SymbiMUN 2017 Model United Nations Conference Historic Security Council Study Guide Agenda: Steps to facilitate an immediate end to the Vietnam Conflict
Table of Contents Sr. No. TOPIC 1 Letter from the Executive Board 2 The Vietnam War: An Introduction 3 A Brief Outline 4 Main Parties involved in the Conflict 5 Timeline of the Conflict 7 Questions a Resolution Must Answer (QARMA) 8 References and Further Reading
1. Letter from the Executive Board Dear Delegates, It gives me immense pleasure to introduce myself as the Chairperson of the Historic Security Council for Symbiosis MUN 2017. Just being a part of it is a big honour for me and I expect the highest level of debate to take place in this conference. In my belief, a Historic Security Council is a wonderful simulation which gives us an opportunity to study the past in the present and then go back into the past and change it. It is a retrospective decision making process which requires unconventional thinking abilities in addition to a good understanding of the actual past scenario. This in my belief is what distinguishes a great MUNner from a good one. As far as the topic area is concerned- The Vietnam Conflict, I believe that there is a lot of loss to life and property that could have been averted if some decisions were taken differently in the period of the war. It is my belief that the delegates will be able to come up with comprehensive resolutions after having discussed the agenda in extensively. As the President of the Historic Security Council, my role is to moderate debate and to ensure that delegates maintain the flow of discussion. I wish all the delegates the best of luck for the conference. I hope that all of you come extremely well prepared for the conference with ample research so that we can have constructive discussion and deliberations over the period of three days. I m looking forward to seeing all of you. Regards, Executive Board, UNHSC, SymbiMUN 2017
2. The Vietnam War-An Introduction The Vietnam war is considered as one of the most morally ambiguous, lengthy and futile wars in World history. Practically a proxy war between the United States of America and the erstwhile Soviet Union in the midst of the Cold War, the Vietnam War was one of the most bloody wars too have occurred causing the death of more than 3.5 million people in all. Although, a war that was technically fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, it was actually an indirect war between the United Stated States of America and the USSR who supported the South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese respectively. It also included a lightly armed South Vietnamese group called the Viet-kong or the National Liberation Front (NLF) which specialised in guerrilla warfare and were against the United States of America and the allied forces. The United States of America during that period of history during the early 1950s were trying to prevent the spread of communism and were propagating democracy. At the same point in time, the USSR was trying to spread communism across different parts of the world. Both countries were looking towards forming their own powerful blocs and spread their strong influence across the world. Once North Vietnam became a supporter and follower of communism under USSR influence, the United States of America intervened immediately to prevent the further spread of communism across Vietnam and the Middle East. The war lasted from 1955-1975 with over 55,000 US soldiers losing their lives, more, 1.1 million dead North Vietnamese soldiers, 200000 South Vietnamese soldiers and about half a million people from Vietnam and Laos also lost their lives. Ultimately, the US troops were withdrawn in August, 1973 as result of the US Congress passing the Case-Church amendment. The war ultimately ended in April, 1975 when the Vietnam People s Army captured Saigon. North and South Vietnam were re-unified after this. There were steps that could have been taken differently by the UNSC that could have further prevented such losses.
3. The Historic Security Council at Symbiosis MUN 2017-A Brief Outline Dear Delegates, As mentioned earlier, the Historic Security Council is a retrospective decision making process and requires a lot of good research on the decisions and their repercussions. It is quintessential to avoid repetition while at the same time not changing your country policy to such a great extent that it has little or no semblance with the actual situation prevalent during that time in history. Hence, striking the correct balance is of utmost significance. In relation to how we shall be moving forward with reference to the agenda and committee at Symbiosis MUN 2017, I d like to firstly state that quite contrary to the name of the agenda i.e. The Vietnam Conflict, the HSC in this case is not being convened at the time of the full blown Vietnam War. In the present situation, the situation in Vietnam is that of an armed conflict with rising tensions among the different parties involved in it. The HSC is being convened in November, 1967. The situation as of the said date might be considered analogues to a situation that might come into existence between North and South Sudan in the future considering the present day issues of the Janjaweed, oil among other things. There have been various act of aggression by the North Vietnamese military, the South Vietnamese military, the United States of America and the Viet Kong which is just beginning to become a more aggressive guerrilla outfit. At this juncture, Operation Rolling Thunder or a similar attack was already very imminent. Furthermore, with the assassination of Diem and his brother, South Vietnam was in complete disarray. The Viet Kong were taking advantage of this to mobilise the masses. The United Nations Security Council is convened in the midst of such rising conflict, imminent war and problems faced by neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos.
