Beer oe \ Approved For Releagg 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-0086§R900200250005-0 March 16, 1955 TEE PATTERN OF COMMMIST NOVIGGINTS IV SOUTHRAST ASTA SIRDURY, Development of the Commmist movement in Southeast Asia hes to a great extent followed lines set by the Comintern sone of which vere formulated nore than 30 years ego, Policies of most Communist parties in the area have been guided directly or indirectly by Moscow and more recently, also, by Peiping, Associated in verious ways with naticnalist movements and often operating under the guise of nationalism, these parties have follovéd a general pattern vhich involved attempts to bring all the colonial arecs of South East Asia into the fold of international Communism, Only in Thailand, which has long b an independent nation, has the pattern varied to a great extent. Most countries of the area heve more than one Communist party, sonotines because of individual differences, sonetines representing different ethnic groups within a country. Most of the parties are built of a hard core of theoreticians and leaders surrounded by assorted hangers-on who are malcontents or seokers of personal gain, Nomber support comes from those elements among the overseas Chinese population vibieh still have strong ties vith Com iunist China regaraless of the Adeological forces directing her destiny, The hands of the Russian and Chinese Communists were clearly visible in the 1920's oni the 1930"s, when most of the Southeast Asian Comunists worked under the direction of the Far Eastern Bureau of the Comintern, *Army/State Declass/Release Instructions On File* Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For'Releasg 7000/08/26 : CUA Dez nu ee sq opuzoussa0ue=) Their influence continued to be evident in 1948 when, after representa tives from Peiping, Moscow end Southeast Asia met with the Indien Communists in February, Communist insurrections broke out in Malaya, Indonesia, Burna and the Philippines, Gurrent evidence of Peiping's influence is the logistic support given the Viet Minh in Indochina, the activities of Chinese Comunist agents in Southeast Asia, particularly among the overseas Chinese and othor ethnic minority groups, and in Burma the financing by the Red Chinese-cvmed banks cf low interest loans to those who do not oppose Comunisn, Through the Soviet-controlled World Federation of Trade Unions, Peiping supervises the activities of leftist labor organizaticns in many countries of the area, Through cultural miesions, traveling businessmen, returning students and sightseeing trips, Peiping passes on instructions where official channels such as embassies are lacking it. Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0ca Approved For Releasg2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865QQ00200250005-0 TEE PADTERN OF COMMUNIST MOVEMENTS IN SOUUHEAST ASTA Gonrents, I, International Aspects of Southeast Asian Cc-munism 1 II, Communism in the Southeast Asien Countries 7 A, Burma 7 By Indochina 30 C, Indonesia 13 Dy Malaya 9 EB, The Philippines 22 Fy Thailand 30 - tid = Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Releage 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R090200250005-0 ‘THE PATTERN OF COMMUNIST MOVEMENTS IN SOUTHEAST ASTA I, International Aspects of Movements in Southeast Asian Communism The Third Communist International (Comintern) and Comunist Information Bureau (Cominform), have clearly stated Soviet policy end tactics for developing Communist movements in colonial and semi= colonial areas, The policy plays down the class struggle emphasized elsewhere and intensifies the thene of nationslisn and anti-colonialism, Coumumism in Southeast Asia, appearing there in the early 1920's, has been developed in line with this policy and under the direction of the Comintern, Cominforn and Peipings With thess racial complexes ond its pre-war colonial status, Southeast Asia seemed an easy target for Commmism, Playing national group against European pover and cultivating these groups and minorities! desives for indepenience, the Commmists sought to divide and conquers Among the Comunist minority groups in nost countries of Scutheast Asia are Commnist front organizetions made up of members of the Overseas Chinese community, The Communist groups represent a relatively small Percentage cf the total Chinese population of the area but are often well-organized and supported by Peipings Communist parties in Southesst Asia are composed of a small hard core of doctrinaire Communists surrounded by a larger group of dissidents, malcontents, social misfits and profiteers, They are drawn from all segments of the population--peasants, proletarians and intellectuals. le Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0. ° Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R090200250005-0 In addition to these, many of the overseas