Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
TOP SECRET – Sensitive
of riots which:
"Broke out when a gang of reactionaries, taking advantage of the mistakes comm itted during the political implementation of land reform, molested soldiers and cadres of the people's regime, seized quantities of arms and blocked traffic. Many dead and wounded are reported among the soldiers and cadre .... Drastic measures have been taken to maintain security .... Regional administrative committees have intensified efforts to correct mistakes committed in the agrarian reform program, and are now satisfying the legitimate aspirations of all compatriots, including the Catholics .... " 33/
On 17 November, however, Hanoi disclosed that "troops and cadres .... tried to reason with the people but were man-handled. This ended in a clash in which a few persons were killed and wounded, including some army men … Security services are now taking the necessary steps to maintain order and security and to protect the compatriots' lives and property … " 34/ On 21 November, Nhan Dan, the government nevspaper) noted that: "Nghe An is the province in which party organizations existed as early as 1930. But it is in the same province that the most serious mistakes have been made … ," and went on to deplore the execution and beatings of party members. 35/
What happened indicates that the populace of North Vietnam must have been living at the time under severe tension. The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) had been deployed in strength into the rural areas to support the Land Reform Campaign:, and it was reportedly through PAVN channels that the DRV first learned of imp ending revolt. Local garrisons had been reinforced as citizens grew more restive, and units composed of regrouped southerners were sent into exceptionally tense areas.
On November 9, 1956, several hundred aggrieved peasants assembled in a market pl ace near Vinh--a predominantly Catholic arp.a --to petition an ICC team to arrange for some of them to migrate to S out~ Vietnam, and for return of confiscated land to others . The following morning a special DRV propaganda team and a contingent of 11VA troops arrived, and several arrests were attempted. A riot ensued) which spread into insurrection. On the night of 13 November PAVN troops stormed into the town, scattering the rebels and inflicting heavy casualties. Thousands of peasants then swarmed over their local government offices, destroying land records, and blocking roads. Some militia deserted and joined the rebels, and attacks on nearby DRV troops were attempted . Bernard Fall, in a 1957 article, described four columns of some 10)000 peasants marching in the province capital) seizing arrrtS from troops ) and forcing party cadres to sign confessions of crimes . 36/ Two reinforced army divisions, some 20,000 strong, were committed to put down the uprising. 37/.
The casualties resulting from the revolt are not known. Fall states that "close to 6000 farmers were deported or executed." 38/ Ngo Dinh Diem in Saigon cited "massacres" in the North) claimed to have