4. Main Parties Involved in the Conflict This is a brief note on the various main parties involved in the conflict at the point in time when the UNSC is being convened: i. United States of America and South Vietnam The United States of America believes that it is of monumental importance that the seeds of communism do not spread across South East Asia. The fact that the Communism wave had reached North Vietnam which was deeply influenced by the Communist ideologies of Ho Chi Min among other was looked upon as a bad precedent. The USA has increased its military presence in South Vietnam where it trains the South Vietnamese groups. There have been sporadic acts of aggression committed by the United States of America against the North Vietnamese military and the Viet Kong. The monumental Gulf of Tonkin resolution has been passed in the U.S of A which provides the extra-constitutional powers to President Lyndon Johnson to take all necessary steps to thwart any further attacks on the US forces in Vietnam. This is after two US Destroyers have been attacked and destroyed by the North Vietnamese forces in August, 1964. The corrupt South Vietnamese regime under President Diem lost a lot of support among the people before his assassination. After making an attempt to strike a peace deal with Ho Chi Minh of North Vietnam, Diem had further lost support of the United States of America. ii. North Vietnam and the USSR North Vietnam being a communist regime is supported by the USSR which is also looking at the entire situation as proxy war against democracy and the United States of America. The Politburo continues to provide military aid to the guerrilla forces of the Viet Kong to wage further armed aggression against the South Vietnamese regime of Diem and the United States of America. North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh has already developed a lot of popular support among the people of the region and unlike South Vietnam is much better mobilised for the imminent war like situation with support from the Viet Kong as well.
The North Vietnamese forces had already been quite successful in the armed conflict against the French forces which have completely withdrawn from the region. As a result of greater numbers and stronger leadership, the forces generally make use of the ploy to attack regions if South Vietnam in large numbers. There is also an imminent threat of an imminent aerial attack being carried out by the US forces after various act of aggression by them among which the most significant one is the attack on the US Destroyer by the North Vietnamese patrol boats. iii. Viet Kong (National Liberation Front) The Viet Kong are basically a guerrilla outfit in South Vietnam which basically comprises of South Vietnamese who are totally against the oppressive and corrupt Diem regime and the United States of America for supporting it. A well organised outfit that is taking full advantage of the popular support against the Diem regime, they are able to mobilise section of the South Vietnamese masses against the United States of America and the Diem regime. They are successful in carrying out surprise guerrilla style attacks in various regions of South Vietnam and taking control of them. Receiving support from the forces of North Vietnam and proxy support from the USSR, they are slowly and steadily becoming a major threat to the US of A and the South Vietnamese regime which is also in disarray at the given juncture. iv. Cambodia and Laos Cambodia and Laos are the neighbouring nations that are being affected as a result of the entire conflict in Vietnam. The South Vietnamese forces are penetrating regions of these two countries and there has been loss of life and property as well. It is important for the UNSC to take steps to ensure that these neighbouring nations are not affected by the situation prevalent in Vietnam.
