CAPTIVES OF VIET CONG FOR 17 DAYS

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33279, 17 July 1973, Page 15

CAPTIVES OF VIET CONG FOR 17 DAYS

C.V.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, July 16.

Two Canadian peacekeepers released from Viet Cong detention after 17 days, said today that a pistol was put to their heads and they were forced to go on a series of gruelling marches.

Captain lan Patten, of Toronto, told a news conference in Saigon that while on a peace mission on June 28 he encountered three members of the Viet Cong in

rubber plantation country in the Xuan Loc area, 45 miles east of Saigon. “I approached the three to identify myself and a pistol was put to my head and that’s when the adventure began,” Captain Patten said.

Captain Patten said that he had been informed that the Viet Cong had been directed to apprehend any staff of the International Commission of Control and Supervision (1.C.C.5.) because there had been numerous occasions when people posing as I.C.C.S. peace-keepers had come into the area and conducted investigations which turned out to be in-telligence-gathering missions.

He said that he was unable to convince the Viet Cong that he and the second officer. Captain Fletcher Thomson, of Ottawa, were Canadian I.C.C.S. members

even though their vehicle was properly marked, had an I.C.C.S. flag, and he and Captain Thomson were carrying Canadian citizenship papers and Canadian identification papers.

Captain Patten said that for the next 17 days, he and Captain Thomson made a series of "gruelling marches" that covered two-thirds of Long Khanh province and one-third of Phuoc Tuy province.

He said that they were taken to a number of Viet Cong officials ranging from local commanders to the chairmen of the provinces. Both officers appeared in top physical condition. Earlier, the Ambassador (Mr Michel Gauvin), chairman of the Canadian delegation, said that Captains Patten and Thomson were interrogated and intimidated by some regular Viet Cong

forces but were well-treated by the guerrillas who had originally detained them. Mr Gauvin told the news conference; “This is a memorable occasion.”

He said that Captains Thomson and Patten “after a good night’s sleep are in pretty good shape. They came through a difficult ordeal with courage and dignity.” Lieutenant-Colonel Lew West, of Winnipeg, the senior Canadian officer on the team that picked up the captains yesterday, said that negotiations with the Viet Cong regional officials lasted for about two hours and that the Viet Cong presented him with two different drafts of a document for his signature. Colonel West said that he refused to sign the documents because they gave the Viet Cong opinions of what had transpired and were "basically inaccurate.” He said that the Viet Cong documents claimed that Cap-: tains Patten and Thomson! were not on I.C.C.S. business' and entered the Viet Congcontrolled zone illegally.

Colonel West said that the only document he signed was a receipt for the Canadians, two Vietnamese employees of the 1.C.C.5., and their equipment.

Mr Guavin would not directly deny the Viet Cong’s contention that Captains Patten and Thomson were not on I.C.C.S. business and had entered illegally.