Population Relocation

 

Population Relocation

 By Van Nguyen




Along with security operations for pacification to mete out disorder caused by remnants of the imperialist bourgeoisie, repressive measures were used to stifle any possible political opposition. In Saigon where popular opposition was noticeable, the new regime carried out the policy of population resettlement and labor redistribution. Although the programs were heralded on economic grounds, they turned out to be instrumental in exercising social and political control on the population. They did not come out of economic chaos. Rather, they were social and political measures, aiming to defuse tension in congested cities after the war. Difficulties in the economy in the South were burdensome. The administrated the administration had to face such enormous problems as unemployment, social instability, and particularly, heavy congestion as a result of rural war refugees who waited to be repatriated to their native villages. These conglomerations of refugees had swelled the urban population with 45 per cent of the southern total population in 1975 (up from 33 per cent in 1973). The population relocation was at a deadlock. Bloody battles spread throughout the country from Tay Ninh to Quang Tri following the 1973 Peace Agreements between the United State and North Vietnam.  War refugees inundated Saigon. By the end of the war, the population of the city rose approximately to 5 million.

 Threats of war were another factor. As a result from tension from the invasion of the Khmer Rouge along the Vietnam-Kampuchea borders, the administration speeded up the program for population relocation. Political pressure from the brothering security in the north of the 36^th parallel caused another problem. Facing threat that might result in political instability, the Hanoi administration pushed hard the pacification plan in the South.  In the one hand, it made every effort to eliminate the “remnants of the imperialists and henchmen of the puppet government. On the other, it sought to relieve the economy that was on the verge of collapse. Land repetitions for the poor peasantry accelerated in the countryside, and the working people were integrated in organizations to serve the State.in the cities, Political and economic measures were executed to put into practice political control on the entire population. Parallel to security measures, financial plan to annul the monetary base of the South was carried on. Continual operations for changes of banknotes aiming to depreciate the values of the old currency developed. Campaigns for the “Defeating the Capitalists and Compradors" were activated to uproot the “capitalist economy.”

The new authorities, at first, sought to address the problem of urban congestion by relocating many of the metropolitan jobless population in the new economic zones hastily set up in virgin lands, mostly malaria-infested jungles and water-flooded rush plains of Dong Thap , as part of a broader effort to boost agricultural output. In the densely-populated precincts of Binh Dong Binh Tay, and Tan Binh Saigon, as a case in point, troopers of the municipal military council and opportunists were sent to the households of “puppet” rank and file officials to warn against or even odder with threat their family  members to leave the city.  Obedience to their instructions would be rewarded. Favors would be granted.  Their family members or relatives currently detained at the concentration camps would return home sooner. As a result, between 1975 and 1976 alone, more than 600,000 people were moved from Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, to new economic zone. Houses and properties of the households at Thanh Da Quarters, for example, were expropriated and, most of them fell to the ownership of the vanquishers from the North and opportunists.

 The report by the economic situation in the South on August 4, 1975 by Nguyen Van Nam indicated that the repartition of the labor force in the whole country was a primary objective to be accomplished in response to the need of the economy, solving the vestiges of false prosperity left by the Americans, pushing forward socialist productions, and building a self-sufficiency economy. Only had the mandarin bourgeoisie in the old regime enjoyed privileges and interests, and the absolute majority of the masses had suffered misery without a future.  By the end of August 1975, the administration had thousands of city-dwellers transported by trucks to the countryside. In October of the same year, about 100,000 people were resettled in the new economic zones in the southwestern provinces. Many settled in Binh Phuoc, Tan Phu, and Tay Ninh; others went to Soc Trang, Kien Tuong, and Vinh Long. Huynh Kim Truong, the director of Land and Housing Services of Ho Chi Minh City, declared that the city would resettle 1.5 million city-dwellers. The journal Tin Sang, on September 16, 1975, reported that the city would still settle more than 300,000 people. On October 28, 1975, The City Party Council officially passed a resolution according to which it decidedly pushed forward an extensive political campaign for labor repartitions to relieve 1.5 million who were out of work from unemployment to go and construct the economy in the new economic zones.    

This massive relocation of the population, blandly called the "state redistribution of the labor force” program,” practically began after the country’s reunification in 1976 and became thereafter an integral impetus of the security effort to control the population overgrowth. At least, 5 million people were uprooted from their home places in this process, known as "breaking the outmoded machine."  While the program was in part economic in its motivation, the main purpose of the relocation was to break up the existing traditional social structure.  By assigning the individuals to new economic zones, for instance, care must be taken when moving them from a single urban or village to separate distant locations. The organization of life of these people in the new settlements w.as unfortunately placed in the hands of and supervised by the Communist Party members, most of whom were without basic education. The economic zones were, in reality, barren land of virgin forests without waterways for irrigation. Because of the barely tolerable living conditions in the new settlements, a considerable number of people escaped or bribed their way back to the city. Without a shelter, they survived miserably from hand to mouth at the mercy of travelers on the Saigon River banks, in public parks, and along street sidewalks. Nevertheless, the new economic zones continued to develop. The program came to be widely perceived as a model of economic development. In fact, the authorities were said to have used it as a form of threat, menacing those who refused to obey party orders or to participate in the activities of the mass opposition.  (Cima, 1989: 111).