5. Timeline of the War (Up to October, 1967) The timeline presented below gives a brief description of the various events that took place during the Vietnam War up to October 1967. The Historic Security Council meet is dated to convene on November 2, 1967. This is the period after the attack on the two US destroyers by the North Vietnam Army. 1941 Communist activist Ho Chi Minh secretly returns to Vietnam after 30 years in exile and organizes a nationalist organization known as the Viet Minh (Vietnam Independence League). After Japanese troops occupy Vietnam during World War II, the U.S. military intelligence agency Office of Strategic Services (OSS) allies with Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh guerrillas to harass Japanese troops in the jungles and to help rescue downed American pilots. 1945 Amid rumors of a possible American invasion, Japanese oust the French colonial government which had been operating independently and seize control of Vietnam, installing Bao Dai as their puppet ruler. Ho Chi Minh garners massive support during the famines that strike the region. To disarm the Japanese, the Allies divide the country in half at the 16th parallel. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia become French colonies again. Ho Chi Minh's guerrillas occupy Hanoi and proclaim a provisional government. He declares independence and also declares himself president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and pursues American recognition but is repeatedly ignored by President Harry Truman. 1946 Ho Chi Minh agrees to permit French troops to return to Hanoi temporarily in exchange for French recognition of his Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Chinese troops then depart. Ho Chi Minh spends 4 months in France trying to negotiate recognition for full independence but fails in his attempts.
In a major affront to Ho Chi Minh, the French high commissioner for Indochina proclaims a separatist French-controlled government for South Vietnam (Republic of Chochinchina). After a series of violent clashes with Viet Minh, French forces bombard Haiphong harbor and occupy Hanoi, forcing Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh forces to retreat into the jungle. The Vietminh launch a guerrilla attack against the French. 1949 The French install Bao Dai as puppet head of state in South Vietnam and establish the (South) Vietnamese National Army. 1950 The People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union recognize Ho Chi Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam. China then begins sending military advisors and modern weapons to the Viet Minh. The United States and Britain recognize Bao Dai's French-controlled South Vietnam government. Viet Minh begin an offensive against French outposts in North Vietnam near the Chinese border. United States military involvement in Vietnam begins as President Harry Truman authorizes $15 million in military aid to the French. The U.S. establishes a Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in Saigon to aid the French Army. 1951-1952 The Vietminh under Gen Giap and the French forces under Gen De Lattre continue warfare across regions of Vietnam. France urges the United States of America to offer more military aid. Gen Giap is replaced by Gen Raoul Salian in course of time as he is ailing from cancer. The casualties of the Viet Minh and the French armies continue to rise.
1953 The United States of America increase military aid to the French troops in Vietnam. They come up with the famous Domino theory which states that if one nation falls to communism, then the others in the region will also be affected by it one at a time. Hence, they claim it is their duty to the world to prevent this from happening. The Viet Minh and the French troops continue warfare. 1954 May 7, 1954 - The French suffer a decisive defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. July 21, 1954 - The Geneva Accords creates a cease-fire for the peaceful withdrawal of the French from Vietnam and provides a temporary boundary between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel. 1955 In January, the first direct shipment of U.S. military aid to Saigon arrives. The U.S. also offers to train the fledgling South Vietnam Army. Ho Chi Minh s regime receives and accepts Soviet aid. October 23, 1955 - Bao Dai is ousted from power, defeated by Prime Minister Diem in a U.S.-backed plebiscite which was rigged. Diem is advised on consolidating power by U.S. Air Force Col. Edward G. Lansdale, who is attached to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). October 26, 1955 - The Republic of South Vietnam is proclaimed with Diem as its first president. In America, President Eisenhower pledges his support for the new government and offers military aid. 1956 In January 1956, Diem launches a brutal crackdown against Viet Minh suspects in the countryside. Those arrested are denied counsel and hauled before
"security committees" with many suspects tortured or executed under the guise of 'shot while attempting escape.' The French withdraw completely from Vietnam. 1957 The Soviet Union proposes permanent division of Vietnam into North and South, with the two nations admitted separately to the United Nations. The United States of America however, refuses to recognise the communist regime of Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam. 1959 The armed revolution begins as Ho Chi Minh declares a People's War to unite all of Vietnam under his leadership. His Politburo now orders a changeover to an all-out military struggle. United Nations Security Council Resolution 132, adopted on September 7, 1959, decides to appoint a sub-committee consisting of Argentina, Italy, Japan and Tunisia, and instructed it to examine statements made before the Council concerning Laos and to receive further statements and documents, and make inquiries and report to the Council as soon as possible. It was the only resolution adopted by the Security Council in 1959. July 8, 1959 - Two U.S. military advisors, Maj. Dale Buis and Sgt. Chester Ovnand, are killed by Viet Minh guerrillas at Bien Hoa, South Vietnam. They are the first American deaths in the region. 1960 Corruption increases in the President Diem run South Vietnamese regime which is backed by the USA. They begin to become unpopular among the people because of unpopular and unfair trials, torture and executions of people. Thousands who fear arrest flee to North Vietnam. The National Liberation Front is also called the Viet-kong is established in South Vietnam.
