THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM

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CIA-RDP79T00826A002300260001-2
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RIPPUB
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S
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23
Document Creation Date: 
December 16, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 28, 2005
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1
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Publication Date: 
July 10, 1967
Content Type: 
IR
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FORM 6.64 2250 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 USAID rel instructions on file (PLACE FORM 490 HERE) OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 25X1 WARNING The attached document (s) must be safeguarded. It is the Agency's Official Historical Record and must be preserved in accordance with the Federal Records Act of 1950. For additional information, call the Chief, CIA Archives and Records Cente RETURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE TO THE ApixldQedlQF ~6 3p0AJ : RB~00 6Q 0260001-2 Approved Fwase 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T0C 02300260001-2 Secret No Foreign Dissem C6 Intelligence Report DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE The Situation in South Vietnam (Weekly) Secret 143 10 July 1967 No. 0358/67 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved Foose 2005/0?8/ftt DP79T008iM300260001-2 Background Use Only - WARNING This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States, within the meaning of Title 18, sections 793 and 794, of the US Code, as amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents to or re- ceipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. GROUP 1 EXCLUDED FHOM AUTOMATIC DOWNOVIADINC. AND DECLASSIFICATION Approved For Release 2005/Q?LQ :1fRDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved lease 2005/0EMeRtFIDP79T04002300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Directorate of Intelligence THE SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM (3 July - 9 July 1967) Land reform; Revolutionary Develop- ment Cadre highlights; Refugees; "New Life Development" activities. Prices; Currency and gold; Rice deliveries and stocks; Saigon electric power failures. ANNEX: Weekly Retail Prices in Saigon (table) Saigon Free Market Gold and Currency Prices (graph) Rice Deliveries from the Delta to Saigon (graph) Saigon Cost of Living Index (graph) South Vietnam Money Supply (graph) South Vietnam Foreign Exchange Reserves (graph) No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005/OfIje~l21 DP79T00826A00230D260001-2 25X1 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Next 3 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Approved F ease 2005/08"fflV -VP79T0c02300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background, Use Only Developments in Legislative Elections, 12. Sixty-four senatorial slates, including 640 candidates and 81 alternates, had been submitted to the Provisional National Assembly (PNA) by the filing date of midnight 30 June, The central election coun- cil set up to oversee the senate elections will begin examining dossiers of the candidates on 8 July. It is possible that several of the lists will be with- drawn or will be eliminated after review by the elec- tion council. 25X1 14. At its session on 4 July the PNA fixed the minimum membership of the lower house at 121 deputies. As in the 1966 elections, each province and autonomous city will constitute a single constituency, with the exceptions of Saigon--which will be divided into three electoral districts--and Gia Dinh Province--which will have two. Some districts will have more than,one seat, depending on their population, and any constituency in which the number of registered voters has increased by more than 25,000 since the 1966 elections will have an additional seat. Government Moves Against "Peace" Candidate 15. The government apparently has layed the ground- work for the disqualification of Au Truong"Thank, the self-styled."peace candidate in the presidential elec- tion. A formal complaint was filed against Thanh on 6 July bya National Assembly deputy closely associated with the , ruling. Directorate. The 'complaint, which was given substantial publicity, in. Saigon this weekend, al- leges that Thanh has a long history of association with pro-Communist activities: It.charges that Thanh's tenure as minister'for national'economy was spent implementing I-5 No Foreign Dissem/Background, Use Only Approved For Release 2005/OEMC P79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved F ease 2005/00@1b kI fr-f DP79T0O4002300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only "Marxist-Leninist" policies in an effort to sabotage the nation's economy, and calls for his disqualifica- tion under the provision of the election law that disallows the candidacy of anyone who "directly or indirectly... worked in the interest of Communism." 