Eleven months ago, the cease-fire agreements on Vietnam were signed in Paris, Millions of militants all over the world who had mobilised against the war put down their banners and went home, Vietnam was wiped off the front pages of the newspapers. But-the war is not over. On the contrary the Indochutese revolution is progressing and continuing One of the most important developments has been the change in the tacties of the NIF. For a period after the ceasefire they undertook no military actions at all, hardly resisting even the take-over of liberated villages by the troops of the South Vietnamese regime. Bul as the Scale of Thieu's land-grabbong, mass bombing, torture and slaughter has increased, the NEF has stiffened its defences and returned to the offensive.
In the Central Highlands, Quang Ngai province and around Hue, the Mekong Delta, and around Saigon liberated areas have been hemiliatingly smashed, over and over again. But the NIF have gune a stop beyond passive defence with the ileliberate capture of the hases From which these aflacks wore launched, as well as the audacious raids on Bien Hoa airbase and the destraction of nearly 207 of South Vietnam's ael (mainly aviation fuel) hoth on the ouckirls of Satcon Of cours, these are not the "North Vietnarnese offens ies' that Thieu and the ISA have been screuning show -and we see car cove to her offensives Rather, they are the NLE's reply to the Thieu-LiS murder com puign, demonstrating just how inpotent the puppet atmy is.
PARIS ACCORDS The Provisonal Revolutionary Government is not satistied with the outcome of the Paris accords Not one of the vital points has boen carried out. They know that Thieu can't carry them out and still relin powur and locy doct expect bin to at the moment it is sufficient to increase the demoralisation of bis regime.
An all-out military offensive by the NEF is not on the cards at the moment. There still exists the danper of direct IS re-intervention. OIn Septernher, SAM-2 missile sites had heen built in the Saudi He was saved from curyling out his threat by the Kremlin bircaocrats, who put rest on uw PRy wo move then north of the 17th parallel), As always, therefore, the Vietnanese leadership are canctly warchang of political prisoners in Thieu's prisons. If their release can be forced it will represent a massive increase in the popular oppositio POLITICAL LEVEL On the political level, the work of NIF cadre an ongst thie pessants and the rapid roconstruction in the Iberated areas is widening the hase of the PROS support. Big efforts ace diso being made to win over (ARVNI. Troops of the ARVN are taken prisoner by the NIF rather than heing killed, and desertion is encoursed In some areas the NiF are an each each terms with the regine loops that they arrange mock battles-so that the AR VN troops can send glowing teports back to Saigon without interfering with the work of the NIF units Before they can launch a final offensive lo completely destroy the puppet regime, the PRG have to be sure of support in the cities. It is unclear whelber or not they hme learnt the lessons of part detents and are now themselves organising in the cities, but certainly Thin is facing increasing opposition both in Sxicon and in the other mair centres. The nitorce only lunctions at 20% of capacity. Soldiers and potlee desert every day, while more and more strikes are taking place. The drastic nice shortage has led to mass starvation and riots in the refugee camps; and as LIS capital aid begins to dry up, the oconomic crisis worsens and the hureaucracy starts to crumble. In his desperation, Thieu has oven tried to tro Saigon into a gigantic strategic hamlet, by ordering the digging of a huge tank trap treach 22 miles from the city. Thii is a futile attempt to hall the movement of the peasants into liberatod areas, to keep the anny occupied, and to persuade hit supporters' that be is doing something.
CAMBODIA The balance of lorces in Indochina is tipped even mone in four of the revolutionary tones by the struggle in Cambodia. There the United Front continues to increuse their stranglehold on the capitni, Phnom Ponb. All the roads are held by the guerrillas, and almost all the countryside and towns, Although they hie neither the arms (tbanks to China and the USSR) der the mperience to deal a decisie delicat to die puppet regute, they are slowly squeezing the life out of it.
This mility acrivity can be expected to prognoss as the dry season continues Convoys on the Mekong river (Phoom Penh's main lifeline) will become even more vulnerable when the water level drops in January the dry sesson will also hring the threat of drouch to the city, to add to the famine and discase which are now endemic in the city for the first time sance 1861.
Changes in minsters and faith in astrology cannot help Lon Nol. The army of conscripted bivalds, chikren, and non-exisrent battalions is useless The main burden of the lighting is being borne by the Khoner Kron mereenanes bandits recrused by the CIA who ae notorious for theie lore of decupitation Nol's palace was bombed by his own airforce for the second time the andored commander was said to b quite pleased that at least they had actually hit their target this time!)
Jo both Cambodia and Vietnam the puppet regimes are decaying still further, while the liheration forces grow stronger day by day. But we must realise that their ultimate success is tied up with the weakening of imperialism intentionally, That is why it is importunt thut militants in the imperialist countries continue their active support of the Indochines revolution, denying their ruling class the room it noed.
David Johnson Red Weekly 4 January 1974 Page 7