Chinese—who normally care Little abowt politics and are more concerned with earning a living-— follow the movement because of their strong femily and culturel ties to China, regardless of her politics, Because the Communists now control the mainland, mary overseas Chinese feel that the future lies with the Commnists, This feeling 1s often conditicned by their ability to trade with the mainland, ‘Throughout Southeast Asia Communism encountered similar conditions, with one major exception, Thailand, While Burma, Malaya, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines vere ell colonies of metropolitan powers, Thailand has been @ sovereign naticn for centuries, ven under the Japanese occupation, Thailend maintained a larger degzee of self-governnent ‘Thailand has been also relatively self-sufficient, with an adequate food supply and an export surplus in rie, the most vital comolity of the ares, But perhaps the famerst owmership of their land is the main reason for the different aprroach to Thedland, Communism, vhich, anong other things, feeds on exploitation of the peesant class by veaithy landowners, on poverty and on food shortage, has had difficulty making much headway with the Thais, who are well-fed end clothed by standards of the area and whose lower classes to a large extent alreedy om their land, Only through an alien minority, the overseas Chinese, lisve the Communists been eble to make anything but e Binor dent in Thailand, and the Chinese Commmists in Thetlen have becoue the largest alien Comumist party in Scutheast Asia with the possible exception of Malaya, Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0* Approved For Releage 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0 Elsewhere in Southeast Asia Communist growth has followed a single pattern, with but minor variations, xcept in Burma and Thailand, Sowumism apseared in the early 1920's under the guise of nationelisn, anti-colonialism or vith a pro-labor disguise, It started among the Thailand Chinese in the 1920's but the appeal was different, In Burma Comumisn began as a netionalist movement about 1930, The fend until nearly the end of the decade favored formation of small groups, some organized into parties and some into less formal groups of Marxist extremists, In 1925 when the Comintern sent Borodin to China as its chief agent, he took Ho chisninh with him as an interpreter, Ho was by then the leader of Indochinese Communism and a member of the Far Eastern Bureau of the Comintern, In the course of his travels through China and Thailand to organize emigre Vietnamese into Communist cells, he brought with him the teachings and crders. of the Comintern, Ho helped found the Comnmist Party of the South Seas, vhich had representa- tives from several countries, In 1930 this party split inte national organizations, such as the Malayan Comaunist Party and the Indochinese Comunist Party, About this time Comumism began to appear in Burma, largely as an Andigenovs movement but with some impetus from Indian Communists, This move, too, started as nationalicm with leftist leanings, From 1930 until the outbreak of World War IZ in the Pacific the nationalistic trend was maintained, with the Far Dastern Bureau of the Comintern, among others, guiding the Communists of Indonesia, Indochina, Walaya and the Philippines, Approved For Release 2000/08/28 -CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0* Approved For: Releage 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00868RQ00200250005-0 During World War II many Communist groups formed e "united front" with non-Commmnist groups against the common foe, This was particularly true in Burma, Indochina, Malaya and the Philippines. There was no fighting in Thailand, but the Free Thai Movenent in which Comunist- inspired elenonts participated, did vork with the Allies in obtaining information end carrying out sabotage missions, The underground activi~ ‘ties strengthened the Communistts hands by emphasizing the concept of nationalist and patriotism as the major motive of these groups, In Indochina and Burma the resistance groups perticipated in the post-var governnents of their countries, In Indochina, however, Ho and the French disagreed over the colonial status cf Tniochina, and the Communists orgenized coalition of parties known as the Viet Minh, resorted to open warfare to gain complete control, In Burma the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League becane ardent advocates of full independence from Britain and, upon aitainnent cf full independence in 1948, into control of the govermnont, But, Communist leaders were purged from the league prior to independence and it is new dominated ty the Socialist Perty. In Indonesia the Communists were uct very active during the Japanese occupation, but after the var they did join with other national. 