CAR ARRIVING; THAO AND OTHERS WELCOMED; CROWDS CHEERING; DELEGATION ARRIVING AT GUEST HOUSE; SPEECHES BY TRINH AND THAO.




Initials GL/AS/O/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A DELEGATION CONSISTING OF EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH VIETNAM CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE VIETNAM NATIONAL, DEMOCRATIC AND PEACE FORCES, HAS BEEN IN HANOI FOR HIGH LEVEL TALKS WITH THE NORTH VIETNAM GOVERNMENT. THE GROUP, SIX MEN AND TWO WOMEN, ARRIVED IN HANOI ON AUGUST 15.

THE DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY DR. TRINH DINH THAO, LAWYER WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE PEACE FORCES CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE SOUTH VIETNAM PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT.

THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT WAS ANNOUNCED IN PARIS IN JUNE BY THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT DELEGATION TO THE PARIS PEACE TALKS. ALTOGETHER FIVE OF THE GROUP VISITING HANOI ARE MEMBERS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE OBJECT OF THE VISIT, THOUGH NOT REVEALED, IS ASSUMED TO BE TO FURTHER ITS AIMS.

A CROWD OF 500, SOME WAVING THE COMMITTEE'S SMALL FLAG, WELCOMED THE ARRIVING DELEGATION, AND MEMBERS SHOOK HANDS AND EMBRACED WITH PEOPLE IN THE CROWD.

AT THE GUEST HOUSE THE VISITORS WERE FORMALLY WELCOMED BY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE VICE PRESIDENT, TON DUC TRINH, AND DEFENCE MINISTER VO NGUYEN GIAP. THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN MADE SPEECHES.