[080820Z.OH 06/07/96]
1/2 DS UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 013963/01
ORIGIN CJTF2 INFO DCM POL SA DAO PW/MIA EXA DALO INHB (9)
VZ CZC
RR RUHQHQE RUMTFS RUEHPF RUEKJCS RUE(JCS RUHQHQB
RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUEAIIA RUHVAAA RUEADWW RUEHC
DE RUEHBK #3963/01 098 **
ZNR UUUUU CLASS: UNCLASSIFIED
T0 080820Z APR 93 CHRGE: CJTF04/08/93
FM CJTF-FA DET ONE BANGKOK TH APPRV: CJTF:GEB
TO RUHQHQE / CDR JTF-FA HONOLULU HI DRFTD: CJTF:GEB
INFO RUMTFS / AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE//CJTF-FA DET THREE/ : NONE
RUEHPF / USMISSION PHNOM PENH//CJTFFA DET FOUR//DISTR: CJTF
RUEKJCS / JOINT STAFF WASHDC//OCJS-PW-MIA/J5// ORGIN: OCR
RUEKJCS / SECDEF WASHDC//OASD-ISA/PW-MIA//
RUHQHQB / USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J3
RUEKJCS / USCINCPAC LO WASHDC//
RUEKJCS / DIA WASHDC//POW-MIA//
RUEAIIA / CIA WASHDC//DEA/SEA/IB/DDO/ICOC//
RUHVAAA / CDRUSACILHI HICKAM AFB HI//
RUEADWW / NSC WASHDC
RUEHC / SECSTATE WASHDC//CA/OCS/CCS/EAP//
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 13963
UNCLASSIFIED 0137 APRIL 93
DIA PASS TO DOD POW-MIA CENTRAL DOCUMENTATION OFFICE
SUBJ: SRV ORAL HISTORY,
REF: DET 1, JTF-FA MSG 230355Z MAR 93
1. REF WAS THE SUMMARY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES
CONDUCTED IN VIETNAM BY JTF-FA SPECIAL ASSISTANT, MR
G.E. BELL, DURING THE PERIOD 3 TO 19 MARCH 1993. PARA
2E OF REF REFERS TO LTC PHAM PHI LONG. THE FOLLOWING
REPORT PROVIDES THE DETAILS OF THE INTERVIEW
CONDUCTED WITH LTC LONG. THE INTERVIEW WAS
MONITORED BY ASSIGNED COUNTERPART AND MINISTRY OF
NATIONAL DEFENCE (MND) REP, LTC PHAM TEO, AND
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR (MOI) REP, MR NGUYEN THE
CONG. REPRESENTING THE HO CHI MINH CITY PEOPLE'S
COMMITTEE WERE THE DEPUTY CHIEF or CONSULAR AFFAIRS
FOR SOUTH VIETNAM, MR BUI DAC TAM (TAAM), THE
CITY MILITARY COMMAND REP, LTC TRAN VAN TAN
(TAAN), AND THE CITY PUBLIC SECURITY REP, MAJ
NGUYEN VAN HA (HAS),
2. LTC PHAM PHI LONG, AKA SAU (6) PHI LONG, A 75
YEAR OLD NATIVE OF BEN TRE, WAS INTERVIEWED IN
HO CHI MINH CITY ON 11 MARCH 1993. SOURCE SAID HE
WAS A MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM
(PAVN) FROM AUGUST 1945 TO 1 MAY 1975. SOURCE WAS
ASSIGNED TO THE ENEMY PROSELYTING OFFICE (EPO),
SUBORDINATE TO THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE HQ,
SOUTH VIETNAM LIBERATION ARMED FORCES (SVNLAF) BEGINNING
AT THE TIME OF THE "TET" GENERAL OFFENSIVE IN 1968. SOURCE
HELD THE POSITION OF DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE POLICY
SECTION, EPO FROM 1968 UNTIL THE PARIS AGREEMENTS
WERE SIGNED IN 1973. DURING THE WAR YEARS, THE EPO
OF THE HQ, SVNLAF WAS THE SOUTHERN EQUIVALENT OF THE
ENEMY PROSELYTING DEPARTMENT OF THE GENERAL
POLITICAL DIRECTORATE IN HANOI. THE EPO ACTUALLY HAD
TWO DEPUTIES, ONE IN CHARGE OF US POW AFFAIRS, AND
ONE IN CHARGE OF POW'S OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
(RVN).