Chaos spread. By the time the campaign for population relocation was at its height, small traders and even vendors became penniless. Parallel to these campaigns, resettlement operations forced hundreds of thousands of people to move to the new economic zones. Waves of residents in Saigon were driven out of the city. In the Binh Tay Market in Cho Lon--Saigon Chinatown--, the biggest center of merchandise distribution in the South, almost all merchandise booths disappeared. Private properties--business establishments and houses-- were confiscated, and the owners and their families were harassed with threat and encouraged to go and live in the new economic zones. Almost everywhere in the city, especially in Saigon and large cities, men, women, children, and even elders in their 70's were seen standing in lines at police headquarters to be asked to which economic zone they would like to go (Van Duc, 16 (1993))

In Binh Thanh District, Gia Dinh Province, ward cadres and head cells at each bloc came to mobilize family members of the reeducated to move and settle in the economic zones. The sooner the family goes to the new settlement the better the chance for the reeducated to be back to the family. Some had been told about the vile scheme by relatives from the North and who had been advised not to listen to their propaganda resolutely stayed in the city. Quite a few light-hearted people hesitated in their choice and didn’t know the course to take. Others reluctantly followed their orders out of threats and left to the new settlements.  

The life of the old “comprador bourgeoisie” is deplorable. Having been deprived off their properties, the comprador bourgeois “were encouraged” to leave the city to live and work in the mew economic zones for “socialist production.” The goal of the policy was to help reform the exploiting class to realize the true value of labor, reform thoughts, and adapt themselves to the new modes of life. Family members of officials of reeducated officials and officers of the Republic of Vietnam were equally motivated to settle in the economic zones. If they themselves obeyed the new administration and willingly adapted themselves to socialist production, the reeducated would return home sooner.  Authorities said that this measure came out from the policy of leniency of the "Revolutions" and the working class, and the people. It is an act of pardon particularly to those who owed blood debts to the people and nation.

The propaganda machinery of the State proliferated that the revolutionary administration had not killed, arrested, maltreated, or brought all “enemies of the people” to stand trials, although it had had all evidences of their crimes. They were only coerced to end their evil activities. The bourgeoisie had only to change drastically their modes of doing things, ceasing doing mercantile business and performing socialist production.in accordance with the rules and regulations of the revolutionary administration. To free the capitalist bourgeois from their ancient modes of doing things is to help them to mend their ways, therefore learning know how to best serve Man! The deadline for leaving the city was June10, 1978. “To show mercy and national reconciliation, the authorities invited certain Progressive bourgeois” were to visit the Socialist North and see the great achievements of the “Revolution.” Returning home, some abandoned trades, offered remaining properties, and applied for jobs with the administration. Others sought to evade the county in boats across the sea. Authorities at the new economic zones kept strict control on the settlers, and escape from the new settlements was a desperate attempt. Settlers in the distant areas of Dong Thap or in the Central Highlands were restricted to socialist production. Rarely did they have time to go outside agricultural camps or make contacts with the outsiders.

Much more tragic is the fate of the personnel of the old Republic of Vietnam. Thinking back of the days of misery she endured at the economic zone, Mai A, a WAAC Major had this to say:

“I myself totally lost and desperate since I did not know to start my life again after the release from reeducation... Being a former WAAC lieutenant in the Air Force, Ms. Y. who had been a student for four years at the United States, committed suicide by drinking soda mixed with “optalidon” pills.  She died in her sleep when she was noly25 years old.  The reason for her death is understandable.  Having been released from camp after two years under detention, she came to ask the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health for a job.  The Communists assigned her to work at the rain forest of Xuan Moc. Seeing there was little chance to survive there, she decided to kill herself.    

As for me, I graduated from the French School of Special Services, Centre Caritas, 38 Tu Xuong Street, and Saigon. I also asked the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health for a job.  The reply was the department did not know of any job to which I could be assigned.  They then sent me to work at an ago-farm. The job would practically help me to convert myself into a member of the working class.  Moreover, I had been freshly “reeducated.” With no other choice, I accepted the job.  I had to do this so that my four children would not be forced to go and live in a new economic zone as were many families of the reeducated. Mai A believed that, in the negotiations with U. S. delegates to allow veteran political prisoners to leave the country on the Orderly Departures Programs, the Vietnamese Communists aimed to achieve a two-fold purpose.  One, they want to prove that, like the Americans, they themselves are humane.  Two, by allowing the political prisoner to leave the country, they will probably clean out an overlaying dangerous political opposition.  So long as a great number of officials and officers of the old regime still stay in Vietnam, they will likely either boost a revolt against the regime or work in collaboration with overseas hostile elements towards overthrowing it. (Trung Tan Interview with Mai A.  (August ,12, 1992).