From: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com (Nhan Tran)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Subject: Re: Re-education camp story
Date: 22 Nov 92 21:51:04 GMT
Reply-To: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com
Organization: SCV Relay
Originator: daemon@media-lab.media.mit.edu


> From: drk@melodian.cs.uiuc.edu (Dave Kohr)
> 
> In article <22589@drutx.ATT.COM> kvt@druwa.ATT.COM (KVT) writes:
> >
> >It doesn't matter how many times these killings in how many ways are
> >exposed to the world, there are still people willing to excuse these 
> >inhuman acts. Some of their excuses (notably from the Americans 
> >claiming knowing it all about Vietnam and its people by reading 
> >hundreds of books written by Americans on Vietnam War):
> >[....]
> >
> >Kim
> 
> I am curious to hear precisely who are these American apologists for
> Communist atrocities.

* US-Vietnam Friendship Association: Headquarter is at San Francisco. Operated
  by William and Beatrice Eisman. This couple organized a ceremony celebrated
  the 11th year victory of taking over the South VN, in 1986 in San Franc
  This group is very pro-Hanoi, supports all policies of Hanoi regime, 
  frequently denounced publicly prisoners in the re-education camps as well 
  as the boat people. They publish a newsletter quarterly. A related group 
  is Australia-Vietnam Society operaed by Professor David Marr. This group is 
  more successful in influencing the policy of Australian government toward 
  Vietnam.

* US-Indochina Reconciliation Project: Office in Philadelphia. Under the
  coordination of John McAuliff. In 1986, urged religious leaders, educators
  and politicians to sign a white paper demanding the US government to
  establish relation with Hanoi. 

  In May 1979, McAuliff attacked and discredited John Baez and others liberal, 
  anti-war activists whom signed a white paper published on the New York
  Times condemning the human rights violation by Hanoi regime. 

  The predecessor of this group was American Friends Service Committe. John
  McAuliff was a member. In 1977, a delegation of 5 members of this group
  visited Vietnam. They returned, testified before Congress and support
  the normalization of relation with Hanoi.

* Church World Services & National Council of Churches (CWS): coordinated by
  Paul McCleary. In 1977 headed a religious delegation to visit Vietnam.
  He returned and testified before Congress on human rights in Vietnam. He
  praised Hanoi's re-education policies.

* Indochina Resource Center/East/West: offices in Washington, D.C and Berkeley
  Coordinated by Gary Porter, Don Luce and Fred Branfman.

  In 1968, Porter signed on a full-page ad on the New York Times to demand
           the US withdrawal from Vietnam.
  In 1971, came to visit Vietnam. Returned and wrote an analysis "Myth of the
           Hue Massacre" to defend the live burial of several thousands of
           Hue civilians by the communists.
  In 1977, Porter publicly refuted the charge of political oppression and
           human rights violation in Vietnam. He called them fabrications.

  IRC/West now becomes Friends of Indochina
  IRC/Est now becomes Asia Resource Center

These are just some people that I happen to have some information on them.
These information are from an article written by DDoa`n Vu~ on the activities
of the pro-communist and leftist Viet & American groups in the US. The article 
is in Vietnamese. I translated the relevant portion into English. He collected
these data from the documents of the State Department, Congressional records,
newspaper from universities, documents from leftist groups. Most of these
documents can be found in the Indochina Archives at University of Berkeley.

Nha^n