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4. Report on Recent Visit to Vietnam
Sister Kathleen Bagen (CAFOD) had been one of a group of seven people representing voluntary Catholic developmental agencies from Belgium, France, Holland, Switzerland, Thai and the United Kingdom, with one journalist.
The group had spent one week in Ho Chi Minh City and one week in Hanol. They had flown over large areas devastated by floods.
As a former resident of Saigon, she had been interested to see the obvious changes, for instance, the evident "cleaning-up" of the city. They had met with officials, the Mayor and members of the Council and the organised programme had included visits to:-
a)
Cooperatives
(within the city)
-
One of these was converting war material
into, ploughs.
b)
✪
Training Centre for former prostitutes to enable them to acquire new skills for earning their living.
c)
Hospital for Tuberculosis
J
a serious problem particularly in the rural areas, where medical services were still very sparse. retraining some convalescents for lighter jobs.
The programme included
d)
New Economic Zone The group had been the first to visit this area in the Mekong Delta. Here some 500 young unemployed volunteers between the ages of 18 and 22 were working as pioneers for 2 to 6 months on rehabilitation schemes for growing rice, fruit, collection of sea food, etc. Apparently this area could provide enough supplies for нo Uni Minh City.
Ag
At present, conditions were hard no water, snortage of food, primitive accommodation etc. The team changed every 4 to 6 months. it would be difficult to live in those conditions any longer.
The unemployed in Ho Chi Minh City were being persuaded to work in new economic zones and in general, people were being encouraged to return to the rural areas from the cities. The main aim was to encourage self-sufficiency through increased food production.
Evidently there was some coercion of people to go to the rural areas to work, but it was difficult to ascertain the extent of this. in any case, it was essential for all to work for rehabilitation of the country. The alternative was to stay in Ho Chi Minh City without ration cards.
Sister Bagen had talked to various friends and Government officials about the "boat people". The opinion seemed to be that they were mostly "entrepreneur" class,
not willing to work for the Government and objecting to the present conditions. There was evidently some Government connivance to the exodus and some corruption on the part of Government officials.
A report from the Catholic Welfare Services in West Malaysia had described the situation of the boat people there.
The purpose. of Sister Bagen's visit had been to study the need for development rather than on refugee matters.
i)
In discussion the following questions and points were raised:-
it seemed that boats were lying in the Mekong Delta. They apparently were not stopped from leaving by the police.
ii) According to a recent press release, certain groups, including those eligible for
military service and those working on certain occupations, e.g. professionals and public servants, would not be allowed to leave the country; others would be able to leave provided they naa previously obtained a visa from the country or destination.