16. The government also moved to discredit Thanh by linking his name to the recent arrest of allegedly pro - Viet Cong intellectuals in Saigon. The arrest of the intellectuals, who apparently were associated with the Intellectual Proselytising Section (IPS) of the Saigon Communist organization, was announced by the police at a press conference on 7 July. A police spokesman asserted that Thanh and several other well- known politicians would have to answer for their roles in the IPS. 17. A number of Thanh's former associates are now taking pains to disassociate themselves from him, and there is a widespread sentiment in the National Assembly and among the military that Thanh has gone too far in pushing his "peace at any price" line. The tiS Embassy believes that the government's campaign against Thanh is also meant as a warning to other pres- idential and assembly candidates that discussion of the peace issue must be kept within acceptable limits. No Foreign Dissem Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005/G 1VJJRDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved For ase 2005/08/pt.RIP-PDP79T0082602300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only II. REVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT The Government of Vietnam since the beginning of 1967 has distributed more than 70,000 permanent land titles to farmers. This activity in combination with other GVN-sponsored land reform projects is in part calculated to reap immediate short-term political advantages as well as longer range economic benefits. Revolutionary Develop- ment cadre efforts continue to meet with varying degrees of success in several widely scattered parts of the country. The reset- tlement of some 7,000 persons currently underway in Pleiku Province is now 80 per- cent complete. The newly settled areas are, however, already showing signs of Com- munist penetration. In Saigon, a pilot program of free medical service for the needy was scheduled to being last month and it is hoped to expand it into the prov- inces during July. Land Reform 1. US officials in Saigon have reported that the Government of Vietnam (GVN) has distributed more than 70,000 permanent land titles since 1 January 1967. These permanent titles replace temporary land-owner- ship certificates issued during the Diem regime and have been issued by the GVN to farmers cultivating former French lands and lands seized in 1956 under Ordinance 57. Permanent land titles have reportedly been issued in cases where full payments for the land have not yet been made to the government. The title holders are, however, still liable for the payments due. 2. Two recent decrees are concerned with re- structuring the land tenure system. One, a decree of 19 May, clarifies the status and policies of the government relating to lands distributed to people dp FLor~eign Dissem/Bac round Use Only Approve or a ease 2005/0 P79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved Forase 2005/ORM. No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only by the Viet Cong but which since have come under government control. The second forbids either land- lords or government officials from using the Viet- namese military to collect back rents on these lands. In most cases the collection of back rents on the redistributed lands has been suspended by the government. 3. Major problems and inequities which continue to plague the rural areas include: the violation of tenant-landlord contracts, and terms of tenure re- lationships; a biased or inadequate village adminis- trative authority to cope with land disputes; exces- sive landlord influence on village affairs; and the problems caused by the Communist land distribu- tion and taxation systems. 4. The basic legislation for the redistribu- tion of land in Vietnam--Ordinance 57--was written in 1956. This legislation limited riceland holdings to 247 acres per landlord and an additional 37 acres was allotted for burial purposes. Provisions were made in the legislation to provide payments to landlords for land expropriated under these laws. Of the approximately 772,000 acres seized under Ordinance 57, 615,000 acres were redistributed. Much of the remainder of the land is in insecure areas and no actions have been taken concerning this land. 5. Land reform projects currently sponsored by the GVN are directed toward the redistribution of land and rent controls in order to achieve an immediate political return and some long-term economic benefits. By giving the farmer a firm, permanent title, the government hopes to induce him to invest labor and capital in the land in order to raise production above a marginal level and create an agricultural surplus. 