1961 The Soviet Union further pledges its support to the Ho Chi Minh regime. John F Kennedy becomes President of the United States of America. US Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson visits President Diem in South Vietnam and hails the embattled leader as the 'Winston Churchill of Asia.' The US sends troops to South Vietnam to train Vietnamese soldiers. They are called the Green Berets. By December 1961, the Viet Cong guerrillas control much of the countryside in South Vietnam and frequently ambush South Vietnamese troops. 1962 February 6, 1962 - MACV, the U.S. Military Assistance Command for Vietnam, is formed. It replaces MAAG-Vietnam, the Military Assistance Advisory Group which had been established in 1950. The Declaration on the Neutrality of Laos signed in Geneva by the U.S. and 13 other nations, prohibits U.S. invasion of portions of the Ho Chi Minh trail inside eastern Laos. 1963 The Viet Cong are victorious in the Battle of Ap Bac as 350 Viet Cong fighters defeat a large force of American-equipped South Vietnamese troops attempting to seize a radio transmitter. Political pressure mounts on the Kennedy administration to disassociate itself from Diem's repressive, family-run government. Diem responds to the deepening unrest by imposing martial law. US Ambassador Lodge reports a coup is "imminent." South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Nho are executed during a coup. Saigon celebrates the downfall of Diem's regime. Viet Cong use the unstable political situation to increase their hold over the rural population of South Vietnam to nearly 40 percent.
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas. Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th U.S. President. By year's end, there are 16,300 American military advisors in South Vietnam which received $500 million in U.S. aid during 1963. 1964 General Minh is ousted from power in a bloodless coup led by General Nguyen Khanh who becomes the new leader of South Vietnam. Secret U.S.-backed bombing raids begin against the Ho Chi Minh trail inside Laos, conducted by mercenaries flying old American fighter planes. The cost to America of maintaining South Vietnam's army and managing the overall conflict in Vietnam now rises to two million dollars per day. The U.S. National Security Council recommends the bombing of North Vietnam. President Johnson approves only the planning phase by the Pentagon. President Johnson's aides begin work on a Congressional resolution supporting the President's war policy in Vietnam. The resolution is shelved temporarily due to lack of support in the Senate, but will later be used as the basis of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. Summer - As 56,000 Viet Cong spread their successful guerrilla war throughout South Vietnam, they are reinforced by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) regulars pouring in via the Ho Chi Minh trail. Responding to this escalation, President Johnson approves Operation Plan 34A, CIA-run covert operations using South Vietnamese commandos in speed boats to harass radar sites along the coastline of North Vietnam. The raids are supported by U.S. Navy warships in the Gulf of Tonkin including the destroyer U.S.S. Maddox which conducts electronic surveillance to pinpoint the radar locations. General Maxwell D. Taylor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is appointed by President Johnson as the new U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam.
