- Title: SOUTH VIETNAM: SAIGON RALLY SUPPORT OF NEWLY FORMED ANTI-COMMUNIST FRONT
- Date: 21st March 1968
- Summary: RALLY IN CINEMA; CIVIL SERVANTS UNDERGOING MILITARY TRAINING. Initials DHC/VS/CR/SC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th April 1968 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAIGON, SOUTH VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Reuters ID: LVA66JTMK3TISUWGABUQK44UNSGK
- Story Text: SOUTH VIETNAM'S NEWLY-FORMED ANTI-COMMUNIST FRONT HELD ITS FIRST RALLY, IN A SAIGON CINEMA, AT THE WEEKEND. THE FRONT WAS SET UP BY SOUTH VIETNAM'S LIEUTENANT-GENERAL TRAN VAN DON TWO WEEKS AGO, AFTER THE NORTH VIETNAMESE AND VIET CONG HAD LAUNCHED THEIR LUNAR NEW YEAR OFFENSIVE.
TWO THOUSAND REPRESENTATIVES, DRAWN FROM EVERY MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY IN THE COUNTRY, ATTENDED THE RALLY. ALL THE DOMINANT RELIGIOUS GROUPS - EXCEPT THE MILITANT BUDDHISTS - WERE ALSO REPRESENTED.
GENERAL TRAN, LEADER OF THE COUP WHICH TOPPLED PRESIDENT NGO DINH DIEM'S REGIME IN 1963, WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE FRONT'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
DURING THE RALLY THE AIMS OF THE FRONT WERE STATED - "TO UNITE ALL THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH VIETNAM IN A STRUGGLE AGAINST COMMUNISM AND THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT".
MEANWHILE, SAIGON CIVIL SERVANTS ARE UNDERGOING COMPULSORY MILITARY TRAINING, TO FORM A BACK-UP FORCE IN THE EVENT OF A FURTHER VIET CONG ATTACK ON THE CAPITAL. THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING THEIR OWN OFFICES IF THERE IS AN ATTACK.
THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO INTRODUCE A SIMILAR TRAINING SCHEME FOR CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING IN THE PROVINCES.
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