The campaign to obtain visas for members of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam has acquired new urgency with the American refusal to accept the seven-day truce offered by the N.L.F. and their immediate resumption of the bombing of North Vietnam. It is well known that for a number of years the Central Committee of the N.L.F. has been anxious to send speakers to this country to give their point of view of the war. However, every time an application for a visa has been made the Labour Government has turned it down. N.L.F. speakers have spoken in most West European countries, but in spite of the British Government's claim that it wanted the British people to7ail views on the war the answer has been NOe Petitions calling on the British Government to grant visas to N.L.F. spokesmen are already being widely circulated in the trade union, academic and Parliamentary circles, A similar petition campaign is now being organised for C.L.P.s Secretaries and Chairmen. Well over 100 trade unionists have signed the petition so far. This section -of the campaign was sponsored by Lawrence Daly (General Secretary, Scottish Area, National Union of Mineworkers); Bill Jones (General Executive Council, Transport and General Workers Union); and Ernie Roberts (Assistant General Secretary, Amalgamited Engineering Union). Among the union branches supporting the petition are Leamington Spa A.E.U. No.8.; Gloucester No. 4 A.E.U.; Brough D.A.T.A, Brough C & A.W.U; Altrincham Passenger Branch T & G.W.U., and others. A good number of signatures have been collected from Hull Trades Council. Another notable signatury is Dave Shenton, Hull Regional Secretary T. & G.W.U. The academic section is sponsored by Malcolm Caldwell (London); Ken Coates (Nottingham); Joseph Needham (Cambridge); John Westergaard (L.S.E.) and Raymond Williams (Cambridge). So far signatures have been received in good numbers from Leicester, Leeds, Hull, Oxford, Cambridge, London and Bristol Universities. Other signatures have been received from a good number of other universities. Amoi, those signing are J.D. Bernal, C.A. Coulson, A.C. Offord, and Joan Robinson. The process of getting Parliamentary support is in its early stages but already seven Labour M.P.s are sponsoring the petition for circulation to other M.P.s: Frank Allaun, Syd Bidwell, Bob Edwards, Stan Newens, Stan Orme, Eric Heffer, Peter Jackson. Quite a number of the people signing the petition have donated money towards the cost of putting an advert in The Times on the question.
The campaign is expected to gather momentum with the latest developments in the Vietnam war, It would be most helpful if members of The Week could give this campaign their maximum support. Copies of the petition can be obtained from
Vietnam Free Speech Campaign,
c/o, 71, Onslow Gardens,
London N. 10.
From Vietnam Courier INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIME TRI-