THE DAI VIET PARTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002300140009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2002
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 11, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2002/07/22 : CIA-RDP80-00810A002300140009 FLt) / 3 1&
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized' person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
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SUBJECT The Dai Viet Party
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DATE DISTR. 11 September 1953
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Dai Viet Party Hanks
1. S athizer (Ban.). To become a Sympathizer, a,candidate must be recommended by
two friends of the next higher grade in the party.
2, Neophyte (Du Bi Dang Vien) The rank of Neophyte requires the recommendation of
four friends.
3. Member (Dang Vien),
4, Militant (Chien Si), This rank depends upon party seniority, age, experience,
ailities, and intelligence.' Prominent men holding this rank are Phan Huy Quat,
Defense Minister,, and Le Thang,Minister of Social and Public Works.
5. Cell Leader. A cull leadw is automatically a member of the party's Central
Comm ee. A cell usually consists of from ten to one hundred militants. The
most prominent cell leaders are Dang Van Sung and Nguyen Ton Haan.
6. Leader. This rank is reserved for only one member of the party. Truong Tu Anh
was the party Leader until 1945 when he disappeared and was probably killed by
the Viet Minh. From 1946 to 19148, the party Leader was Dang Vu Lac, who died
of illness in 1918. The rank of party leader is currently unfilled.
Contenders for Party Leadership
7. There are six serious contenders for the leadership of the Dai Viet Party today,
the most prominent of whom are Sung and Hoan. These two men parted after the
death of Dr. Lac over the issue of cooperation with the Vietnamese Government.
Hoan has no confidence in Bao Dai or his governments, and believes they are
incapable of'obtaining Vietnamese independence. He refuses to allow himself or
his followers to participate in government activities. Sung believes that
CONFIDENTIAL,
STATE. ARMY NAVY g AIR X FBI J IAEC
(Notes Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"i Field Distribution By "#".)
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participation in government activities is useful and necessary to remain abreast
of political developments, to find means for accomplishing party aims, and to
protect the party against government action. Soon after Quat became Defense
Minister, he secured the release from prison of Pham Thai, a prominent party
member lo had been arrested for complicity in the assassination of General
Chanson.
Party Discipline
8. Without a leader, party discipline is nebulous because there'is no single source
of authority unless the Central Con i ttee happens to arrive at a unanimous
decision. Usually a Cell Leader may advise a Militant to take a certain course
of action, but he cannot order him to do so. Exceptions concerning certain party
matters do exist, as follows: if a Cell Leader instructs a Militant to develop a
certain contact fora specific. pui?pose., the Militant' is -bound' by the Cell Leader ? s
insi ?,,a.ctions, if, however, a 14 ilitarit develops a,contact on his own initiative or
for pir.poses of friendship, his Cell Leader has no authority other than moral over him.
Party Front Organizations
9. There are currently no front organizations run by the party. Nguyen Ton Hoan
had organized the neophytes of South Vietnam into a front called Thanh Nien
Bao Quoc Doan, but this organization was dissolved by the Tran Huu Government.
The Mat `Gran Quoc Gia Binh Dan front organized by Le Thang in North Vietnam
has been dissolved.
Party Ideology
10. The party ideology is embodied in a document by Truong Tu Anh called Dan Toe
Sinh Tong The principles of Capitalism, Communism, and the Three Principles
of Sun Yat-sen are all presented and rejected therein in favor of a strong
nationalism which verges on racism. It therefore follows that the nation as
a mystical unity must serve as the base for all political, social, economic,
and military organization.
Party Doctrine
11. Vietnam needs to experience a period of strong dictatorship similar to Japan
and Germany to weld the Vietnamese people into a nation and develop national
traditions and unity. Following this period of nationalization, it will then
be possible to introduce democratic institutions. To introduce democracy and
hold national elections before the national spirit is well-formed is dangerous
and exposes the nation to the conquest of a foreign ideology such as Communism.
The dictatorship must be monolithic. The Party feels there are no serious
challengers to its eventual control over the country other than the "French"
Vietnamese. It is expected that remnants of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang, Duy
Dan, Cong Giao Xa Hoi, and Cach Men Dong Minh Hoi may be either absorbed or
disregarded, while the Binh Iuyen and Hoa Hao may be bought. The only serious
problem is the Cao Dai, which will be difficult to integrate because of its
religious foundation.
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F----l Comment. Source refused to identify the other four contenders for
ea ership.
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2.
omment. If Bao Dai turns out to be another "Sihanouk," Sung's line
ve oeen completely justified and Sung would probably become the
party leader.
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3.
Comment. Source's translation into French: "Le peuple reste
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Approved For Release 2002/07/22 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA002300140009-2