ADMINISTRATION OF VIETNAM

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27875, 25 January 1956, Page 2

ADMINISTRATION OF VIETNAM

Women’s Part in Quest For Social Freedom

CHANGED PATTERN DISCUSSED

As Canterbury’s contribution to the discussion on “The Changing Pattern in Asia,” which will be the subject of reports from all branches at the Dominion of the New Zealand Federation of University Women in Auckland today, Mrs W. H. Scott (Christchurch) will deal mainly with the changed pattern in recent years in Siam and Vietnam. She will explain the system of administration in Vietnam, which is unfamiliar to British people. It is like the French bureaucracy and not unlike the Soviet system of cadres. . Under the system the village unit would probably continue to function if cut off by war from its main trunk. Functionaries at all but the highest levels have been Vietnamese trained by the French. In a recent article in the “Christian Science Monitor,” Beth Blake, writing from Saigon, said political observers showed great interest when 60 students of the first cadre class of the Women’s Union of the National Revolutionary Committee of Vietnam graduated recently and announced that they were ready to take their specialised training into the field. Men at the central headquarters of the People’s National Revolutionary Council had taken a firm part in this particular training course, and by radio had publicised the graduation of the first cadre class. Intensive Course The 60 young women who graduated had successfully completed an intensive course * of political study designed to prepare them to generate immediately the doctrines of the parent organisations, which professed to be the leaders of the current struggle against communism, colonialism and feudalism in Free Vietnam.

Women had often been used for political cadres by the Vietnamese in their struggle for political and social freedom, but it was the first time women had been free to plan openly and participate in the development of a national political programme, Miss Blake said.

Never before had they been able to travel at will within their own country for personal reasons or on behalf of political programmes. That had contributed to the present wave of cadre instruction and education of the people at village level. The young woman instructor of the school was the woman who led a small group of young women in the “hunt” for Communists reported in a recent incident at the Majestic Hotel, Saigon. She appeared qpietly energetic, was unadorned by the usual Vietnamese jewels, and had publicly dedicated her life to a personal fight against communism. She was vicepresident of the Women’s Union. Older Women Members of the Women’s Union were all dedicated women. They were older women from North, Central and South Vietnam. Many were alive today only because each, in some way escaped or survived the fate that befell their husbands and families. They believed that the 60 graduates would shoulder the current burden with the people for the political reconstruction and reunification of their country. They considered President Diem had a good and noble programme but they did not trust some of the people he had round him. ENGAGEMENTS (Engagement Notices must be signed by both parties.) Miller—Courten: The engagement is announced of Janet, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Courten, Wellington, to Michael, younger son of Mr and Mrs E. S. Miller, Riccarton. Morrison—Twhigg: The engagement is announced of Roderick Bruce lan, son of Mrs A. E. Morrison, Christchurch, and the late Mr R. R. Morrison, to Jean Grace, second daughter of Dr. and Mrs J. M. Twhigg, Wellington. Mr and Mrs P. G. Cochrane, 22 Parsonage road, Waimate, have much pleasure in announcing the engagement of their second daughter, Gwen, to John Robert, son of Mr and Mrs W. A. Sharp, South road, Hawera.