6. One of the programs to strengthen land tenure is being tested in the An Giang(Province) Priority Area. In this area, aerial photos are being taken of the entire province and maps of land hold- ings are being made from them. This method offers speed, accuracy, and security since little work needs No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005/C?IQCIJ' 2DP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Approved For ease 2005/0 M. RIRLFDP79T0082 P2300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use my to be done on the ground. A title produced by this process contains a description of the land and a photo of it, and since the titles are easily repro- ducible, copies may be given the owner as well as filed centrally. This program has suffered from technical problems, however, and 70 percent of the aerial coverage done thus far must be reflown. 7. Although accurate statistics on rural affairs are not available, USAID has made the follow- ing estimate of the percentage of farmers by tenure: Tenure Southern provinces(%) Central low- land provinces(%) Owner-operators only 23 29 Operators with only rented land 47 11 Operators with both owned and rented land 30 60 Revolutionary Development Cadre Highlights 8. In an attempt to eliminate corruption found in his area of operations, the leader of an RD team in Chau Doc Province provided provincial authorities information on the illicit activities of the chief of the village in which his team was operating. The village chief had been using the local Popular Forces, to terrorize the local residents, collect illegal taxes, and unlawfully seize private property. 9. In an effort to stop the RD team's investi- gation of these activities, the village chief had gone so far as to have two of the villagers who had been cooperating with the team killed. Provincial authorities had been reluctant to take any actions against the offender but--when faced with evidence of the murders and with the threat of the resigna- tion of the RD team leader--finally jailed the village chief on murder charge. The team leader is continuing to investigate the villagers' charges of corruption against colleagues of the village chief 11-3 No Foreign Dissem/B,acTkaround Use Only Approved For Release 2005/?iRDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved For ase 2005/("C:WC RDP79T0082 2300260001-2 No Fo ign Dissem/Background Use my who are still in office. The province chief--al- though commending the RD team leader for his ac- tions--has warned him of "danger to his personal security." 10. In Binh Dinh Province on 14 June two RD teams--recent graduates of the National Training Center--moved into two hamlets in the southern part of the province where the Communists in 1964 had forced the majority of the local residents to leave. The arrival of the RD teams was soon followed by the return of approximately 1,200 former in- habitants of the area. In addition, an estimated 600 residents from nearby hamlets have temporarily resettled in the two hamlets for security and have indicated that they will return to their native residences when RD teams are available to help them reestablish their hamlets. 11. Elsewhere in this province, an RD team operating in Phu Cat District enlisted the support of the US engineer battalion to blast rock needed to build a dam being constructed under the self- help program. When the US unit first arrived they had to do all the work themselves; soon, however, the villagers and RD cadre had taken over the manual labor while the engineers provided only technical guidance. This joint venture reportedly has generated more cordial relations between villagers, RD personnel, and US troops in the area. 12. In Vinh Binh Province four RD teams have been working in what were Communist-controlled areas of Cang Long District since February 1967. At the end of May the teams began to discern signs that they had finally begun to overcome the people's apathy and distrust. The teams have been able to stimulate the people to commit themselves to work- ing on a variety of programs designed to improve hamlet life and have enrolled large numbers of the children in government schools. In adjacent Tien Can District, RD teams have helped newly resettled families--who in the early part of the year had left areas under enemy control--to build approximately 400 new homes for themselves. No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005/IRDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved FoSlease 2005/0g/p"CRF FDP79T0084U02300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only 13. In Phuoc Tuy Province, the Provincial Intelligence Officer--using intelligence furnished by an RD team operating in one of the villages-- apprehended 17 members of that village's chapter of the "Liberation Women's Association." The suspects have been sent to the Provincial Interrogation Center. 