Hanoi says it is ready to sign cease-fire

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33058, 27 October 1972, Page 1

Hanoi says it is ready to sign cease-fire

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SAIGON, October 26.

North Vietnam said today that Hanoi and Washington had agreed on terms for ending the Vietnam war. It said that despite “delaying tactics” by the United States, it was prepared to sign the agreement next Tuesday.

Included in the agreement, North Vietnam said, was a cease-fire and an exchange of prisoners of war. A French-language Hanoi Radio broadcast heard in Tokyo said that the two sides had agreed on a nine-point programme which included a cease-fire effective on November 1.

Under the terms of the accord, that broadcast said, all United States and allied troops would leave South Vietnam within 60 days.

An English-language broadcast by Hanoi Radio monitored in Saigon quoted an official North Vietnamese Government statement as saying: “The Governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the United States have reached an agreement for settling of the war in Vietnam that will restore peace to Vietnam.” It also denounced the United States for breaking the accord—without specifically saying what Washington did—and pledged to fight until “final victory.” It went on to affirm its readiness to sign the agreement and said: “The date of the signing of the agreement will be October 31, 1972.” Doubt cast The South Vietnamese Government did not immediately react to the broadcast, but a high-ranking Vietnam diplomat with close ties with President Nguyen Van Thieu cast doubt on it. “I don’t believe it can be true,” he said. “I can’t believe it will happen all of a sudden like this.” Hanoi said its statement demonstrated the desire for peace by the Vietnamese, and it called on them to “make every sacrifice rather than submit themselves.” Another South Vietnamese diplomat said that part of the Hanoi statement was initended to keep up the morale of its troops “and to make its voice heard.” Paris accord The North Vietnamese statement listed three versions of a timetable which was to lead to the signing of an accord in Paris by Foreign Ministers from Hanoi and Washington before the end of the month. The statement said that on October 9—when the American Presidential adviser Dr Henry Kissinger was talking with Hanoi representatives in Paris—it was agreed that the United States would cease bombarding North Vietnam and mining its ports on October 18. On October 19, the two parties would initial the text of an accord in Hanoi, and on October 26 Foreign Ministers of the two countries would sign an official accord in Paris. On October 11, however, the Americans proposed to modify the timetable, the statement said. The bombing and mining would cease on October 21. the text of the accord would be initialled in Hanoi the next day and the Paris agreement would be signed on October 30. Outstanding points On October 20, claiming the existence of a certain number of outstanding points, the United States proposed another new timetable, the statement said. Under the third plan, the bombing and mining would be halted on October 23, the initialling of the accord in Hanoi would take place the next day and the Paris signing would be on October 31. The statement added: “In spite of several modifications by the American side on what had been agreed, North Vietnam, with good will, again consented to the American proposition.” Since October 22 both sides had agreed both to a text for “the agreement to end the war and re-establish peace in Vietnam,” and a timetable to be observed for the official signature of the accord on October 31. “But contrary to its commitments, on October 23 the

American side invoked difficulties encountered in Saigon and asked for the continuation of negotiations to solve new problems,” the statement said., The statement said that the United States then stayed silent on implementing its commitments under the timetable. “The United States attitude has created a very serious situation that threatens the signature of the accord on the ending of the war and the reestablishment of peace in Vietnam,” it said. “Those so-called difficulties in Saigon are only a pretext to delay the execution of the American commitments. The Saigon Administration is an instrument which permits the United States to sabotage any peaceful agreement,” the statement said. Date agreed It added that North Vietnam was sticking to its side of the bargain, that the text of the accord should not be modified “and the date agreed on for the signing is October 31, 1972.” In Washington the American State Department refused to comment on: the Hanoi statement, but United States officials urged caution in speculating on an early cease-fire. Just as Radio Hanoi began broadcasting, the American Ambassador, Mr Ellsworth Bunker, was returning to the American Embassy from an hour’s meeting with President Thieu. It was the first time they had conferred since Dr Kissinger left Saigon after five days of talks which Washington said made “progress” in ending the conflict. ‘Not respected’ Radio Hanoi said that in spite of the United StatesNorth Vietnamese agreement "the United States continues to retain the regime in Saigon in power and to continue its invasion of South Vietnam. “The United States has not respected the agreement,” Radio Hanoi said in its Viet-namese-language broadcast. “The Democratic Republic of Vietnam denounces the frivolous attitude of the Nixon Administration.

“The peoples of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, are ready to sacrifice anything,” Radio Hanoi said, “but they are not prepared to put up with American high-pressure tactics. ‘Continue fighting’ “We shall continue to work with the people of Laos and Cambodia to fight off American attempts at taking over these countries. We, the people of Indo-China, will continue fighting until final victory.”