SOURCE WAS THE DEPUTY FOR RVN PERSONNEL AND
HAD NO CONTACT WITH US PERSONNEL HELD BY THE COMMUNISTS,
THE EPO WAS ORGANIZED WITH THREE SECTIONS; THE COMBAT
ENEMY PROSELYTING SECTION (BAN DICH VAN CHIEN DAJ), THE
EDUCATION AND PROPAGANDA SECTION (BAN GIAO DUC VA TUYEN
TRUYEN), AND THE POLICY SECTION (BAN CHIN SACH).
ACCORDING TO SOURCE, THERE WAS NO SEPARATE
SECTION FOR INTELLIGENCE. (NOTE: SOME PREVIOUS
SOURCES HAVE REPORTED A SEPARATE SECTION OF THE EPO
CALLED THE ENEMY SITUATION SECTION (BAN DICH
TINH). SOURCE SAID THAT PERSONNEL FROM THE EPO WHO
WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION
FROM POW'S WERE PERIODICALLY ASSIGNED TO THE
THREE SECTIONS OF THE EPO.
3. ALTHOUGH SOURCE DID NOT HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH US
POW'S, HE WAS AWARE OF ONE CAMP CALLED INTER-CAMP "A",
WHERE US POW'S WERE REPORTEDLY HELD. SOURCE RECALLED
THAT THE CAMP FOR POW'S OF THE RVN WAS DESIGNATED AS
INTER-CAMP "B". SOURCE CLAIMED TO HAVE NO SPECIFIC
INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE TWO CAMPS. WHEN ASKED,
SOURCE SOURCE SAID HE DID RECALL HAVING HEARD ABOUT
A CAMP CALLED "B-22", WHICH WAS SUBORDINATE TO THE
EPO. SOURCE ALSO RECALLED A CAMP FOR RVN POW'S
DESIGNATED D-23. SOURCE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF CAMP
DESIGNATED B-17 OR C-53 SOURCE RECALLED THAT THE
POLITICAL OFFICER OF CAMP B 22 WAS CALLED PA (3)
MANH. (NOTE: ACCORDING TO ASSIGNED COUNTERPART LTC
PHAM TEO, BA MANH HAS BEEN INTERVIEWED BY A US
INVESTIGATION ELEMENT DURING A PREVIOUS JOINT FIELD
ACTIVITY). SOURCE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING
THE POW CAMPS OF MILITARY REGIONS IN THE SOUTH.
SOURCE COULD ONLY RECALL THAT MRS WAS DESIGNATED
"T-2" AND MR9 WAS DESIGNATED "T-3".
4. DURING THE PERIOD OF SOURCE'S ASSIGNMENT TO THE
SOUTHERN EPO, THE CHIEF OF THE EPO WAS NGO DUC TAI,
AKA MUOI (10) TAI. (NOTE: SA'S TENTATIVE INTERVIEW
SCHEDULE HAS SR COL TAI LISTED FOR INTERVIEW ON 8
MAY 93) THE DEPUTY OF THE EPO WAS SR COL PHAM IAN
BAN, AKA BA (3) BAN, (NOTE: SR COL BAN WAS
INTERVIEWED IN HANOI ON 7 JAN 93, SEE DET 1 JTF-FA
MSG 261015Z JAN 93). THE DEPUTY OF THE EPO WAS SR
COL BUI THANH NGON. (NOTE: SR COL NGON WAS INTERVIEWED
IN CAN THO ON 6 MAR 93, SEE DET 1 JTF-FA NSC
1/2 DS UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 013963-01
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 BANGKOK TH 13963
010807Z APR 93). THE CAMP COMMANDER OF
INTER-CAMP "A" WAS TAM (8) HUY. (NOTE: SR COL
HUY WAS INTERVIEWED IN BEN TRE ON 24 OCT 89, SEE
JCRC BKK MSG 270246Z NOV 89). THE CADRE IN
CHARGE OF THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT DELEGATION ESCORTING US POW'S
TO THEIR RELEASE POINT AT LOC NINH IN 1973 WAS
SR COL PHAM VAN LUC, AKA NAM (5) LUG. (NOTE:
PREVIOUS SOURCES HAVE INDICATED THAT SR COT.
LUC WAS KIA BY B-52 STRIKE PRIOR TO THE 1973
RELEASE. THESE SAME SOURCES HAVE ALSO
INDICATED THAT SR COL LUC DID PARTICIPATE IN THE
EXCHANGE OF US OR COMMUNIST POW'S THAT
OCCURRED PRIOR TO 1973). A WARTIME CHIEF OF THE
EPO IN THE SOUTH WAS SR COL TUYEN (TUYEENS). SR
COL TUYEN REPLACED SR COL NGO DUC TAR SOMETIME
DURING THE EARLY 1970'S. WHEN THE WAR ENDED
IN 1975, SR COL TUYEN BECAME THE VICE-CHAIRMAN
OF THE PROVINCE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE IN SONG
BE PROVINCE. SOURCE BELIEVES SR COL TUYEN IS
NOW RETIRED AND RESIDING IN THU DUC.
