaqanda,andtogivebasicdemocraticfreedomstothepeople oftheNorth. TheAuthoritiesoftheNorthhavingturnedadeafeartothoseconcreteproposals, thegovernmentoftheRepublicofViet-NomhasmadepublictheDeclarar:ionof July17, 1959.Indeniablefactshavebeencitedinthatdocumentthatleftnodoubtofthebad-faithandthenegativeattitudeoftheVietminh.Indeedtheyhadrefusedtogiveeffect tothewrittenreouestsfi lIed1:nbupersonswhowishedtoleavetheNorthandcome tosettleintheSouth,"andyettheyarecalUngfop"freedomof movement". InordertoclarifytheDroblemofreunificationof Viet-Nom,thisboo7