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

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SECRET
NOFORN
Introduction "
The Enemy Proselytizing Department (Cuc Dich Van/CDV) of the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ministry of National Defense (MND) General
Political Department is the psychological warfare, fifth column penetration,
and military prisoner of war (POW) indoctrination and handling arm of the
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). It provides access to POWs to the MND
General Staff, Department's Research (Military Intelligence) Department (Cuc
Nghien Cuu/CNC) in coordinated action with the MND General Political
Department’s Military Security Department, (Cuc Bao Ve Ouan Doi/CBV).
All POW affairs are coordinated with the Ministry of Interior (Bo Noi
Vu/BNV) General Research Service, which monitors the exploitation of POWs
for the Premier's Office headed by Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP)
Politburo me_mber Pham Van Dong.
The VCP Politburo has confidence in the CDV and has entrusted it with
primary responsibilities for the psychological exploitation of enemy military
forces, the subversion of enemy military forces through fifth column and
psychological warfare means, and for the psychological exploitation of enemy
military POWs. The CDV plays a key role in administering the detention and
“reeducation" of former Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) POWs.
During the Vietnam War years, it was deeply involved in the interrogation,
indoctrination, and handling of US and Allied POWs, and was the responsible
PAVN service in charge of supervising the activities of military POWs who
cooperated with Hanoi in the preparation of psychological warfare pamphlets,
leaflets, and radio broadcasts.
The CDV was the responsible PAVN service in charge of fifth column
agent operations in the ARVN, as well as in US and Allied forces. Fifth column
penetrations of US and Allied forces focused on the recruitment of locally
employed Vietnamese interpreter/translators. With the assistance of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the CDV developed a
capability against Republic of Korea (ROK) forces. The CDV also directed its
operations against Australian, Filipino, New Zealand, and Thai
Government (RTG) combat units in South Vietnam.
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The CDV had considerable success in penetrating former Republic of
Vietnam (RVN), ARVN, Regional Forces (RF), Popular Forces (PF), People's
Self-Defense Forces (PSDF), Provincial Reconnaissance Units (PRU), Rural
Development (RD) Teams, the Open Arms (Chieu Hoi) program, the National
Police Command, the Central Intelligence Organization (C_IO), the ARVN
Military Security Service (MSS), the RVN Presidential Office, and other'RVN
and ARVN agenciesfl-Ieavy emphasis was placed on the recruitment of fifth
columnists in "grassroots" district and village-level RF/ PF and PSDF units. In
1974 alone, CDV fifth column assets assisted PAVN forces in overrunning
2,800 outposts and in seizing over 600 hamlets in the Mekong Delta area. At
the time of the April 1975 Communist takeover of South Vietnam, CDV field
All information in this study is classified Secret Noforn.
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SECRET
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