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Indochina: the Federation Factor

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Indochina: the Federation Factor Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1982 Indochina: the federation factor. Harrison, David C. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/20207 w % A G SCHOOL SS? c^f ^^ NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS INDOCHINA: THE FEDERATION FAC TOR by David C. Harrison December 1982 Thesis Advisor: C. A. Buss Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 1207*45 UNCLASSIFIED S ECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS P«OI fgfcg Of fawX) REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE READ INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMPLETING FORM i nrpsvrsssm 2. OOVT ACCESSION ho J RECIPIENT'S CATALOG MUMMER 4. 1 iTlE mna Submit) ». TYPE OF «CO»T • »E»IQO COVCRCD Indochina: The Federation Factor Master's Thesis December 1982 «. PERFORMING ONG. *E*OPT NUMBER 7. AuTmOR<*«> t. CONTRACT ON GRANT NuMieuru David C. Harrison * PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME ANO AOORESS '°- PROGRAM CLEMENT PROJECT TASK AREA * WORK UNIT NUMBERS Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 93940 II. CONTROLLING OMICI NAMC ANO AOORESS 12. REPORT DATE Naval Postgraduate School December 1982 II. NUMBER OF Monterey, California 93940 PAGES 223 14 MONITORING AOKnCY NAMC * AOOREtKI/ Ultonmt S CanttolUng Otllet) It. SECURITY CLASS, lei lHli r,|on UNCLASSIFIED It* OECLASSlFi CATION/ DOWN GRAOlMG SCHEDULE 16. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT at thl* *•*•") Approved for public release, distribution unlimited. 17. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (el (*•• tottrmct rniffd In Block 20, II dltlmrmtl from Atpoti) <• SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES IB. KEY WOROt (Camtinvm a* rmwf • <<*• II «»e««»«rr «n* <««n«ffv 4r »Iocjc niMkwJ Federation; Indochina; Laos; Vietnam; Cambodia; Kampuchea •<•*• »loc* i •»•*) 20 ABSTRACT f ChkIihm an r«v«r*« // «»c««««rr anR IPwillff •» Removed from its historical setting, the concept of "Indochinese Feder- ation" has assumed an unintended connotation. Ambiguity and incomplete documentation surrounding the origins of the concept compounds this dilemma. Consequently, the usage of "Indochinese Federation" to explain recent de- velopments in Southeast Asia infers biases which merit careful consideration. When these deficiencies of context and ambiguity are ignored, the consequence emerges that Vietnamese actions in Indochina are potentially being interpreted within a limited snertrnm nf nn^ihlg Vi tn 3 moc Q jj&aatiem Thi - — *ky%m 1473 EDITION OP I NOV tt IS OBSOLETE DO , :??„ UNCLASSIFIED S/M 102-014- 6601 i SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAOE (9h—t Omim tnfr+d) UNCLASSIFIED »— n»tm • »«•».« proceeds along two planes; it examines the historical trend toward regional integration in Indochina, and it examines the specific concept of an Indo- chinese Federation. While a trend toward greater regional associations has been observed - both historically and during the recent past - this trend does not necessarily spell federation. DD U73 UNCLASSIFIED 1 jSn^D S/.N 0102-014-6601 iieuairv ci.as«i'icatiom o* *•• »»ofr«»~ o«»- i»»~»*> Approved for public release, distribution unlimited Indochina: The Federation Factor by David C. garrison Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., United States Naval Academy, 1976 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 1982 LIBRARY, NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CA 83940 ABSTRACT Removed from its historical setting, the concept of "Indochi nese Federation" has assumed an unintended connota- tion. Ambiguity and incomplete documentation surrounding the origins of the concept compounds this dilemma. Consequently, the usage of "Indochi nese Federation" to exDlain recent developments in Southeast Asia infers biases which merit care- ful consideration. When these deficiencies of context and ambiguity are ignored, the consequence emerges that Viet- namese actions in Indochina are potentially being interpreted within a limited spectrum of possible Vietnamese intentions. This analysis proceeds along two planes; it examines the historical trend toward regional integration in Indochina, and it examines the specific concept of an Indochi nese Federation. While a trend toward greater regional associa- tions has been observed - both historically and during the recent past - this trend does not necessarily spell federation. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. FEDERATION: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE 8 A. INTRODUCTION 8 B. FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY 10 C. FEDERATION 13 1. Federation - Working Definition 14 2. Alternatives to Federation 18 3. Federation and Alternatives - A Summary 21 4. Federation - Possible Objectives Of 21 5. Federation - The Operational Definition 22 II. VIET NAM: THE TREND TOWARD. FEDERATION IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 26 A. EXPANSION AMD INTEGRATION: RECURRING PATTERNS ... 