Intelligence and Security Operations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense

A.
5-EGRET
Office 959 had four major advisory groups to the LPLA under its
command. These advisory groups were assigned to the Supreme LPLA
Headquarters, and to the three LPLA military region headquarters for north,
central, and south Laos. Initially, four-man advisory teams were assigned to
each LPLA province unit headquarters. Each team consisted of a military
adviser who was responsible for the collection of military intelligence, a
political adviser responsible for military security and enemy proselytizing
affairs, a code clerk, and a radio operator.
By 1963, 100-man advisory groups were attached to each of the three
LPLA military region headquarters.‘ The Office 959 central advisory group to
the Supreme LPLA Headquarters was responsible for north Laos with
subordinate advisory groups responsible for Louangphrabang and Oudomsai
Province (Group 95), and Xiangkhoang and Vientiane Provinces (group
designation unknown). Two subordinate advisory groups operated in central
and south Laos. One (designation unlénown) was responsible for the provinces
of Khammouan and Savannakhet, and Group 768 was responsible for the
remaining provinces in south Laos. The three military region advisorygroups
were responsible for the assignment of PAVN military and politicaladvisers at
the province (khoueng) and district (muong) unit levels. CDV advisers were
represented in these advisory groups.
In 1965, Office 959 strengthened and reorganized its advisory system to
the LPLA. The two advisory groups in central and south Laos were merged in
May 1965 to form PAVN Advisory Group 565, which was attached to the
LPLA South Laos Military Region (SLMR). Group 565 was staffed with 300
personnel. Advisory groups to the LPLA North and Central Laos Military
Regions also had 300 personnel. Over 100 advisers were assigned to the Office
959 forward command advisory group at the Supreme LPLA Headquarters.
Each was organized into military, political, and rear service (logistics) staffs.
Their political staffs had an enemy proselytizing section (ban dich van) staffed
by CDV officers. An estimated 1,000 PAVN advisers were assigned to the
LPLA as of 1970. Of this number, about 200 represented the combined total
of PAVN intelligence and security service advisers, including an estimated 40
CDV advisers.
The organization, personnel, and activities of PAVN Advisory Group 565
provide hard evidence of the degree of control and direction it exerted over
the LPLA SLMR intelligence and security services in the past and now over
the LPLA Military Region 3 and 4 services. Twelve CDV advisers were
assigned to the SLMR Political Staff's Enemy Military Proselytizing Section
(Suan Sua Ka Sua).
CDV advisers controlled and directed the operations of the SLMR EnemyMilitary Proselytizing Section headed by a CDV-trained LPLA officer. The
section interrogated all Royal Lao defectors, refugees and POWs captured in
the SLMR. Interrogations were conducted for the collection of military,
political and economic intelligence in coordination with the SLMR Political
Staff's Military Security Section advised by PAVN Military Security
Department (CBV) staff officers and with the SLMR Special Operations (Dac
Cong) Reconnaissance (Military Intelligence) Section advised by PAVN
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