The Village of Ben Suc - Permanent Resettlement

"Presently, a reporter from Life asked Colonel Ba where the villagers would be moved for permanent resettlement.

"'We are not sure where they will go yet. They will go to another province in about two months, I think,' he answered." (p94)

"The reporter pursued the matter of a permanent resettlement area with Colonel White. 'Tell me, Colonel, in the new area, will these people be working at the same occupations as they did before?'

"Yes, they will. They will be able to farm just as before. We are giving each family a compensation of five thousand piastres [about thirty-eight dollars].

"'Most of these people are rice farmers. Could you tell me about some of the problems of getting a paddy going? I understand that there are a lot of difficulties at the beginning.'

"'Yes, we are aware of this, and plan to do everything that's necessary for that, " Colonel White answered. As an afterthought, he added, "Maybe they'll grow vegetables.'" (p95)

[How much is 5000 piastres. The Americans hired young Vietnamese men and women to be 'Revolutionary Development Workers' in the resettlement camps. They were supposedly there to bring the villagers 'round to embrace their new position within the camps. They were paid 3250 piastres a month. (p 113) So, the people were given less then two months of a young mans wage to 'compensate' for losing their home, community, farm, possessions, and livelihood.]