0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORFORATION
3. Agglomeration Camps and Agrovilles (see Ficure 5-4)
In the eyes of most Americans, PresidEnt Diem had accomplished a
miracle in the first fivc ye.3rs )f his regime., Notably, his accomplishments
were:
* Politica- stability - a constitution had been iritten and elections
fcr a National Assembly were conducted,
* Economic growth - the economy, with US aid, was showing signs of
stability.
. Scciil reform - many of the social needs of the people were being
met (especially those of the urban population),
0 Security of the countryside - This area remained a problem which
started to become more serious in 19E9 (particuiirly in the Oelta
region).,23/
Communist harrassnient of the countryside was beginning tc reach
emergency proportions by mid-1959,
Followir~g a clandestiite visit to RVN
territory in late 1958, DRV politburo member Le Duan had proposed a program
of terror and violence which becane tne blueprint for the future course of
the VC/•NLF insurgency in tne south.24/ Cn 13 May 1959, the Lao Dong
Pirty's C:entral Committee a,)proved Le Duan's proposal and the North Vietnamese
campaign to conquer the South began under the direction of Hanoi.25/
This stepped-up attack took its toll., Landowners, officials,
school teachers and health workers were being assisinated at a rate of
about 100 a month.26/ Working to counter this insurgent tide, in 1959 the
•'.
It
GVN began its ,ew national sýecurity program of which f;rst agglomeration
camps and then agrovilles were to be the centerpiece.
camps•l
Diem and Nhu envisaged two types of agglomeration or resettlement
* Ou; Khu - a regroupmrent (regulated zones) of pro-communist or VC
families into special zonec where they could be watched by goverrment
authorities,
* Qui Ao - Types of agglomerati3n centers for ioyal, patriotic and
reliable Families who were seen ac potential targets for VC
terrorism and who would be protected by gove,-nment personnel.27/
5-12