Oregon daily emerald., November 19, 1973, Page 3, Image 3

Vietnam
today:
torture,
death,
violations
By ANNA FANG
Of the Emerald
“We ask for the release of political prisoners in Vietnam as a
humanitarian act,” announced Nguyen Dong, member of the Union of
Vietnamese in the United States at a Friday night teach-in. The teach
in, sponsored by the Eugene Peace Action Committee (EPAC), was
held in the EMU to inform people of the political injustices in South
Vietnam and in the United States.
Dong, born in Saigon, told people that the war is distant to
Americans but very related to Vietnamese. By talking to groups, Dong
hopes to show the illegalities of the South Vietnam government, help
release the political prisoners and point up the violations of the
Geneva and Paris agreements.
“The challenge which the government brings to us, gives us more
enunciation to try to free ourselves,” Dong asserted. Political
prisoners in Vietnam include students, women, children, intellectuals,
and others from all walks of life. Dong said that torture is illegal ac
cording to the Geneva agreement on treatment of political prisoners.
“Thieu said that all prisoners have been released,” Dong commented,
“but before that he denied to the world the existence of political
prisoners in Vietnam.”
Types of torture include killing, beating, electric shock, hot soapy
water forced up one’s nostrils. “We are a people struggling for peace
and independence, but we are treated like animals. Why is Thieu so
cruel and hostile?” asked the 24-year-old Dong.
Dong explained the current economical and political situation of
Vietnam. Statistics for police forces include one officer for every 100
people, 140,000 policemen and 1.5 million soldiers in the army. “It will
eventually become a military state, if something isn’t done,” Dong
emphasized. The Vietnamese also have an indentification system to
track down each and every Vietnamese. Dong said that the jail system
is supported by a U.S. program indirectly. There is supposedly a food
for peace program in Vietnam supported by the U.S., but actually food
and money from the program are being used by the government and
not given to the people. Some of the money is being funneled into the
jail system, according to Dong.
Currently there are three political forces in Vietnam: the neutral,
Saigon, and provisional revolutionary governments. All three are
supposed to get together by order of the Paris peace agreements to
hold fair elections. But this has not been done, says Dong.
Dong believes that one million tons of bombs have been stockpiled
in Saigon. “The government has been land-and rice-grabbing in order
to feed the huge military nation,” Dong said. “After the Paris
agreement, Thieu expected to receive a foreign investment to support
Vietnam, but none came.”
“The government of South Vietnam wants the war to be resumed
so they can get U.S. aid and more bombing force,” Dong retorted.
“They want to inflict damage, create insecurity, and make the people
stay in concentration camps which are located in the urban areas.”
“The U.S. government is strong and the American people hold the
prison gate of the political prisoners in Vietnam,” stressed Dong. “Do
something, ask for the release of prisoners in Vietnam!” Dong
illustrated the situation by using an old Vietnamese saying, “A hand
ful of rice at a moment of crisis is worth more than a whole meal when
you are well off.”
Dong admitted that Saigon did not like what he was doing in the
United States. “I hope that South Vietnam will be able to recover the
nation, mend the wounds, and that reunification will come after we
rebuild the country in a peaceful manner.” A film “For a Vietnamese
Vietnam” and a short play were shown during the teach-in.
Wood and Fuel Co-op
stems fuel shortage
By DAVID SHEAHON
Of the Emerald
Cold, wintry weather is on the
way. Heating oil is in short
supply. There could be some
chilly households this winter.
In the Eugene area, the Wood
and Fuel Co-op is trying to keep
those families warm. Members of
the co-op have been cutting and
distributing fireplace wood to
people of the community.
The co-op has been doing this
for weeks. They go out every
other Saturday to a field an
owner wants cleared or directly
into the forest because they have
a permit to cut wood on state and
national lands from the Forest
Service.
The co-op invites anyone who
can chop wood to join. Any work
done will be paid for with a
pickup load of wood. People
unable to chop can do other
things, such as staffing the baby
sitting service the co-op provides
for workers, or making lunches
for the woodcutters. Woodcutters
are always busy, according to
Allen Comeil, a coordinator for
the group.
Alan Johnson, student coor
dinator, believes the operation
was needed to act as an alter
native to heating oil and
especially the oil companies.
“We know that there is going to
be a fuel shortage, but it’s a
contrived one,” said Johnson. He
believes that the oil companies
March . . .
(Continued from Page 1)
sensitive to world public opinion.
All the speakers concurred that
Thieu’s government is dependent
on U.S. support for survival, and
that properly aroused public
opinion in this country can end
the fighting and the atrocities in
South Vietnam.
In a concluding ceremony, Ron
Eachus, former ASUO president
who sued the Federal Bureau of
Investigation for invading his
privacy by starting a file (Hi him
upon his return from a trip to
Hanoi, presented a check for
$674.16 to Friedman for Medical
Aid to Indochina. The money is
the part of the $1000 settlement
with the F.B.I. which remained
after Eachus’ attorney was paid.
are withholding oil to force the
prices up and to get the Alaska
Oil Pipeline passed through
Congress.
The oil companies profits for
last year, Johnson believes, are
inconsistent with the “so-called
oil shortage.”
“Look at the huge profits the oil
companies made last year, and
now they’re telling us about how
severe the shortage is. It just
doesn’t make sense,” said
Johnson.
The oil shortage does not seem
to be affecting government,
Johnson says. “You don’t see any
wars stopping because of a fuel
shortage. Those jets keep on
flying,” he went on to say. “Look
at the oil companies’ own trucks;
they don’t seem to be having any
problems with their needs.”
Whether contrived or not, the
fuel shortage does exist. Johnson
and the members of the co-op will
assist every household that asks
for help. They can be contacted
through the Roosevelt house,
phone 688-7789.
PASTA AT THE
A MONDAY NIGH!
TRADITION
SINCE TONIGHT
‘fiw'rfpptititcr -fen &£S /3^>
J^iavvuT_ £>;3o~ /o:cO
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