14. In Khanh Hoa Province the RD Control Com- mittee has initiated a series of broadcasts from the Nha Trang radio station stressing the importance of RD work in the province and citing examples of the people's participation in RD efforts. This is one of the first reported instances of a provincial control committee taking advantage of the local radio station to promote its RD effort. Similar promotional work needs to be done by Vietnamese officials throughout the country in order to explain the goals and achievements of the RD pro- gram to the local populace. Refugees 15. The Edap Enang highlander resettlement project in Pleiku Province which has as its goal the resettlement of approximately 7,000 people is now approximately 80 percent complete. When the project is completed, approximately 1,200 families will have been moved from the.Pleiku-Cambodia border areas and resettled along Highway 19 east and south of the city of Pleiku. The movement of the people is the responsibility of the US 4th infantry Division, with Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) and the GVN's Special Commission for Refugees (SCR) providing the person- nel and resources to assist the montagnards in resettling. The security of the resettlement area is being maintained by a Vietnamese Ranger battal- ion, two Regional Force companies, and two Popular Force platoons. No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005/OWEC- RIIE'FDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved Foroease 2005/0?11C. fI fDP79T0082~02300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only 16. As of the middle of June over 5,600 people--residents of 44 of the 51 hamlets scheduled for resettlement--were evacuated from their previ- ous residences with the majority of the people electing to relocate in the new areas. Within the resettlement areas construction has been completed on 439 new homes while 782 are still being built. There are indications, however, of Communist penetration of the resettlement area. On at least four occasions in May large numbers of highlanders were cajoled or pressured into abandoning the re- settlement area by Communist cadre. One of the prevalent propaganda themes of the Communists is to circulate among the highlanders rumors that the US forces do not have enough rice to feed them and that all US forces will soon be leaving Pleiku Province. 17. in Phu Yen Province work has begun on approximately 1,163 self-help homes for refugees. The SCR has announced that it will pay a second resettlement allowance to previously resettled refugees who are constructing new homes for them- selves and, in addition, the SCR will provide these people with seed and farm land. The progress made so far in 1967 in the Phu Yen refugee program is encouraging; in 1966 provincial activities were catagorized by US advisors as "stagnant." "New Life Development" Activities 18. The Vietnamese Mutual Assistance Associa- tion, a voluntary organization, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Welfare is making plans to provide free medical check-ups and treatment to the needy. Approximately 300 civilian and military physicians have volunteered to participate, and pharmaceutical companies in Saigon have agreed to contribute drugs valued at over 500,000 piastres. The program was scheduled to begin in Saigon at the end of June and expand into the provinces during July. Needy persons seeking medical assistance under this new program have to contact their pro- vincial social welfare center to obtain examination tickets. No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Approved For Release 2005&r/ 3R RDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved For lease 2005/0 Wk IQ;IpP79T0082402300260001-2 No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only After having shown a slight decline each week since 29 May, the retail price index for Saigon was unchanged during the week ending 26 June. Currency and gold prices were mixed on 26 June. The rice situation in Vietnam continues to improve. According to an agreement signed by the GVN and USAID on 29 June, Saigon electric power generation and distribution facilities will be doubled during the next four years. 1. After having shown a slight decline each week since 29 May, the sampling of Saigon prices on 26 June used in the USAID retail price index showed no change from the previous week. The price of the grade of rice consumed by the working class has held steady since 12 June at 24 paisters per kilogram. During the week ending 26 June pork and chicken. prices fell, but the price of fish increased 12 percent. Prices of charcoal, firewood, and calico declined slightly, while prices for all other nonfood items were unchanged. (A table of weekly retail prices in Saigon is included in the Annex.) 