4st groups in the fight egainst the Dutch which eventually led to Indonesia's independence, Veterens of this campaign who are not in the Indonesian armed forces and who belong to the veterans organization PSRBEPSI are dominated by the Inéonesian Communist Party, The Indonesien Commnist Party is an example of Communist parties in foreign colonics zAe Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0‘Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R090200250005-0 which are offshoots of the Communist parties in the parent countries. The first wide-scale Commmist action to eventually dominate South= east Asia begen in 1948, In February 1948, representatives from Moscow, the Chinese Communists and Communist groups in Southeast Asia attended ¢ meeting of the Calcutta Youth Conference, Within a year, the Comunists launched rebellious offensives in four countries—-Purua, Indonesia, Malaye and the Philippines, Indochina already was rent by open warfare, The Indonesian uprising was pvt down almost im:ediately and the other three 1942 rebellions now have been quelled or sharply reduced in intensity, The timing of these uprisings is regarded as too similar to: be coincidental, The series of defeats forced the Communists to adjust their tactics. Wherever possible the Communists ave new playing tho geme of "if you can't lick then, join them,” In Burma, although the rebellion has not been fully put dom, the Communists have joived the government in @enouncing their common oponents, the Chinese Nationalist troops in Burma and have advocated the formation of a coalition goverment. In Indonesia the Communists are playing the role of full supporters of the Premier Ald Sastroamidjojo government, ine "united front", Insurrection still continues in the Philippines an? Malaya, although the Philippine rebels have been virtually defeated. The Chinese People's Republic has diplomatic representatives in Burana and Indonesia and with the Comunist Viet Minh regine in North Viet Nam, Russia has representation in Thailand, Burma, Indonesia and North Viet Nam, Conmmist Chinese diplomatic missions provide channels of communications between Peiping and Commnict elements in these Approved For Release 2000/08/26 ; CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0* Approved For Release 7000/08/26 + CIA-RDP62-00865RQ90200250005-0 countries, An additional channel is the Asian-Australasien Bureau of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) in Peiping, representing Communist-controlled labor movements in several of the countries. Another Peiping channel is the China Democratic League, vhich has active branches in Burma and Indonesia, Overseas Chinese stwlents who return to mainland China for advanced study and the Conmunist-sponsored, main- Jand culture] and sightsecing trips for leading pro-Comunist overseas Chinese provide another channel of indoctrination and infiltration, There is no doubt that Peiping sanctions nost of the Conmunist activities of the areas the only question is the degree of control, ty Moscow or Peiping, Peiping 4s supplying arms to Communist groups in Indochina, and probably soue arms in Burma, The Chinese Commmists in Theiland are Imovn to be receiving direction from Feiping, and Peiping asente operate throughout the area, Recent newspayer reports from Burma mention the activities of Pelping ayents among the Kachins of northern Burnes ‘The pattern as it now appears is one of Peiping support - under Moscouts general direction - of Commumist novements in the area so that they may act as a fifth colum, Toning dom militant activities and feigning cooperation with existing authority vherever possible, tho local Commmists act as Peiping tools boring from within, Peiping ie heavily emphasizing the wooing of oversees Chinese, that they too may act as & fifth eolumn and, even nore important in some countries, may use their Amportent position in the national economy to disruyt and weaken their host countries, Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CTA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R090200250005-0 TI, Conmmicm in the Southeast Asian Countries Ae Rue ‘Communiem in Burna is reflected in a complex of parties, large and small, strong and weal, legel and illegal, These include both "peacefull" and insurgent groups and represent parties with basically Npational" and "international" outlooks, Ad“ing to the confusion are the activities of Burma Chinese Conunists. Several Commnist leaders were at ono tine members of the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL), the coalition heading the Burmese Government since its inde- pendence, The AFPFL has progressively purged these Communist elements from its fold, The complexity of Burmese Comaunism disguises its true strength and it is this very complexity that has prevented the Coummists from realising their fullest potential, At present only