NORTH VIETNAM IN
HE First Investigation Team of the Bertrand Russell International War Crime Tribunal arrived recently in North Vietnam to investigate the U‘S. imperialists’ war crimes ‘in Vietnam. , It comprised : —-Leon Matarasso, al’rench barrister at the Paris Court, Chairinan of the Law Committee of the International Tribunal, —Setsure Tsurushima, a Japanese professor of economics at Osaka University, Assistant Secretary-General of the International Tribunal, Jean Pierre Vigier, a French physicist, professor at Paris University, _ ~~ John Gerassy, an Amer. ican journalist and writer, Director of the Bertrand Russell Peace Organisation in the U.S. re Malcolm Caldwell, a British professor of economics at London University. — Wilfred Burchett, an Australian journalist, and — Roger Pic, a French journalist and T.V, reporter, On January 12. 1967, at a press conference, the team spoke about the activities during its stay in North Vietram. After making clear that the purpose of the B. Russell International War Crime Tribunal is to try the U-S. war criminals in Vietnam, Leon Matarasso, head of the team clearly pointed out: “* Since our arrival in North Vietnam we have visited dozens of localities and contacted scores of witnesses. We have read many documents and examined many material cvidences. Now we can conclude with certainty that the U.S. has conducted larze scale and systematic air raids on purely civilian targets in North Vietnam. We can assert that large numbers of hospitals, schools, residential quarters, churches, pagodas and temples, dykes and dams have
been bonibed. These places beav a marked civilian character and can in no way be mistaken for military targets. Through our tnuestigation, we have cleariy seen that the U.S. has used weapons strictly banned by international law. These weapons are solely intended to massacre the civilian population such as ‘lazy dog’ bombs, napalm and phospherous bombs’’. Leon Matarasso pointed out: “By waging a war of aggression against Vietnam, the U.S. imperialists have sabotaged the 1954 Geneva Agreements on Vietnam which serve as the legal basis of the Vietnam problem”. ‘©The U.S, imperiuists are Waging an aggressive war against Vietnam with means and imethods strictly banned by international law. These acts ave undeniable proofs of the war crimes commilted by the United States in Vietnam”. He concluded: . *‘ Before arriving here, we timagined that the Vietnamese would yun out of strength in face of the force of steel of the U.S. But contrary to our anticipation, we have found the Vietnamese people as = optimistic, courageous and confident as ever. The Vielnamese people, mostly peasants, have risen up arms in hand and foughi valiantly and staunchly against one of the biggest industrial s of the world. We can demonstrate that they have fought with their absolute confidence in their final victory. And they themselves have inspired such a@ confidence in us"’. After giving a number of proofs of the use by the U.S. of toxic chemicals and poison gas, jean Pierre Vigier, a French physicist and professor at Paris University, pointed out that these weapons were not used against ‘‘ concrete and steel " blocs as claimed by the U.S.: they were only intended to kill human lives and strictly prohibited by intetnational law.
“ Jean Pierre Vigicr introduc-
ed to the pressmen two male
witnesses : Hoang Tuan Hung,
46, in Quang Ngai province
(South Vietnam), a victim of
phosphorous bombs dropped
by the U.S. on May 10, 1965,
and Hoang Van Hap, 26, a
peasant of Van Kicu national
minority in Vinh Linh area
(North Vietnam), wounded
by U.S. napalm bombs on
February 22, 1905.
The journalists could sec
many scars on their bodies
which evoked the painful
images of the victims ‘of the
U.S. atemic bombing of
Hiroshima in 1945, victims
whom Vigier had seen with
his own eyes.
He pointed out: “In thé
history of mankind tere ave
peoples who shoulder the burdens
for the whole world. Al present
the Vietnamese people are shoul-
dering that heavy task.
course, all peoples have the right
to decide their own destintes.
But the struggle of the Viet-
namese people has also close
yelations with the struggles of
other peoples. All freedom-loving
ple who are waiching the
Vietnamese people’s struggle
have scen that that etruggle will
be cerviainiy victorious.’’
Another member of “he
investigation team, Setsur¢ -
Tsurushima, a Japanese pro-
fessor of economics at Osaka
University and Assistant
Secretary-General of the In-
ternational ‘Tribunal, also
gave many cvidences and
listed concrete figures of U.S,
air raids on dykes and irriga-
tion works, rural markets
and agricultural cooperatives
with the aim of sabotaging
North Vietnam's agricultural |
economy. He warmly praised
the achievements of North
Vietnam's agriculture, par-
ticularly in raising paddy
yearly output to five tons
per hectare in many Jocali-
ties.
Setsure Tsurushima added ;
“The U.S. bombing of dykes
and irvigation works could not
prevent agricultural develop-
ment in North Vietnam. It
cleay that U.S. bombs a
bullets have failed to shape