President Johnson also appoints Lt. Gen William C. Westmoreland to be the new U.S. military commander in Vietnam. June 4, 1964- United Nations Security Council Resolution 189 is adopted unanimously and deplores an incident caused by the penetration of units of the Republic of Vietnam in to Cambodia and requests compensation for the Cambodians. The resolution then requests that all States and authorities recognize and respect Cambodia's neutrality and territorial integrity, deciding to send 3 of its members to the places the most recent incidents had occurred to report back to the Council in 45 days with suggestions. Cambodia had previously complained of acts of aggression and intrusions by South Vietnamese and American troops into its territory. On July 24, 1964, the mission sent by the Council reported that the situation at the frontier remained tense and a solution had yet to be found. July 31, 1964 - In the Gulf of Tonkin, as part of Operation Plan 34A, South Vietnamese commandos in unmarked speed boats raid two North Vietnamese military bases located on islands just off the coast. In the vicinity is the destroyer U.S.S. Maddox. August 2, 1964 - Three North Vietnamese patrol boats attack the American destroyer U.S.S. Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin ten miles off the coast of North Vietnam. They fire three torpedoes and machine-guns, but only a single machine-gun round actually strikes the Maddox with no causalities. U.S. Navy fighters from the carrier Ticonderoga, led by Commander James Stockdale, attack the patrol boats, sinking one and damaging the other two. At the White House, it is Sunday morning (twelve hours behind Vietnam time). President Johnson, reacting cautiously to reports of the incident, decides against retaliation. Instead, he sends a diplomatic message to Hanoi warning of "grave consequences" from any further "unprovoked" attacks. Johnson then orders the Maddox to resume operations in the Gulf of Tonkin in the same vicinity where the attack had occurred. Meanwhile, the Joints Chiefs of Staff put U.S. combat troops on alert and also select targets in North Vietnam for a possible bombing raid, should the need arise. August 3, 1964 - The Maddox, joined by a second destroyer U.S.S. C. Turner Joy begin a series of vigorous zigzags in the Gulf of Tonkin sailing to within eight miles of North Vietnam's coast, while at the same time, South
Vietnamese commandos in speed boats harass North Vietnamese defenses along the coastline. By nightfall, thunderstorms roll in, affecting the accuracy of electronic instruments on the destroyers. Crew members reading their instruments believe they have come under torpedo attack from North Vietnamese patrol boats. Both destroyers open fire on numerous apparent targets but there are no actual sightings of any attacking boats. August 4, 1964 - Although immediate doubts arise concerning the validity of the second attack, the Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly recommend a retaliatory bombing raid against North Vietnam. At the White House, President Johnson decides to retaliate. Thus, the first bombing of North Vietnam by the United States occurs as oil facilities and naval targets are attacked without warning by 64 U.S. Navy fighter bombers. Two Navy jets are shot down during the bombing raids, resulting in the first American prisoner of war, Lt. Everett Alvarez of San Jose, California, who is taken to an internment center in Hanoi. August 7, 1964 - In response to the two incidents involving the Maddox and Turner Joy, the U.S. Congress, at the behest of President Johnson, overwhelmingly passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution put forward by the White House allowing the President "to take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force" to prevent further attacks against U.S. forces. The Resolution, passed unanimously in the House and 98-2 in the Senate, grants enormous power to President Johnson to wage an undeclared war in Vietnam from the White House. Furthermore, the United States of America threatens to carry out aerial campaigns in the near future. August 21, 1964 - In Saigon, students and Buddhist militants begin a series of escalating protests against General Khanh's military regime. As a result, Khanh resigns as sole leader in favor of a triumvirate that includes himself, Gen. Minh and Gen. Khiem. The streets of Saigon soon disintegrate into chaos and mob violence amid the government's gross instability. September 2, 1964 The United Nations Security Council is convened in order to discuss the escalating tensions in Vietnam and solutions to solve the conflict which does not only affect Vietnam but also Cambodia and Laos.