5. OTHER CADRE RECALLED BY SOURCE INCLUDE :INSTERPRETER
NGUYEN HUNG TRI, NOV RESIDING IN HANOI. (NOTE: PREVIOUSLY
INTERVIEWED); SAU (6) KEO (KEOS), A CADRE OF INTER-CAMP
"A", NOW DECEASED: BA (3) CAN (CAANF), A CADRE OF
INTER-CAMP "A" POSSIBLY CURRENTLY RESlDING IN CU CHI
DISTRICT OF HCMC; DANG THUAN HOA, ALSO A CADRE OF
INTER-CAMP "A", NOW RESlDING IN HCMC. (NOTE: ALREADY
INTERVIEWED); TU MAO, A CADRE OF THE EPO ASSIGNED TO THE
SAIGON AREA DURING THE VAR. (NOTE: TRUONG HUYNH MAO,
AKA HUYNH KIM TRUONG, AKA TU MAO, AKA TU TRUONG
WAS INTERVIEWED ON 12 MAR 33 AND THE RESULTS WILL BE
FORWARDED SEPARATELY). BAO BINH, THE FORMER GUARD
FORCE COMMANDER OF INTER-CAMP "A". (NOTE: INTERVIEVED
PREVIOUSLY); DAN MANH, AKA BA (3) MANH, THE FORMER
POLITICAL OFFICER OF CAMP "B-22", NOW RESIDING IN BA
RIA-VUNG TAU. (NOTE: ACCORDING TO LTC PHAM TEO, DAN
MANH WAS INTERVIEWED BY AN INVESTIGATION ELEMENT DURING
A PREVIOUS JFA). INTERPRETER LE HOA (HOAF), DECEASED;
INTERPRETER UT HUE (HUEEJ), DECEASED; THE INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER OF THE EPO (PHONG 2), NGUYEN TAN LUC, WHO DIED IN
VUNG TAU AFTER THE WAR ENDED.
6. WHEN ASKED CONCERNING HIS KNOWLEDGE OF A CADRE CALLED
TRAN CHAU, SOURCE SAID HE COULD ONLY RECALL TWO CADRE
CALLED "CHAU", BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECALL THEIR SURNAMES.
HE RECALLED "THAT ONE MEDIC ASSIGNED TO INTER-CAMP "A"
WAS CALLED "CHAU" AND HE DIED DURING THE WAR. ANOTHER
CADRE CALLED CHAU WAS A SR LT IN THE POLICY SECTION WHO
RETURNED TO HANOI AFTER THE WAR AND WAS ASSIGNED TO A
PRISON CAMP AT THANH LIET. (NOTE: AKA HANOI "B" AND THE SAME
PRISON VISITED BY THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE DURING APRIL
1992). CONCERNING FORMER CADRE OF THE MILITARY REGIONS
WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION OF POW/MIA
INTEREST, SOURCE SAID THE ONLY NAME HE CAN RECALL IS TAM HIEN'S
(8) HIEN (HIEENF), THE FORMER COMMANDER OF MR-9. SOURCE
VAGUELY RECALLED TAM HIEN'S TRUE NAME AS NGUYEN MINH
NHU (NHUW).
7. COMMENTS:
-A. SOURCE WAS COOPERATIVE BUT APPEARED TO HAVE POOR
RECALL REGARDING SPECIFICS. THIS WAS IN CONTRAST TO
2/2 UNCLASSIFIED CJTF-FADETONEBA 0l3963/02
PREVIOUS INTERVIEWEES WHO APPEARED TO HAVE GOOD RECALL
BUT VERY RELUCTANT TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE
WARTIME CAMP SYSTEM AND CADRES. SOURCE'S LIMITED
INFORMATION, WHEN VIEWED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT
PROVIDED BY PREVIOUS SOURCES, MAY BEGIN TO FORM A BASIS FOR
A BETTER ANALYSIS OF THE WARTIME EPO/EPD APPARATUS.
B. SOURCE'S VAGUE RECOLLECTION OF INTER-CAMPS "A" AND
"B", AS WELL AS CAMPS B-22 AND B-23 MAY INDICATE THAT
THESE ARE COVER DESIGNATIONS FOR THE SAME CAMPS AT
VARYING LOCATIONS. SOURCE SEEMED SURPRISED AT THE MENTION
OF A CAMP WITH A "C" DESIGNATION AND GAVE THE IMPRESSION HE
WAS DOUBTFUL CONCERNING THE EXISTENCE OF ANY SUCH CAMP.
BT
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