VC PRISONERS SITTING AWAITING RELEASE: FAMILIES OF VC WATCHING: MAI THO TRUYEN STANDING: GUARD OF HONOUR: PRISONERS SEATED: TRUYEN SPEAKING: TINH RECEIVES SYMBOLIC SCROLL: WOMEN PRISONERS SEATED: VARIOUS PRISONERS TALKING & SITTING: MAJOR HANDS CUT RELEASE PAPERS: WIFE OF PRISONER & BABY: RELEASED PRISONERS MEET RELATIVES: PRISONERS WALK AWAY.




Initials



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Background: IN A CEREMONY PRESIDED OVER BY MAI THO TRUYEN SOUTH VIETNAM'S SECRETARY OF STATE WITHOUT PORTFOLIO, 90 VIET CONG PRISONERS WERE RELEASED IN SAIGON. THE COMPANY WAS ATTENDED BY SENIOR FOREIGN MILITARY OFFICIALS AND DIPLOMATS AND A STRONG PRESS AND TELEVISION CONTINGENT.

THE PRISONERS, ARE PART OF A TOTAL OF 140 VIET CONG RELEASED IN SOUTH VIETNAM YESTERDAY (SATURDAY) - ANOTHER 36 WERE RELEASED IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLAND CITY OF PLEIKU AND 14 IN THE NORTHERN MILITARY CENTRE OF DANANG.

ALL THE PRISONERS - INCLUDING 5 WOMEN - ARE SOUTH VIETNAMESE AND CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN FORCED INTO COMMUNIST SERVICE BECAUSE THEY LIVED UNDER THEIR CONTROL.

MAI THO TRUYEN, SPOKE TO THE PRISONERS, TELLING THEM THAT THEY MUST THINK OF THE SUFFERING OF THE NATION AND TELL OTHERS TO RETURN TO REBUILD THEIR COUNTRY. HE ALSO SPOKE OF THE GENEROUS POLICY OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT IN RELEASING PRISONERS. HE THEN PRESENTED A SYMBOLIC RELEASE CERTIFICATE TO DO VAN TINH - WHO REPLIED: "WE WERE FORCED INTO THE VIET CONG AND MISLED BY COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA. WE THOUGHT WE WERE FREEING FOUR PEOPLE, BUT WE REALISE THIS WAS WRONG. WE SAW MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE. WE INTENDED TO RALLY TO THE GOVERNMENT SIDE BUT WERE CAPTURED. WE WILL BECOME GOOD CITIZENS."
THEN, AS THE BAND PLAYED AN ARMY MAJOR HANDED OVER ENVELOPES CONTAINING THE PRISONERS' INDIVIDUAL RELEASE PAPERS, MONEY AND A LEAFLET THAT READS: "THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH VIETNAM IS GENEROUS WITH THOSE WHO WENT THE WRONG WAY."
THEN THE PRISONERS WERE RELEASED, CHEERING: "DO-DAO BAC-VIET" (DOWN WITH NORTH VIETNAMESE), "VIET-NAM CONG HOA MUOM NAM" (MAY THE REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAM LIVE FOR 10 THOUSAND YEARS). ALL ARE FREE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, INCLUDING THE YOUNGEST PRISONERS: 13-YEAR-OLD NGUYEN VAN DE WHO WAS CAPTURED LAST MAY IN THE DELTA REGION - HE TOLD REPORTERS: "I WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL AGAIN."