27 1. History As A Foundation For Comparison 31 2. Historical Origins Of Causal Factors 31 B. THE VIETNAMESE POLITICAL TRADITION 32 1. The Vietnamese Political Tradition In Transition 36 2. Vietnamese Confucianism And Hanoi's Communist Political Culture 36 C. VIETNAMESE CONCEPTS OF INTEGRATION: ORIGINS AND THE ICP 40 1. The ICP And Origins Of Communist Concepts Of Integration 41 2. SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENT 49 D. FRENCH CONCEPTS OF FEDERATION IN INDOCHINA 51 E. THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM: VIETNAMESE CONCEPTS OF INTEGRATION AND STEPS TOWARD FEDERATION 60 1. The First Official Statement 60 2. Dissolution of the ICP And Implications For Vi et-Laos-Khmer Relations 61 3. Additional Concepts: Statements And Interviews (1946-1950) 63 4. Rebirth Of The ICP And Implications For Viet-Lao -Khmer Relations 64 5. Unification Of The Viet Minn/Lien Viet Congress: Implications For Indochinese Relations 70 6. The Secret Document 7. Ho Chi Minh: What Shall We Do From Now On?.. 77 8. Summary And Assessment 78 9. Additional Concepts: 1952 - Geneva 1954 80 10. The Geneva Conference: Implications For Vietnamese-Laotian-Cambodian Relations 82 11. Post -Geneva To Reunification 86 Ill VIETNAM: THE TREND TOWARD FEDERATION - RECENT DEVELOPMENTS 91 A. INTEGRATION IN THE REGIONAL CONTEXT 91 1. Lao-Vietnamese Relations: Background 2. The Communist Party Of Laos: Associations With Vietnam 94 3. Organization: Parallel Structures In Laos And Vietnam 95 4. Assistance 96 5. The Lao-Vietnamese Relationship: Recent Developments 97 6. Khmer-Vietnamese Relations 100 B. INTEGRATION AND THE EXTRA-REGIONAL SYSTEM 128 1. The Role And Interests Of China In Indochina 129 2. The Role and Interests Of The USSR In Indochina 135 IV. CONCLUSION 179 APPENDIX A 188 APPENDIX B 194 APPENDIX C 197 ENDNOTES 199 BIBLIOGRAPHY 217 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST 221 I. FEDERATION: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE However long it takes, Hanoi is determined to head an Indo-China federation. That was Ho Chi Minh's dream in 1930, when he founded the Commu- nist Party of Indo-China, now the Worker's Party of Vietnam. That is Hanoi's goal today. A. INTRODUCTION Vietnam's December 1978 invasion of Kampuchea rekindled concern about Hanoi's potential threat to and intentions re- garding Southeast Asia. As a consequence of recent Vietnam- ese actions, the validity of the much criticized Domino Theory has been reassessed. In the context of the Vi etnamese-Kam- puchean conflict the notion that Vietnam is attempting to establish an "Indochinese federation" has once again gained prominence. Countless volumes have been written on the conflict(s) in Indochina. The numerous aspects of warfare; its execution, effects, and lessons have been explored and evaluated. No doubt that with the perspective only time can impart (and with the declassification of additional documents) more volumes will be written. For this there exists a need. But this analysis is not an account of the wars in Indo- china per se. Instead, this study has been designed to explore the themes of expansion and regional integration -- themes deemed fundamental to both historic and present-day Indochina. In pursuit of this design the following analysis has chosen to focus on the "federation factor". 8 The federation factor receives its name from the concept of the "Indochinese federation". As this study will demon- strate, the notion of a federation in Indochina has implied different things at different times: It was a notion in the grand schemes of the Comintern-directed Indochinese Party during the decade of the 1930s. Federation was a formula agreed upon between Ho Chi Minn and the French Republic in 1946. In addition, it has emerged as an accusation lodged against Hanoi by Pol Pot's Democratic Kampuchea -- an accusation sustained and parroted by the Peoples Republic of China, Thailand, and various elements of American society; government, academia, and the press, etc. It is from this last element, the U.S. press, that the introductory quote was excerpted. This analysis proceeds along two planes. First, it examines the historical trend toward regional integration in Indochina. In this trend federation is but one option. And in this dimension factors are examined which tend toward or away from a federal formula for association between the Indo- Chinese federation is deeply rooted in this historical trend. Second, this analysis specifically looks at the origins of the notion of an Indochinese federation. This dimension seeks to answer such questions as: 1) What is the notion of an Indochina federation? 2) Was Ho Chi Minh's "will", his "age-old dream", in fact the establishment of an Indochinese federation? 3) Why did Vietnam, devastated by years of war, economic chaos, and presumably bent on efforts to effect re- construction and national solidarity, invade Kampuchea in 1978? Was the invasion an effort
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