the Burma Workers and Peasants Party (SWPP) appears to serve the Ccmmmist cause in any greater messure than e nuisance value, Communist inewrrection begun in 1948 has been greatly reduced, The Comiunists have obtained such propagenda velue from the irritaticn caused by the presence of irregular Chinese Netfonalict troops in Burna, and this irritation has helped the cause of local Chinese Conmmists, Agents from Red China are operating 4n North Burma, in the Kachin State and the Shan Statee, attempting to lure minority racial groups into cooperation with Red Chingy “7 Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0~ Approved For Releasg 2900/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R090200250005-0 POP. One of the earliest Commmist groups was the Burmese Comamist Porty, or White Flag Commnists, The party grew from the left-wing nationalist movement called the Negani Bock Club, founded in 1937 vy Thakins NU, SOB and THAN TUN, These men later becane the leaders of the AFPFL, the Communist Party of Burma, or CP(B), and the BOP, respectively. They originally were associated with the Dobana Asiayons (DAA), or Thekins' Party, which vas founded in 1930, The moderate left program cf the DAA feiled to satisfy many of the Thakins, and they formed the BOP, which in the pre-var period urged revolution as the neane to freedom, During the war the BOP, under the guise cf collabor- ating with the Japanese, vorked with British authorities to create e resistance movement, The BOP bocame the léading menber of the league, and the Party's leader Thelin THAN TUN (who still heads the BCP today) becane secretary=generals In July 1946 the AVPFL began to rid its organization of Comunist elenents and THAN TUN wes foreed to resign the secretary-goneralship, In October of that year the BOP was expelled fron the league, After attempts to heal the broach between the BOP and the AFPFL failed, ‘the ECP went underg-ound and in 1948 started a campaign of armed rebellion which, vatle at present relatively quiet, has not been fully stopped, In the fall of 1953 the BCP was declared illegal by the Burmese Governments Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Releage 7000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R900200250005-0 Communist Party of Burma (CP(B)) In February 1946 rivalry for pover within the BCP between Thakin THAN TUY ét Thelin SOB, as well as SOE!s insistence upon imediate revolution, split thet partys SOB formed the oP(B) or Red Flag Communists, InJuly 1946 the CP(B) was declared illegal and SOE was imprisoneds Shortly aftervards both the ban and the imprisonment were lifted, but the ban was reimposed in January 1947 and has renained in force since then. Efforts to reurtite the BOP and CP(B) have been unsuccessful thus far, largely because of personal differences betwean TUN end SOB. ‘Burma Workers and Peasant Panty (BUPP) ‘The Burna Workers end Peasants Party is the overt Commmist Party 4m Burma It was formed in Decenber 1950 when a group, headed by Thakin ININ, withdrew fron the Burma Socialist Party, The BUPP 4s considered’ the most orthodox of the legal Communist croups, the best disciplined and the strongest threat to the stability of the present governments It hap nine representatives in the Chamber of Deputiess ‘The party has a number of front organizations, the aost important: of which are the Burmese branch of the World Peace Congress and the Burva Trades Unien Congress, Thie DTUC affiliation provides a Link between the BUPP; Moscow and Pedping, Other links with Peiping and Moscow may exist. But such a connection is rather new in Burmese Communism; which, 4f ascociated with Commmisu in any other country originally wes closest to Indian Communist circless 29s Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For. Releasg 7000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865RQ90200250005-0 eas Chinese Comm Local pro-Communist Chinese work mostly through the Burma Branch of the Chinese Democratic League (CDL), an international Chinese Commnist orgenization, The CDL opevates in Burma with the blessing and financial support of the Peiping Embassy. Although the overseas Chinese in Burma are not ss numerous as in other countries of Southeast Asia, they nevertheless control important segnents of the national economy and could pose a thr:at to the Burmese Government. Fortunately for the Burmese, the number of hard core Communist Chinese is only o smallefraction of the approximately 300,000 Chinese in the country. ‘An inportant Pedping effort to woo the Burma Chinese was its low-interest lean program financed through Burma branches of the Bank of China and Bank of Communications, Under this arrangement, Chinese vere allowed to borrow money at about half the going rate if they agreed not to oppose the Communists en] Comunist causes and rencunced eny connections with anti-Communist