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hard to seek a political
advantageous for them.

recognize the NLF and

38
ney

As far as the South Vietnam-
ese people are concerned, it has
been an upward climb. They be-
with guerilla actions by
scattered forces supplied with
rudimentary weapons and now

E

ed uprisings against a numeric-
ally superior enemy and now
they stage generalized upris-
ings, overwhelming the enemy
everywhere. As for the National
Liberation Front, at the begin-
ning it gathered only a restrict-
ed number of people and today
it has become a powerful force,
rallying under its banner dif-
ferent social classes and strata
and revolutionary organizations
in South Vietnam, is -doing the
duty of a real people’s adminis-
tration and enjoys the confi-
dence and protection of the
popular masses end a high pres-
tige in the world.

“Preliminary statistics show
that during this period, reckon-
ing up to the beginning of Oct.
1968 only, close to two million
enemy troops were killed,
wounded or captured, and a
large number of others disband-
ed. American and satellite casu-
alties alone ran in the region of
500,000 men. Enemy material
losses including more than
13,000 planes and _ helicopters
shot down or destroyed on the
ground, about 26,000 military
vehicles among them nearly
12,000 tanks and armoured cars
destroyed, more than 1,100
war vessels, combat launches
and militafy freighters sunk
burnt or damaged.

Political actions by the civil-

the National
South Vietnam.

Front

jans have been staged concur-
rently with military operations
of the armed forces and have
greatly contributed to the lat-
ter’s victories. In those eight
years, an estimated aggregate
140 million turnout has been
recorded in political demon-
strations in varied forms and on
various scales, _

At first, the slogans were
meant to denounce enemy
crimes, demand payment of
compensations, boycott reac-
tionary policies and measures,
secure democratic liberties and
vital economic rights.

Today they are aimed at the
overthrow of the puppet admi-
nistration, the withdrawall of
U.S. troops, the people’s right
to sovereignty, independence
and freedom and the re-estab-
lishment of peace. Since last
“Tet,” this movement has been
gaining fresh momentum and
has turned into an armed insur-
rectional drive in the whole of
South Vietnam. It has reduced
to failure a strategic plan of
the aggressors: to conduct ag-
gression under a neo-colonialist
form.

Agitation work among enemy
troops has also yielded great

“successes. According to still in-
complete figures, by Sept. 1968,
more than 467,000 puppet sol-
diers had deserted or had been
disbanded. Developments on the
battlefield today clearly show
that the puppet army is not
viable without the backing of
U.S. troops.

The victories recorded in all
fields by the South Vietnam
armed forces and people in the
period under review have made
possible the emergence of a vast
liberated zone ‘stretching from
the 17th parallel to the Ca Mau
point over four-fifths of South
Vietnam’s territory with two-
thirds of the population. In
these liberated areas, a new po-
litical power, revolutionary
power, really representing the
legitimate interests and aspira-
tions of the people, has been
established or is in the making
in many localities. In fact, the
puppet administration now con-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 31, 1969—Page 6

,

Liberation at y £>

wt,

trols, and at that,
only some sectors, in the cities
and along a number of arteries.

The NLF leads, organizes and
mobilizes the South Vietnamese
people in the resistance to U.S.
aggression. It finds growing
favor in the eyes of various
Strata of the people, including
those in the cities and areas
stil! under enemy control. The
coming into existence of the
Vietnam’ Alliance of National,
Democratic and Peace Forces
which approves the Political
Program of the Front and its
five points has spelled out the
Front’s influence among the ur-
ban population and marked a
new expression of the bloc of
national union in the struggle
against U.S. aggression, for na-
tional salvation.

In the international arena,
the credit of the Front also con-
stantly grows. Up to now, the
Front has established 21 repre-
sentations and two information
bureaus abroad and has sent
168 delegations to international,
regional and national confer-
ences and 237 delegations on
friendly visits to many coun-
tries. Its affiliated organizations
are members of 11 international
organizations.

Although the U.S. aggressors
still refuse to recognize the
Front, they have been com-
pelled to accept talks with the
Front’s representatives in Paris,
to seek a political solution to
the South Vietnam problem.
Thus, willy nilly, they have had,
in fact, to recognize the deci-
sive role of the NLF in the set-
tlement of the South Vietnam
problem.

In this period of eight years
of struggle waged by the South
Vietnamese people against the
U.S. aggressors, for national
salvation, under the leadership
of the NLF, the year 1968 in-

contestably occupies a particu-
larly important “place.

The South Vietnamese people
have won, since the launching
of the generalized attacks and
uprisings on the night of Jan.
30, 1968 great, multilateral and
strategically significant victo-
ries. Their resistance to U.S. ag-
gression has thus entered into
a new period, the period of out-
burst of impetuous and sus-
tained attacks and uprisings,
forerunners of final victory.
For the enemy, this is a period
of irresistible gliding toward his
ultimate doom.

Parallel to the prodigious
growth of the Liberation Army
in all fields, the guerilla has also
made enormous progress. In
the first six months of the gene-
ralized attacked and uprisings
the militia, guerillas and armed
population took a toll of nearly
60,000 enemy casualties, shot
down, destroyed or damaged
250 planes and _ helicopters,
wrecked 1,300 military vericles,
razed more than 700 posts and
seized about 3,000 weapons of
different types.

Backed by the impetuous
widespread attacks by the PLAF,
the armed uprisings of the peo-
ple in turn provided support for
the latter’s operations by mak-
ing away with cruel thugs,
breaking the enemy’s grip, cut-
ting communication lines and
besieging enemy posts.

Like the armed uprisings, the
unarmed political struggle of
the popular masses has exper-
ienced a new development. Ac-
cording to still incomplete sta-
tistics, since last “Tet,” the ag-
gregate total participation in
political struggle in South Viet-

_nam has reached the 20-million

mark.

One of the striking features
of the situation is the ever more
active share of the people in

the movement of  agitatia
among the puppet soldiers. —

Immediately after the laund
ing of the Tet generalized #
tacks and uprisings, tens ¢
thousands of officers and mé
of the puppet army, respondiy
to the NLF appeal and persual
ed by the popular masses, ld
the enemy ranks. In the sect
Northwest of Saigon alone, th
action by the masses and ¥j
relatives of puppet armymé
provoked, in eight months, !
disintegrating process whid
affected 7,000 enemy soldiers

Compared with the previod
years, the total number of mt
tinies and revolts staged ff
officers and men of the puppt
army has increased substat
tially.

The morale of U.S. troof
has also been sinking critically
In all U.S. divisions, numerod
GI's, seized with fear, sought tt
avoid combat with the PLAM
deserted to take refuge in mt
jor cities, refused to take pat
in military operations, and dé!
manded repatriation. Cases 4
GI’s surrendering to the PLA
were also recorded.

The victories of the Sout
Vietnam people and their armel’
forces, the enlargement of the
liberated zone and the growitf'
prestige of the NLF at home ail
abroad, have made it possibl!
to establish revolutionary powé
at various levels. This nef!
event has given rise in the ibe
rated rural areas to a new a
mosphere of overflowing zé#!
and enthusiasm.

The new power continued
distribute land to those pea!
ants who lack it and helps them
in particular, to organize them
selves into mutual-aid teat,
with a view to boosting produe
tion. Great attention has
paid to the development of ed”
cation, health and cultural work

4