“Police State” In Vietnam

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32349, 15 July 1970, Page 1

“Police State” In Vietnam

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 14.

It was imperative that the New Zealand Government stop supporting the Saigon regime in Vietnam, Mr B. Brooks, a senior lecturer in law at Auckland University, said tonight.

Mr Brooks led a three-man fact-finding team to South Vietnam on a seven-day trip which was sponsored by a United States peace foundation.

Mr Brooks and the other team members, the general secretary of the New Zealand Christian Movement (the Rev. D. Borrie) and the president of the Victoria University Catholic Society (Mr T. Dyce), a senior scholar in history, arrived at Wellington Airport tonight. In a statement read by Mr Borrie, the team said the purpose of its visit was to determine if there was a significant non-Communist peace movement in South Vietnam. The team had held wideranging interviews and had found that all the Vietnamese they spoke to had a common

desire for peace and a loathing of the allied side. But Mr Brooks said later in answer to a question that all the interviews had been arranged by members of the peace movement. “It was the peace movement we went to examine,” he said. The group said the Saigon regime was repressive and used police-State tactics. Persons suspected of offences against the regime could be gaoled without trial for | two years, prisoners were tortured, and brutal methods were used to control demonstrations. Members of the group were followed throughout their stay, and their hotel was watched. Mr Dyce said an immediate withdrawal of United States troops would wreck the economy. The withdrawal should take place gradually. At the same time the moderates should be given more power in the South Vietnamese Government, which would make peace with the Viet Cong more likely. Mr Borrie said New Zealand should stop giving military aid. “New Zealand’s role should be to provide civilian aid —particularly houses.” he said.