groupe. Icens to schools, sociel ergenizations and other Chinese groups have had an effect on the growth of Communist influence in the Chinese communitys Endochina In Infochinats three states are several Communist parties, In Vietnam there is the Dang Lao Dong (Norkers Party), often still called by the nene cf Viet Mimh, In Canbodia there is Commnist faction of the Khner Issarak, In Laos there is a Coummist faction of the Lao Issarek, (Phatet Laos), ‘The pro-Comuumist factions of the Khmer -l0- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Releas@ 2900/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R009200250005-0 and Leo Issarak groups (igserak means free) aro directly controlled by the Lao Dong. There are Communist Chinese which may or may not be organized into parties, ‘The Communist rebels led by Ho chi Minh have created a state called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), which is completely dominated by the Lao Dong Party, The Lao Dong, established in March 1951, is the successor to the Indochinese Comunist Party, DRV and Lao Dong officials have openly stated thet no change in orientation or motivation accompanied the change in name to the Lao Dong Party, Quoc Viet, an official cf the Lien Viet united front of "democratic parties" forming the DRV government, stated upon the death of Stalins Mourning for and grateful to CcmradeSialin the entire Vietnanese people and cadres are all the mere determined to carvy out President HO chi ifinh's behest to lewrn the doctrine of Marx-Engele-lenin-dtalin, apply it to conerete conditions in Vietnam, push the resistance, wipe out the Franch colonial~ ista, Anerican interventionists, andi Vietnanese treitors, and build Vietnam into a new democratic country advancing to socialism, The Lao Dong Party is the leading and ecntrolling element of ‘the Lien Viet Front, HO 4s president of the Lao Dong and GfA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Release3000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865RQ90200250005-0 ‘The structure of the underground arm is perhaps one of the best- guarded secrets in the realm of Asian Communism, if, indeed, such a structure does exist. Some Communist documents obtained by Philippine authorities and some reports from the islands mention ‘a Chinese Conmunist Party of the Philippines. Little exact informa- tion on such a party is availeble and it is assumed that, if such a group exists, it is the underground a ganization. It is know that Communist Chinese have been very active in the Philippine Chinese community. They have infiltrated many schools and organizations and at- ‘tempted to gain control of the newspapers. These methods have been the basic Chinese Conmmnist tactics to gain control of Chinese Communities in Southeast Asia since the Communists were ousted from the Kuomintang in 1927. Operating under instructions from Communist headquarters in China, Chinese Communists for the-most part have cooperated si th the PRP, although usually acting on their own in matters pertaining to the Chinese community. During the war several Communist Chinese guerrilla units cooperated with the Philippine Conmunists. Most famous of these were the Hua Chi detachment and the Hsueh Kan militia. In addition to infiltrating various components of the Chinese community, the Conmmists have taken advantage of some of the well established vices of the area--gambling, bribery, snuggling and prostitution--to further their causes. Smuggling and the extortion campaign directed at Chinese throughout the world have helped swell the Communist coffers. Approved For Release 2000/08/26 = Gfx7RDP62-00865R000200250005-0” Approved For Releagg2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-0086512900200250005-0 Estimates of Communist Chinese strength in the Philippines have varied from a few thousand to fifty thousand, with party member- ship probsbly numbering a few thousand. -o- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0a oF CIA-RDP62-008§5R000200250005-0 FP. Theilend Tho pattern of Coununist activity in Thailand has differed from thet of other Southeast Asien countries in a few important respects, largely because it has beon an independent nation for meny years, Thailand's independence prevented the Communists from masquerading as nationalists as they did in Indochina and elsevihere. For the same reason Commmisn did not appeal to the Thai and grew up nostly among minority groups, the Chinese and the Vietnamese. Communism also has run into other difficulties in Thailend, Tt has not been popular with many of the devout Buddhist Thai, who regard 4t as an alien heresy, Although the Conmunists have achieved a minor infiltration of elements of the Thai Buddhist priesthood, most Thed have not been attracted by the Communist appeals, Further- more, Thailand is, by Asian standards, a fairly prosperous country. Most