2. Wholesale prices for selected US-financed imported goods fell about seven percent during the week ending 27 June, bringing the price index for imported goods to its lowest level since December 1966. The sharp decline was largely the result of much lower prices for galvanized iron sheets, new stocks of which were released to dealers by the GVN' thereby alleviating a shortage which has existed for several months. Fertilizer prices continued to fall and the prices of all types used in the index are now down to the new official levels. ApprovedSor e?eaVe A6,/,Itt.Afb""~O AA&Z 0260001-2 Approved Foreease 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T008202300260001-2 SECRET No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only Currency and Gold 3. Currency and gold prices were mixed on 26 June. The price of dollars and MPC (scrip) each rose two piasters above the level of 19 June to 158 and 113 piasters per dollar, respectively. The price of gold, on the other hand, fell two piasters to 195 paisters per dollar. (A graph on weekly and monthly currency and gold rates is in- cluded in the Annex.) Rice Deliveries and Stocks 4. According to the latest statistics pre- pared by the US Mission in Saigon, the rice situa- tion in Vietnam continues to improve. Despite a low level of deliveries from the delta, stocks are rising rapidly because of the arrival of imported rice. Deliveries of rice from the delta to Saigon (see graph included in the Annex) amounted to only 125,600 metric tons during the first five months of this year compared with 164,000 tons and 225,600 tons during the corresponding periods of 1966 and 1965, respectively. It is estimated that total de- liveries during 1967 will amount to about 233,000 metric tons, or 28 percent below deliveries in 1966. Imported rice, however, has been arriving in ample quantities. During Janaury-May imports totaled 374,964 metric tons, of which 27,862 tons came from Thailand, 21,250 tons from Taiwan, and the remainder from the US. As a result of the high level of im- ports, stocks of rice held by the GVN in Saigon and the rice-deficit provinces and stocks held by private dealers in Saigon amounted to 161,742 metric tons at the end of May compared with 36,199 tons at the end of February. Saigon Electric Power Facilities 5. According to an agreement signed by the GVN and USAID on 29 June, Saigon electric power generation and distribution facilities will be doubled during the next four years. USAID will grant $32 million and the GVN will contribute about one fourth of that amount for the procurement and ES-ik'9 @MAA60'`1300260001-2 ApprovedFFor a ase-6 Approved For Oease 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T008202300260001-2 SECRET No Foreign Dissem/Background Use Only installation of two 66,000-kilowatt generators. In return for the USAID grant, the GVN has agreed to carry out US recommendations to establish a new, independent and self-supporting public power com- pany, which will operate the new plant as well as the facilities now run by a French-owned company whose franchise expires at the end of this year. The new company, which will absorb all other public electric facilities in the Saigon area, presumably will be managed by US experts until Vietnamese per- sonnel can be trained to take over. Design engineer- ing on the new project is to begin by 1 October and facilities are to be completed in 1971. Officials believe that the new facilities will provide suf- ficient power for industries and homes constructed during the next four years and expect that con- sumer rates can be reduced by the time the installa- tion is completed. ApproWd 8rrK~Q seP4M K~j( P~R131 62 300260001-2 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Weekly Retail Prices in Saigon a/ 13 June 3 Jan. 5 June 12 June 19 June 25 June o 1966 b/ 1967 1967 1967 1967 1967 0 Index for Food Items P - (n U) ~m [) (In Piasters) 190 -0 0, Rice-Soc Nau (100 kg.) Cr1 Pork Bellies (1 kg.) Q Fish-Ca '`re (1 kg-) 0 Nuoc Man (jar) tz Index for Nonfood Items C W Of Which: 0 (In Piasters) -C Firewood (cu. meter) Cigarettes (pack) White Calico (meter) Kerosene (liter) 1,250 9o 130 70 225 11 0 Pi 271 269 267 267 i?- i~ 295 293 294 c/ t7 En .(D U] 1,700 2, 5 50 2,1+00 2, 4oo 130 150 160 170 150 160 16o 160 9o 150 150 150 144 195 360 560 550 600 10 14 14 14 27 33 32 32 7.8 10.5 10 10 a. Data are from USAID sources. For all indexes 1 January 1965 = 100- b. Price level just prior to the 18 June devaluation. c. Preliminary. Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 2, )4oo 150 180 1" y 150 ;o 219 217 c/ a C In m S O 550 5)+0 14 14 34 33 10 10 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826J4.042300260001-2 1964 1965 1966, 1967 us $10 MPC Military Payment Certificates (scrip). 26 1T APR' 'MAY JUN 1967 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A0 00260001-2 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 AMX Approved For Recce 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A00260001-2 Saigon Cost o HOME dex ",. Wo, kingClass Famil 20d Vietnam i tna.~m Supply Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO 2300260001-2 Thousands of Metric Tons MAY 22.3 Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2 Approved For Fle~ase 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T008262300260001-2 Saigon Cost': of Living Index * (For Working Class Family) MILLIONS OF US DOLLARS Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826A002300260001-2 Approved For, ease 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T0082D2300260001-2 Secret Secret Approved For Release 2005/08/01 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO02300260001-2