FOR BETTE. Saigol1. Seminar

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2 Seminar In Saigol1 FOR BETTE Vietnamese partidpants listen at session (above). Foreign participants (below) were led on a tour of the Bien Hoa industrial park. Editor Tran Nha of Saigon Post addresses participf (right) hit western press coverage of war. BY. S souvenir from Saigon Mayor's aide, Delegates I In photo on page l~ from left to right. top to bottom: B. Shanandeh. Iren: Augusto V. Carballo. Philippines: Nguyen Ngoc Linh. Vietnam (Seminar Executive Director); C. E. L. Wickremesinghe. Ceylon: Lee Lien. Republic of China; A. K. Kakaria~ India; Lee Kyoo Hyun. Republic of Korea: Osamu Watanabe. Japan: Rama Swarup. India: Achit Unhanandana. Thailand: Jeanne L. Arquiza. Philippines; Aw Sian. Hong Kong; Chung Tinh Wen. Republic of China; Tatsuo Shibata. Japan: Wiratmo Soekito. Indonesia: Fusaji Koyama. Japan: Sol Villa. Philippines; Satya Roy. India: Nicholas Turner. New Zealand: Jacques Leaute. UNESCO. 2

3 R NEWS AND FRIENDSHIP By lito V. Corbollo, Lis. Nguyen Ngoc Phach 1 Villa (below) receivea work (below. right). The first Asian press seminar ever held in Saigon and sponsored by the Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations (VCFR) was considered a success by the participants from 13 Asian nations. In the three-day discussions held at the Maj estic Hotel which started March 17 and ended March 19, the participants reached a concensus on a number of important issues facing the Asian press. Participants came from Ceylon, Republic of China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Thailand, and the Republic of Vietnam. Discussions were devoted to three main topics, namely: 1) The Press and the Vietnam War; 2) The i'\sian Press - Development and Perspectives; and, 3) Asia and the

4 Asian press Issues dissected Vietnam Conflict. Participants to the seminar started arriving in Saigon on March 15. They were welcomed at the Tan Son Nhut airport by Messrs. Nguyen Ang Ca, publisher of the daily Tin Som and Le Ba Kong, and a bevy of pretty Vietnamese ladies headed by Mrs. Tran Nha, wife of the editor of the Saigon Post and president of the Vietnamese Newspaper Editors Association (VNEA). On March 16 all participants in the seminar had arrived in Saigon. As per the schedule prepared for them by the VCFR, on the eve of the opening of the three-day seminar, the participants motored to Bien Hoa Industrial Park. They toured the COGIDO paper plant and the VI CASA steel rolling plant. Khuong Huu Dieu, director of the Industrial Development Center (IDC), briefed the participants on industrial development and investments in Vietnam. A picnic-luncheon was held for the participants in the club house of the Vietnam Sugar Company, after which they returned to Saigon. In the afternoon of the same day, the participants paid courtesy calls on the Honorable Do Kien Nhieu, mayor of Saigon, and Dr. Nguyen Duy Tai, acting president of Saigon city council. A tour of the city conducted by Mrs. Hoang Ly Van followed. After dinner at the Majestic Hotel, Nguyen Ngoc Linh, executive director of the seminar, briefed the participants about the threeday seminar schedule after which a movie entitled.vietnam, Vietnam» was shown. Mr. Ngo Khac Tinh, Minister of Information, delivered the inaugural address. Sol Villa of the Manila Chronicl", delegate from the Republic of the Philippines and presiding officer of the day, declared the three-day seminar officially opened. Rama Swarup, delegate from India was the speaker for the day while Nguyen Ngoc Linh was the moderator. After a short discussion on seminar procedures, the participants adjourned for lunch at the Caravelle Hotel which was tendered in their honor by the Vietnamese Newspaper Publishers Association. Atty. Tran Van Tuyen, former Deputy Prime Minister for Planning, and former Minister of Information, briefed the participants on the new Vietnamese press code. The afternoon session began at 3 o'clock and the discussions were very spirited due to the thoughtprovoking talk delivered by Nguyen Ngoc Phach, lecturer, Department of Journalism, Dalat University, and press officer of the joint general staff of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVN AF). Phach talked on «The Press and the Vietnam War,» which was a denunciation of the sensationalistic stories about the war w ritten by western journalists. He deplored that the economic development of Vietnam and the «other war,. pacification and rural development, had been deliberately ignored by the western newsmen in the coverage of news in South Vietnam. The session adjourned at 6 o'clock and the participants attended a cocktail party tendered for them by the VCFR. Dr. Nguyen Duy Tai delivered a short speech about the activities of the private organization. The participants had dinner at the Van Canh restaurant offered in their honor by Mr. Ho Van Seminar opens The next day, March 17. the participants buckled down to work. The opening day of the seminar started with registration of participants and observers, after which they assembled in the conference hall. 4 At Bien H OB industrial park~ delegates are shown samples of cardboard boxes manufactured by COGIDO plant w hich also produces new sprint paper. -