Thei are well-fed, woll-clothed, ovm their lend and have savings. Under such conditions Communism does not flourish. ‘At the same time, however, the Thai may have unwittingly spurred the growth of Coummism among the Chinese. Thai are alerned et Chinese ambition. The Thailand Chinese outnumber the Thai in the country's trade, a situation which does not please the Thel people or the ‘Thad Government. To counteract the growing foreign influence on the Thad econony the governnent has passed certain restrictive measures on = 30- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Reléage 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-008¥8R000200250005-0 aliens, excluding then from certain professions and Limiting their Lendholdings according to type end conditions. The regulation of aliens were aimed at the Chinese, but they also affected the Vietnanese minority. The Communists have played up these restrictions to stir discontent among the Chinese. Chinese Communist Party of Thailand (CCP (T)) ‘The largest Comunist Perty in the comtry 1s the Chinese Con munist Perty of Thailand, Menbership estimates for the party range from 2,000 to 40,000. The actual meubership is probably about 2,000,000 hardcore nenbers, with the rensining strength in Comunist~ Jed organizations, such as labor groups and some of the regional. associations. The COP(T) probably dates back at least to 1927. The party renained underground regerdless of changes in its legal status. For a brief period after the 1932 coup overthrew the absolute monarchy, Communion was permitted to exist openly. In 1933 the Commmist Party vas declared illegal and remained so until 1946, In thet year the Thais repealed the anti-Conmmnist lew to secure Soviet approval of Thailand's application for UN meubership. In Novenber 1952 Commnist activity vas again declared illegel; a series of mass arrests of suspected Communist leaders and sympathizers followed, and several pro-Commnist Chinese publicstions were suspended. However, fev of the top leaders were apprehended. -a- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00888R000200250005-0 Infiltration of the Chinese community is mostly within urben labor, some of the dialect associations, schools end some newspapers and periodicals. ‘The strong grip Communists once hed on the important Chinese Chamber of Conmerce in Bangkok has been broken, ‘The Chinese Communists in Thailand represent only a small per- centage of the Chinese population of more than 3,000,000, about one- sixth of Thailand's population, Meny of the pro-Commumist sympathizers are only weakly attached to the party and mey easily desert the cause. Yet, their general political apathy causes then to follow the line of least effort end of allegiance to the homeland, Bocause of the strong Chinese hold on the Thai economy, pro-Communist inclinations in the Chinese commmity make it a potential fifth colum of Peiping. Thei Commnist Party (TOP) There is a Thai Commnist Party (TCP), but reports citing the Communist Ferty of Thailand often have not been clear as to whether ‘they refer to the TOP or the CCP(T). hile some sources state that the TOP dates back to 1928, it appears that these references are to the Chinese organization. Because many Chinese have also adopted Thai names, the mere noting of unidentified Thai names does not indicate which group is meant. The TOP appears to have been of virtually no im— portance until a few years ago and of not much more importance now. =32- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0Approfed For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00868R000200250005-0 ‘The CCP(T) may have established the TOP to attract the Thais to Communism by disguising ite Chinese sponsorship. Its small member- ship, believed to be only in the hundreds, 1s probably composed mostly : of Sino-Thais who are also members of the parent Chinese group. Ex~ cept for a few menbers of the intellectual or professional community, it has attracted little response. Tong Hol Viet Kieu Cus Te Tai Thai (General Association for Mutual ‘sistance to Overseas Vietnamese in Thailand) ‘The Vietnamese Communists in Thailand, numbering 40,000-50,000 include long-time Thailand residents and refugees from the recent war iin Indochina. Some reports say that about half of this group are Communists or pro-Communist sympathizers favoring or working with the Viet Minh and HO chi Minh of Indochina, In 1929-1930, HO was in Thailand forming Vietnanese emigre unite. The Vietnamese Com- munists are organized into the Tong Hoi Viet Kieu Cuu Te Tai That (General Association for Mutual Assistance to Overseas Vietnanese in Thailand). The association is not active in internal Thai affairs, but is believed to have supplied funds, medical supplies and perhaps some recrnits to the Viet Minh. -3- Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000200250005-0