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A Week of Solidarity: Paris and Rome

By Ed Damato

Thiounn Mumm, chief delegate of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia to Paris, expressed his thanks to the members of the American delegation and said, "When we were attacked in our country, Americans died for our cause; the students at Kent and Jackson States. This is the highest form of solidarity, when people give their lives for the struggles of others. We thank you."

This spirit of solidarity was not just confined to the Cambodian delegation. During the week of Feb. 18, we traveled from Paris to Rome, attending two conferences; one on amnesty, held in Paris, and an International Emergency Conference on Vietnam held in Rome, and this feeling of solidarity, of mutual respect and love was typical throughout. During this week-long series of meetings we had the privilege and honor of meeting with the representatives of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, the Pathet Lao, the Laotians Students Union of Paris, the United FNL Groups of Sweden, the Danish Vietnam Committee, members of the Italian Dock Workers Union, the Italian Vietnam Committee, representatives of Zimbabwe African People's Union and the Japanese delegation, as well as representatives of AMEX-Canada, Union of American Exiles in Britain, RITA-ACT of Germany, exiles from Vancouver, Montreal, Sweden, France, and of course, the Cambodia delegation in Paris. We talked to countless others and everywhere people recognized that we all have a common goal and a common struggle.

As representatives from the United States we tended to feel as part of the beast, but this feeling was quickly dispelled, as is indicated in the remarks of Mr. Mumm. This feeling of solidarity marked all the meetings we had with representatives of the Indochinese peoples. Mr. Minh Vy, member of the delegation of the DRV, said in his remarks to us, "We greatly appreciate your courage, for you are in a difficult situation."

These meetings were also highly informative. Of particular interest to us were the reports of the Indochinese. We questioned each of these delegations as to what the current situation was. The DRV assured us that in spite of the massive bombing of the North in December that the Vietnamese people were determined to reconstruct their country after the damage inflicted by American bombers. Within six weeks after the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, new housing was built. Mr. Si Phan told of a letter he received from his daughter who lives in Hanoi. She spoke of how the family had lived through the terrorist attacks of the B-52s and how they were all together and well. In her letter she wrote of the determination of the Vietnamese. She also wrote, "It seems to me that the B-52s are not so terrible as they (the U.S.) want us to believe." - clear indication that the Vietnamese would not submit to American terrorism.

The Vietnamese responded to questions regarding the signing of the agreements with great confidence. They were concerned, however, that the United States might not live up to its part of the accords. It was pointed out the harbors are still mined and that the United States has been delaying in the removal of these devices, saying that it is very difficult to de-mine the port. The Vietnamese were highly concerned with the fate of the political prisoners in the South of Vietnam. It is evident that the Thieu regime is not complying with the agreements and has been mistreating and torturing political prisoners.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, member of the central committee of PRG, explained how important it is to recognize the PRG as a legitimate government in the south. To date, the PRG is recognized by 30 countries. Sixty-four nations recognize a neutral Vietnam. President Nixon has maintained that the only legitimate government in the south is the Thieu regime, a clear violation of the agreements. Both the DRV and the PRG recognize the agreements as a victory for the Vietnamese people, and that this victory marks another level of struggle for them.

On the question of aid for the reconstruction of Vietnam, we were told that aid is needed not just for hospitals, but also for the building of secondary schools and colleges, and for housing and there is a need for technical assistance in this rebuilding.

The meetings with the Cambodians and the Laotians stressed that the situation in those countries is very serious. Cambodia has not experienced a cessation of bombing. In fact, after the agreements were signed in Vietnam, several cities in the liberated zones experienced intense bombing. The Lon Nol regime in Phnom Penh is aided by several hundred military advisors and the United Front of Cambodia states that the Americans will now concentrated their aggression on the people of Cambodia.

In Laos, bombing continued even after the agreement was signed there. American air power continues to give air support to ground forces of the right wing and the 30 Thai battalions that are conducting offensives in Laos.

But through all this calculated intervention of American in Southeast Asia, it is clear that the people of Indochina will never submit to the aggression of the U.S. to resolve the internal struggles of their people. During this week of meetings, this message came through loud and clear. The Indochinese will be victorious in their struggles against U.S. imperialism. They have the support of the international community and they will win.

Probably the best example of this solidarity came during the visit to the PRG in Paris. John Musgrave, VVAW Regional Coordinator of Kansas - W. Missouri, sat talking to Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, Foreign Minister of the PRG. As they both got up to leave, Mme. Binh saw that John had been wounded in the leg. With much concern, and realizing that he was wounded while fighting the people of her country, she reached for his arm to help him up the stairs.