5 Delegates watch ancient dance at Hue. Visit 10 refugee tenements in Saigon (left) arousel residents curiosity.

6 Asian reportorial pool considered on the city mayor, visited the former imperial city, toured Hue University, and other sites. In the afternoon, they flew back to Saigon. As a result of their three-day discussions, the participants approved the following as the official record of the seminar: I I~0 Cham. Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) minister. After dinner, the participants had an informal d1scussion with Minister Cham about the Republic's pacification program. Second Day Next day, Wednesday, March 18, (Miss) Aw Sian, managing director, Sin-Poh Amalgamated (H.K.) Ltd., lone delegate from Hong Kong, spoke on «The Asian Press: Development and Perspectives.» Presiding officer for the second day of the three-day seminar was C. E. L. Wickremesinghe, chairman, Press Foundation of Asia in Ceylon. The session was adjourned at noon and the participants attended a luncheon held at the My Canh floating restaurant tendered in their honor by the newspaper guilds of Vietnam. Le Van Tien of the Quyet Tien daily briefed the participants about the press in North Vietnam. Tien is a specialist on North Vietnamese affairs. The afternoon session was devoted to further discussions on the speech of Miss Aw. In the evening, at 6 o'clock, the participants were invited by President Nguyen Van Thieu to Independence Palace. President Thieu warmly greeted the seminar participants. Running true to form, the participants started asking the President so many questions and turned the presidential reception into an informal press conference. Third Day On March 19, last day of the three-day seminar, the participants listened to Dang Duc Khoi, special assistant to Vice President Nguyen 6 Cao Ky, talk on «Asia and the Vietnam Conflict.» The presiding officer of the day was Achit Unhanandana, participant from Bangkok' Thailand. Before the seminar was officially closed, Tatsuo Shibata, editor of the Mainichi Newspapers and one of the three Japanese delegates, delivered the closing remarks. The participants were honored at a luncheon tendered by the Vietnamese Newspaper Edito~s Association (VNEA). Tran Nha, editor of the Saigon Post and president of the association, delivered a short speech on the situation of the Vietnamese press. After the luncheon, the participants had a «free» afternoon. Most of them went shopping while others snatched forty winks in preparation for a cocktail party offered by Senator Do Quang Giai, chairman of the Senate Information and Foreign Affairs Committee, at the Caravelle Hotel. Information Minister Tinh tendered a dinner for the participants after which they all trooped to the,studios of Vietnam TV.and radio stations on Cong Ly street and watched a Vietnamese variety show. Out of Town Trips After the three-day seminar, the participants were treated by the VCFR to trips to two scenic cities of Vietnam. On March 20, the participants visited Vung Tau, a seaside resort. In Vung Tau, they visited the National Training Center, paid a courtesy call on the city mayor, followed by a sightseeing trip, then swimming, boating, and luncheon on the white sands of the beach. On March 21, the participants flew to the historic and ancient city of Hue. Upon arrival, they called 1. Reporting on Vietnam Participants regretted the dependence of the Asian press on western news organizations for coverage of the Vietnam war. It was felt that the western media, by virtue of their nature, have not always been able to give due consideration to the fact that the Vietnam war is an Asian phenomenon. Participants believed that the picture of the Vietnam situation proj ected by certain news organizations has reflected a lack of understanding of Asia. Competition and the search for sensation has often led to distorted reporting, and too few correspondents working for western media in Vietnam have had sufficient experience to fulfill their task in an unfamiliar environment. Despite their vast tech-

7 At the former imperial city of Hue. delegate. pose with L. Thanh Minh Chau (third from left. front row). 41 year.old rector of the University of Hue. Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations halted luncheon for the delegatel at Caravelle Hotel (below). A:I: a reception tendered by Information Minister Ngo Khac Tinb. sing er (right) ente~tains delegates with Vietnamese songs. \.

