Le Duc Tho
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Lê Ðức Thọ, or Phan Ðinh Khải, (October 14, 1911 - October 13, 1990) was a Vietnamese revolutionary, general, diplomat, and politician.
Le was born "Phan Dinh Khai" in the Nam Ha province of Vietnam.
In 1930, Le helped found the Indochinese Communist Party. French colonial forces imprisoned him from 1930 to 1936 and again from 1939 to 1944. After his release in 1945 he helped lead the Viet Minh, the Vietnamese independence movement against the French, until the Geneva Accords were signed in 1954. He then joined the Lao Dong Politburo of the Vietnam Workers' Party in 1955, now the Communist Party of Vietnam. Le oversaw the Communist insurgency that began in 1956 against the South Vietnam government.
Paris Peace Accords
The United States actively joined the Vietnam War during the early 1960s. Several rounds of Paris Peace Talks (some public, some secret) were held between 1968 and 1973. Le replaced Xuan Thuy as the primary representative of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at these talks in February, 1970. Le and United States Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger eventually negotiated a cease-fire in the Paris Peace Accords of January 27, 1973. The basic tenets of the Accords included: release of POWs within 60 days; ceasefire to be monitored by International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICC); free and democratic elections to be held in South Vietnam; U.S. aid to South Vietnam would continue; DRV troops could remain in South Vietnam; reunification of Vietnam.
While January 27 is generally recognized as the enactment date of the Peace Accords, the talks continued out of necessity. Sporadic fighting continued in some regions. While U.S. ground forces were removed by March 29th, bombing continued in North Vietnam. Negotiators felt North Vietnam was dragging its feet on POW issues. Due to continued allegations of ceasefire violations by all sides, Dr. Kissinger and Le Duc Tho met in Paris in May and June of 1973 for the purpose of getting the implementation of the peace agreement back on track. On June 13, 1973, the United States and the DRV signed a joint communique pledging mutual support for full implementation of the Paris Accords.
Le Duc Tho and Dr. Kissinger were jointly awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. Le, however, refused to accept the prize, on the grounds that his country was not yet at peace.
Le directed the first Vietnamese forces in their initial invasion of Cambodia in 1978. He then left the military, but remained in the Politburo until 1986. Le died in Hanoi on October 13, 1990.
External Links
- October, 1968 Conversation between Le and Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi (http://wwics.si.edu/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=library.document&id=359)
- Photo of Le Duc Tho and Kissinger (http://history.acusd.edu/gen/20th/RN/page222.html)de:Le Duc Tho