November 1964: Between the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the U.S. presidential election in November 1964, the situation in Vietnam had changed for the worse. In the countryside even the best ARVN units seemed incapable of defeating the main forces of the Viet Cong. The communists were now deliberately targeting U.S. military personnel and bases, beginning with a mortar attack on the U.S. air base at Bien Hoa near Saigon in November. Many of US President Johnson s advisers now began to argue for some sort of retaliation against the North. Air attacks against North Vietnam, they argued, would boost the morale of the shaky South Vietnamese and reassure them of continuing American commitment. February 1965: In mid-february, without public announcement, the United States began a campaign of sustained air strikes against the North that were code-named Rolling Thunder. The bombing campaign followed more frequent attacks. It was closely directed from the White House in order to avoid provoking the Chinese or Soviets through such actions as attacking ports where Soviet ships might be docked or hitting targets near the Chinese border. Yet it was soon apparent that the bombing would have little direct impact on the struggle in South Vietnam, where the communists appeared to be gaining ground inexorably. July 1965: US President Johnson took the final steps that would commit the United States to full-scale war in Vietnam: he authorized the dispatch of 100,000 troops immediately. December 1966: 100,000 more US soldiers were deployed in Vietnam. By the end of 1966, the United States had dropped more bombs on North Vietnam than it had dropped on Japan during World War II and more than it had dropped during the entire Korean War. Yet the bombing seemed to have little impact on the communists ability to carry on the war. North Vietnam was primarily an agricultural country with few industries to destroy. Many of the necessities of Hanoi s war effort came directly from China and the Soviet Union, which competed with each other to demonstrate support for Ho Chi Minh s heroic war against U.S. imperialism. The Soviets provided an estimated 1.8 billion rubles in military and economic aid and sent 3,000 military advisers and technicians along with sophisticated weapons to the North. China spent an estimated two billion dollars in assisting Hanoi; at the height of its effort, it had more than 300,000 engineering, medical, and anti-
aircraft artillery troops in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Even when bombing knocked out more than 80 percent of the North s petroleum-storage facilities during the summer of 1966, the CIA reported no discernible shortages of petroleum or disruption of transportation. While the air raids continued, North Vietnam progressively strengthened its air defenses with the help of the latest radars, anti-aircraft guns, missiles, and modern jet fighters supplied by the Soviets and Chinese. By the end of 1966 the United States had already lost almost 500 aircraft and hundreds of air crewmen killed or held as prisoners of war. October 1967: By October 1967 growing numbers of Americans were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the war. Some, especially students, intellectuals, academics, and clergymen, opposed the war on moral grounds, pointing out that large numbers of civilians in both the North and the South were becoming the chief victims of the war and that the United States was in reality supporting a corrupt and oppressive dictatorship in Saigon. In Hanoi the communist leadership was also becoming impatient with the progress of the war. Although pleased with their ability to hold their own against the more-numerous and better-armed Americans and their South Vietnamese allies, they were aware that the United States showed no sign of giving up its hopes of victory and indeed had continued to pour more troops into Vietnam 6. Questions a Resolution Must Answer (QARMA) i. What are the measures that can be taken to strike a peace agreement between the regimes of North and South Vietnam? ii. What are the parameters and measures that must be taken into consideration while chalking out the borders of North and South Vietnam in the outcome that peaceful reconciliation is not possible and the region must be divided? iii. Should the member nations start taking the necessary steps to recognise South Vietnam/North Vietnam as nations of the world and support their membership to the United Nations and other bodies? iv. What are the steps that must be taken to prevent the neighbouring countries from being affected by the armed conflict in Vietnam?
v. Should there be any military sanctions/economic sanctions imposed against nations providing military aid and support to the forces in North Vietnam/South Vietnam/Viet Kong? vi. What are the steps that can be taken to ensure that other member nations of the United Nations do not directly intervene in the armed conflict by supporting the North Vietnam/South Vietnam regimes? vii. What are the possibilities of providing financial aid to regions in North and South Vietnam that have suffered a great loss to life and property as a result of the armed conflict? viii. Is there a possibility of establishing a Transitional Federal Government under the auspices of the United Nations to ensure peace while a transitional strategy can be worked out? 7. References and Further Reading i. www.un.org ii. http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index.html iii. http://www.history-timelines.org.uk/events-timelines/06-vietnamwar-timeline.htm iv. http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/ v. http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war vi. https://www.cia.gov/