[page 10]
On April 16 this year, at 2.15am, hundreds of US aircrafts, including B52s dropped over 600 bombs on the densely populous quarters of Haiphong and on outlying villages. 2,000 people, mainly women and children, were killed in the raid 500 more than in London, in World War 2 on the worst day of the blitz, and it took three days to sort out the bodies from the This is an extract from a letter sent by the women of Haiphong after the raid:
*Even the kindergarten of Cau Tre workers" community was not spared, where 8 little children and one nurse were killed. Perforating type bombs with their anti-tank markings were found on the children's cradles. These same bombs killed 4 of the 10 pupils who were on duty on the Thai Phien senior secondary school. New types of bombs which explode in mid air were used which cut off the heads of people. Many of the victims were so disfigured that their relatives couldn't recognise them...
Right after the bombing raids, our Haiphong Women's Union received a number of children like little Tuan, only three years old, never to see his parents again. His mother and his younger sister were killed by bombs, and his father lost his life when he was out protecting people's lives and property. Many other little ones survived the attacks but became orphans, and are too young even to know their parents' names...
The US is half the globe away from Vietnam. Our Vietnamese people have never done it any harm. Who allows the US Government to use these modern lethal weapons to kill our people and bring untold sufferings and mournings to our families? Mr. Nixon at one time claimed that he is anxiously concerned about the world's children". But the fact is that Vietnamese children are being killed in great numbers...
From our city, still plagned by US bombs and shells, we mothers and wives who have very much love for our husbands and children, we earnestly call on women everywhere and on all worden's organisations in the world, to take strong action to stop this massacre and maiming of our people, and to suppoit the courage and staunchness of our Vietnamese women who are fighting for the right to live and for the tuture of our Dear Friend, Despite the continuing ferocity of the American war of aggression against Indochina - now dramatically confirmed by American citizens as diverse as Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark - the movement in solidarity with the people of that area has gone into decline in Britain. When the movement first declined - in 1969, after reaching a peak with the 100,000 strong October 27th demonstration in 1968 - this could, in part, be explained by doubts about the continuation of the war. Indeed, the US Administration worked hard to sponsor this illusion, using the Paris peace talks and the cessation of the bombing of the North to create the impression that the war was being de-escalated.
However, three years later, the bombing of Vietnam (North and South) has reached new heights, we have seen the invasion of Cambodia, there is greater and greater intervention in Laos, the build-up of the use of Thailand as a war base continues. Thus, despite the withdrawal of large numbers of American troops it is clear that what is involved is a new strategy - the so-called "Vietnamisation" and the greater use of air and sea power - not the gradual phasing out of the war. In spite of this new escalation there has been no corresponding upturn in the solidarity movement in Britain, This is all the more deplorable because British complicity in the war continues. On the political front the present Tory Government was one of the few ( and earliest) to issue a statement supporting the American resumption of the bombing of the North. Key components absolutely vital to the American war effort continue to be manufactured in Britain.
This continuing weakness of the movement in Britain is in contrast to the situation in a number of other countries. In the United States the anti-war movement has remained at a high level. In France, Japan, Scandinavia and other countries there has been large scale activity in solidarity with the Vietnamese people this year.
Clearly we need to find ways and means of overcoming this weakness in Britain. The struggle of the Indochinese people agaunst US aggression remains the high point of the world-wide fight for national liberation and social advance. All anti-imperialists have a stake in the outcome of the struggle because it will have deep repercussions for their own fight.
The Editorial Board of INDOCHINA has, together with other interested people, have been engaged in discussions of how the problem of this disparity can be overcome. We propose, together with the sponsors listed on this letter, to call a conference to discuss the problems involved.
We believe that the conference should be open to all those who wish to discuss the best way to build a movement opposed to US aggression in Indochina. In particelar the conference should discuss how best to respond to the US movement's appeal for supporting activity on October 28th and November 18th of this year. We would like to see the conference lead to the establishment of a new and broader solidarity movement.
To facilitate the broadest participation in the work of the conference we propose: (a) to get organisations and individuals to sponsor the conference, and (b) to establish a preparatory committee to organise the conference.
We would ask you to carefully consider sponsoring the conference and taking part in the preparatory committee.
If you would like further information about the proposed conference or would like to discuss the questions we have raised please get in touch with us.
Yours fraternally Terry Smith Pp INDOCHINA Editorial Board.
Sponsors so far:
Indochina InternationalMarxist Group National Union of Students Support Union of American Exiles Vietnam Solidarity Committee Socialist Woman editorial board.
[page 11]
Dear Sisters, This is a letter in partial reply to your article on Gay Liberation in the Socialist Woman Summer issue.
As a group of lesbians we feel that we threaten the institution of the nuclear family more than any other political group. In a male dominated society we are potentially the most threatening to make privilege, since although we are conditioned to be male orientated, we are sexually free of men and also to a large extent socially as well, We wish to be seen to function as a lesbian group that is involved in struggles other than just gay politics. To this end we recently held a benefit disco to express solidarity with working women.
By involving ourselves with the women's movement at large, as well as other gay women, we want to help create the situation where women can identify with each other socially in addition to overtly political ways.
The original caucus of GLF women left the gay mixed movement in January 1972, because lesbians had gradually become aware that we are oppressed primarily as women and secondly as gay women. Subsequently 3 separate groups have been formed, 1. a social group where newcomers can meet other gay women and "come-out" after the experience of isolation. 2. lesbian liberation in South London held at the women's centre there. 3. our own group Gay Activist Women who identify both with Women's Liberation and Socialist groups.
In our group we have not comprehensively analysed how the sexual politics of the Gay Movement relate to the overthrow of capitalism. We feal that in an ideal society psychological oppression would not exist and without that the urge to chauvinistic and exploitative power over each other. This is of course only a superficial comment upon the most complex problem of the revolutionary struggles. We will be interested to learn other views on this relationship between sexual politics and socialism in order to sustain an ongoing debate.
GAY ACTIVIST WOMEN nursery Glenrothes Socialist Woman Group have been very active over the last period on the question of 24-hour nurseries in the area. The group decided on this initial campaign because 51% of the factory workers locally are women-and this involves a large number of women with pre-school children. The women workers work all shifts-i.e. day shift, swing shift (5 p.m.-10 p.m.) and night shift, which only makes the problem worse. The Socialist Woman Group collected information on nursery/ play group facilities in the area, and then wrote to Fife County Council asking why there were only 261 nursery places, and out of these only 28 were full-time, when there were 4,000 under-5s! The reply from the County Council was classic: they claimed that they provided more nursery places than any other local authority and they provided part-time places because they "believe that hours away from home is enough for any child of pre-school age except in exceptional circumstances.
the factories themselves.
In this way the SW hope to make direct contact with the women workers with whom they hope to develop their next campaign, which will probably be on equal pay. The nursery campaign has received extensive coverage in the local newspaper, including the publishing of the main demands of the Socialist Woman Manifesto. The AUEW (Technical & Supervisory Section) has been helpful and has agreed to speak at qne of the meetings organised.
The campaign itself has given an impetus to the SWG, which is newly formed, and will enable them to develop other campaigns and to make contact with working women in a way that is very relevant to them. Janice Cummings