There we were, filing out of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education auditorium at 11:30 Saturday night after a joyous concert put on by the Associa- tion of Vietnamese Patriots in celebration of Tet, the Vietna- mese New Year, and the sign- ing of the truce agreements _three weeks before.

The concert was part of a full day’s program of seminars and workshops sponsored by the Association, which was at- tended by over 200 people. The morning’s session was given over to a discussion on the situ- ation in Vietnam after the ceasefire, led by members of the Vietnamese Patriots, and a semi- nar on Political Prisoners in South Vietnam, led by- Ann But- trick (this seminar is examined closely in a further article in this issue).

Press for Implementation

After lunch, we sat in on a workshop given by Prof. Gabriel Kolko of York University, Con- tinuing Commitment, Continuing Danger. He made it quite

clear, that the agreement was a major tactical and strate- gic victory for the Vietnamese people, and that pressure must be brought to bear on the United States and the puppet Thieu re- gime to implement the accord. This, he suggested, should be a main demand of the U.S. (and Canadian) anti-war movement.

Prof. Chandler Davis next in- troduced a workshop on Peace- ful Relations Between Canada and Vietnam, drawing on his own experience from recently teaching in. Hanoi. He made an appeal for responsible aid from Canadians, and more specifically, the Canadian government, to as- sist the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in its massive recon- struction program. ~

Opponents: of Agreement

The most interesting from a political sense (but perhaps least productive), was the last seminar, a talk on Vietnam and the world situation, given by Irwin Silber, executive editor of the U.S. Guardian.

Mr. Silber app-opriately point- ed out that it should be no sur- prise to anybody that diverse Trotskyite elements of varying hues and colors oppose the Jan. 27 agreements, as they neither support the NLF (making an imaginary differentiation be- tween the NLF leadership and the “Vietnamese people”), nor their seven-point peace plan when it was proposed.

Mr. Silber illustrated the nec- essity of building a broad and massive anti-war movement throughout the world, and placed the blame squarely upon. the shoulders of the Trotskyite So- cialist Workers Party and their National Peace Action Coalition front for sabotaging the divid- ing the U.S. movement in recent years.

Socialist Allies

In his remarks and the ques- tion period that followed, Mr. Silber unfortunately indulged in a little anti-communism of his own. When asked by one ques- tioner about the “feeble and in- sufficient aid” given by the So-

viet Union and China to the Vietnamese people, he did his best to differentiqte between the two, insinuating that while China did its all, the Soviet Union was somewhat lax and half-hearted in its internationa- list responsibilities. A better answer was supplied by the Vietnamese leadership them- selves, whom Mr, Silber esteems highly, when they say that, “We have always received from our socialist allies what we have asked for.” This would have been more in keeping with the unity that he apparently seems to desire.

The bankruptcy, hypocrisy, and obvious contempt for the Vietnamese people of the Trot- skyites was best demonstrated at the end of the workshops, when one hysterical Trotskyite woman shrieked, “But it was not a victory. We didn’t achieve what we were fighting for.” No thought of what the Vietnamese people were struggling for, and sacrificing their heroic sons and daughters for, was voiced by

HONG-HA means Red Rivetl™ North Vietnam. welt TRIBUNE PHOTO—EDYA

these people, safe in the heat of their Forest Hill sanctuatl

Nevertheless, the seminé were informative and well tended. It might have been ‘he ter, however, had one of afternoon workshops bee? git by an activist of the Cana anti-war movement, who coll have talked about the @ ahead for Canadians in § \ that the agreement is imp, mented.

a : \F Protocol concerning ihe ceasefire in South;

Vielnam and the joint miitary commissions |;

The plight of prisoners in South Vietnam is emerging as a key concern in the aftermath of the ceasefire. With this in mind we reprint here, the major portion of the Protocol Concerning Prisoners of War, dealing with military and civilian prisoners (leaving out only the final section: Other Provisions).

PROTOCOL CONCERNING PRISONERS OF WAR

Following is the protocol concerning the re- turn of captured military personnel and foreign civilians and captured and detained Vietnamese civilian personnel:

The parties participating in the Paris Con- ference on Vietnam, in implementation of Ar- ticle 8 of the Agreement of Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam signed on this date providing for the return of captured mili- tary personnel and foreign civilians, and captur- ed and detained Vietnamese civilian personnel, have agreed as follows:

THE RETURN OF CAPTURED MILITARY

PERSONNEL AND. FOREIGN CIVILIANS

Article 1—The parties signatory to the agree- ment shall return to the captured military per- sonnel of the parties mentioned in Article 8 a) of the agreement as follows:

—All captured military personnel of the United States and those of the other foreign countries mentioned in Article 3 a) of the Agreement shall be returned to the United States authorities;

—All captured Vietnamese military person- nel, whether belonging to regular or irregular armed forces, shall be returned to the two south Vietnamese parties; they shall be return- ed to that south Vietnamese party under whose command they served.