8 r nical and financial resources, western news organizations have failed to report all aspects of Vietnam in proper perspective. Indeed. certain aspects of the situation, such as economic and social development, and the role of the Vietnamese in the war, have received inadequate treatment despite the fact 'that to the public of a developing Asia they are of equa!,if not greater,concern than the daily statistics of American battle casualties. The participants considered in principle the idea of pooling the financial and personnel resources of various Asian countries to establish a reportorial pool in Vietnam. Such a plan 1S currently being looked at by the Chinese Language Press Institute, and it was suggested that other groups might do the same. It was felt that other avenues of approach were also worth immediate exploration, including the exchange and dissemination of news materia I by Asian press organizations represented in Vietnam. Many participants called attention to the need for the Government of the Republic of Vietnam to improve its information and press relations program, both towards the local and foreign news media. While recognizing the difficulties confronting the government of a country at war, participants felt that greater and faster access to reliable and authoritative information by the news media would be of mutual benefit to the press and the government. Participants also urged that the Republic of Vietnam make increased facilities available for Asian journalists to visit this country (Vietnam) in order to supplement the coverage at present supplied by western news organizations. Delegates are briefed at a hamlet in Hue regarding progress of development effort. Khuong Huu Dieu director of the Industrial Development Center (below). explains industrial development and foreign investments at industrial park. II. Asian News Reporting Participants in the seminar agreed that the formation of some kind of Asian news agency 'to supply news from all Asian countries is desirable. Moves in a similar direction have already began in Latin American and Africa, and it was felt that although some Asian countries lacked adequate resources to help sustain such an 8 organization, the idea was worth further exploration. Some participants pointed out that the differences among various Asian countries might create problems concerning the acceptability of news from an Asian organization. But it was widely felt that the western news media which currently hold a monopoly in the supplying of Asian news to Asian countries, frequently portray developments in a manner which caters mainly to western consumption. III. Development of the Asian Press Participants noted that a start had been made on several schemes

9 for training Asian newspaper per sonnel on technical problems of printing and production, but that insufficient emphasis had yet been given to the adequate training of journalists. There was a pressing need for additional efforts towards the development of the press ill Asia under the following headings: a. Finance and organization; b. Printing and production facilities; c. Technical training; and d. Journalistic training (including scholarships and exchanges of both journalists and journalism-teachers). Participants endorsed a propooal that international organizations such as the International Press Institute(IPI), UNESCO, the Press Foundation of Asia, and the Organization of Asian News Agencies, should promote the bilateral and multilateral exchange of working journalists and other newspaper personnel for in-service training and experience in foreign countries. IV. Freedom of The Press Participants agreed that the press should at all times have the maximum degree of freedom compatible with national security. They welcomed the enactment of a new Press Law in the Republic of Vietnam. V. External Aid Nations in Asia which at present have highly developed press were invited to play an increased part in the development of a stronger press throughout the region. Participants noted the positive comments by delegates from Japan, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand, in this field. VI. Asian Regional Cooperation Participants at the seminar appreciated the opportunity to have informal discussions with the President of the Republic of Vietnam. They noted his comments particularly on the question of Asian After press seminar's end, delegates relax on the beach at Vung Tau resort. cooperation. They endorsed the President's view that the most important prerequisite for peace and security in Asia is economic, social and cultural cooperation. If such ties can be established between Asian countries, defense cooperation will not be difficult whenever the need arises. VII. Further Asian Press Seminars Participants at the seminar, noting the usefulness of their discussions, expressed the hope that further wch seminars should be held in the future, both in Vietnam and in other countries of Asia. VIII. Vote of Thanks Participants at the seminar passed a vote of thanks to the President and to members of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam for the opportunity to meet and frankly discuss a wide range of questions with them. They also passed a vote of thanks to the Vietnam Council on Foreign Relations for sponsoring the seminar, and for the facilities which had been made available. Special thanks were accorded to the Executive Director of the seminar, Mr. Nguyen N goc Linh, and to his staff for the smooth and efficient way in which everything had been run. Foreign participants passed a special vote of thanks to their Vietnamese colleagues for their hospitality, and for the opportunity to reach a better understanding of questions concerning the press in the Republic of Vietnam. Participants The following were the participants in the three-day seminar - foreign delegates: C. E. L. Wickremesinghe, chairman, Press Foundation of Asia, Ceylon; Lee Lien, chief editor, China News. and Chung Tinh Wen, editor, Lien Ho Pao and Chinh Li Wan Pao, both from the Republic of China; (Miss) Aw Sian, publisher, Sing Tao Jih Pao, Hong Kong; A. K. Kakaria, chief, foreign desk, India News and Feature AlJiance (TNFA),Satya Roy, publisher, Tarun Press of India, and, Rama Swarup, publisher of Free News cmd Feature Service, all from India; 9