Article 2—All captured civilians who are nationals of the United States or of any other foreign countries mentioned in Article 3 a) of the Agreement shall be returned to United States authorities. All other captured foreign civilians shall be returned to the authorities of their country of nationality by any of the par- ties willing and able to do so.

Article 3—The parties shall today exchange complete lists of captured persons mentioned in Articles 1 and 2 of this protocol.

Article 4—a) The return of all captured persons mentioned in Article 1 and 2 of this protocol shall be completed within sixty days of the signing of the Agreement at a rate no slower than the rate of withdrawal from south Vietnam of United States forces and those of the other foreign countries mentioned in Article 5 of the Agreement.

b) Persons who are seriously ill, wounded or maimed, old persons and women shall be re-

‘2 turned first. The remainder shall be returned

sia 5A : i

either by returning all from one detention place after another or in order of their dates of cap- ture, beginning with those who have been held the longest.

Article 5—The return and reception of the persons mentioned in Article 1 and 2 of this protocol shall be carried out at places conveni- ent to the concerned parties. Places of return shall be agreed upon by the four-party joint military commission. The parties shall ensure the safety of personnel engaged in the return and reception of those persons.

_ Article 6—Each -party shall return all cap- tured persons mentioned in Articles 1 and 2 of this protocol without delay and shall facilitate their return and reception. The detaining par- ties shall not deny or delay their return for any reason, including the fact that captured persons may, on any grounds, have been prosecuted or sentenced.

THE RETURN OF CAPTURED & DETAINED

VIETNAMESE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL

Article 7—a) The question of the return of Vietnamese civilian personnel captured and detained in south Vietnam will be resolved by the two south Vietnamese parties on the basis of the principles of Article 12 b) of the Agree- ment on the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam on July 20, 1954, which read as follows:

The term “civilian internees” is understood to mean all persons who, having in any way contributed to the political and armed struggle between the two parties, have been arrested for that reason and have been kept in detention by either party during the period of hostilities.

b) The two south Vietnamese parties will do so in a spirit of National Reconciliation and Concord with a view to ending hatred and en- mity in order to ease suffering and to reunite families. The two south Vietnamese parties will do their utmost to resolve this question within ninety days after the cease-fire comes into

erect:

c) Within fifteen days after the cease-fire comes into effect, the two south Vietnamese parties shall exchange lists of the Vietnamese civilian personnel captured and detained by each party and lists of the places at which they are held. .

TREATMENT OF CAPTURED PERSONS

DURING DETENTION

Article 8—AlI1 captured military personnel of the parties and captured foreign civilians of the parties shall be treated humanely at all times, and in accordance with international practice.

They shall be protected against: all violence to life and person, particularly against murder in any form, mutilation, torture and cruel treat- ment, and outrages upon personal dignity.

These persons shall not be forced to join the armed forces of the detained party.

They shall be given adequate food, clothing, | shelter, and medical attention required fot a5" their state of health. They shall be allowed tO exchange post cards and letters with their fami- lies and receive parcels.

b) All Vietnamese civilian personnel cap- tured and detained in south Vietnam shall be treated humanely at all times, and in accord- ance with international practice.

They shall be protected against all violencé

to life-and person, in particular against murder in any form, mutilation, torture and cruel treat- ment, and outrages against personal dignity. The detaining parties shall not deny or delay their return for-any reason, including the fact that captured persons may, on any grounds, have been prosecuted or sentenced. These per: Tes, sons shall not be forced to join the armed forces of the detaining party. _ They shall be given adequate food, cloth- ing, shelter, and the medical attention require for their state of health. They shall be allowed to exchange post cards and letters with theif families and receive parcels.

_ Article 9—a) To contribute.to improving the living conditions of the captured military pet: sonnel of the parties and foreign civilians 0 the parties, the parties shall, within fifteen day after the cease-fire comes into effect, agree upon the designation of two or more National Red Cross Societies to visit all places where captured military personnel and foreign civil-’ ians are held. ;

_b) To contribute to improving the living con- dition of the captured and detained Vietnamesé civilian personnel, the two south Vietnames¢ parties shall, within fifteen days after the cease- fire comes into effect, agree upon the designa- © tion of two or more National Red Cross Socie- ties to visit all places where the captured and detained Vietnamese civilian personnel are held.

WITH REGARD TO DEAD AND MISSING PERSONS

Article 10—a) The four-party Joint Military Commission shall ensure joint action by the parties in implementing Article 8 b) of the Agreement. When the four-party Joint Military Commission has ended its activities, a four: party Joint Military Team shall be maintained to carry on this task. cal

b) With regard to Vietnamese civilian pet- |

_ sonnel dead or missing in south Vietnam, the

two south Vietnamese parties shall help each = jm other to obtain information about missing per is sons, determine the location and take care 0 the graves of the dead, in a spirit of National Reconciliation and Concord, in keeping with the people’s aspirations.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1973—PAGE 6