10 Wiratmo Soekito, columnist, Kani and Merdeka, of Indonesia; B. Shahandeh, editor, Farman Newspaper, Iran; Fusaji Koyama, editorial adviser, Fuji Evening News, Tatsuo Shibata, editor, Mainichi Newspapers, and Osamu Watanabe, editor, foreign desk, Sankei Shimbun-Sha, all from Japan; Lee Kyoo Hyun, managing editor, Chungang I1ho, from the Republic of Korea; Chao Sopsaisana, president Lao J ournalis'ts Association, from Laos; Nicholas Turner, journalist, New Zealand; Sol Villa of the Mall,ila Chronicle, Tito V. Carballo of the Philippine News Service, and Jeanne L. Arquiza of the Republic Weekly, all from the Republic of the Philippines; and, Achit Unhanandana, journalist, Thailand. The Republic of Vietnam was represented by the following. Nguyen Ngoc Huyen, National Press Center; D.ang Van Sung, Clrinh Luau; Nguyen Van Tuoi, Vietnam Guardian; Nguyen Khiem Cat, Saigon Post; Thich Duc Nghiep, Quang Due; Nguyen Van Thai, Thoi Nay; Mrs. Thanh Phuong; Mrs. Phan Lam Huong, Dalat University; Pham Huan, Tien Tuyen; Phan Lac Phuc, Tien Tuyen; Do Viet, TV; Nguyen Dat Thinh, Chien Si Cong Hoa; Ton That Dinh, Cong Luan; Pham Xuan Ninh, Tien Tuyen; Ho Van Dong, Quyet Tien; Nguyen Ngoc Rao, Psywar Directorate; Le Trang, Saigon Daily News; Mrs. Phung Thi Hanh, Newsweek; Le Thai Bang, Viefnam Press; Mrs. Song Thi, VOA; Mrs. Truong Thi Ngoc Diep, Sinh Hoot Nghe Thuat; Nguyen Duy Lieu, Saigon Post; V U Quang Ninh, Voice of Freedom; Vu Due Vinh, Vietnam Radio; Pham Xuan An, Time-Life News Service; Le Kim Dinh, New York Times; Ho Anh, Thoi The; Vicente G. Martinez, Saigon Post; Ho Van Du, Tan Viet; Mrs. Tang Hue Ky; Wong Wen Chow, Kien QUIM'; Pham Hau, RVNAF Radio; Trang Cam Van, Tan Sinh; Hang Vay Tche, Kien QUIM'; and Ly Tru, Luan Dan. The following.attended the seminar as observers: Raymond J ohnson, representative, Asia Foundation in Vietnam; Allen C. Choate, assistant representative, Asia Foundation in Vietnam; Hugh Howse, BBe, London; Jacques Leau:te, UNESCO; Do Dinh Trinh, Lien Minh The Gioi Chong Cong; Tran Duc Thang, Lien Minh The Gioi Chong Cong; and Tsugio Kato, correspondent, Asahi Shimbun.

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