This study examines the Chieu Hoi amnesty program implemented during the Vietnam War. Chieu Hoi was an American-sponsored effort to weaken the communist insurgency through inducing large numbers of fighters to defect and join the side of the South Vietnamese government. Those who defected became known as “ralliers.” Chieu Hoi has received relatively little attention in the otherwise extensive historical treatment of the Vietnam conflict. The literature that does exist examining Chieu Hoi is fairly critical of the program. Through a multi-archival research approach, this study explores the program in greater depth than has been done to date and offers a more nuanced account of the program’s role in the Vietnam War. This study has arrived at several major findings about the Chieu Hoi program in Vietnam. First, deep divisions between the United States and South Vietnam emerged over the purpose and value of the program during the course of the war. Specifically, aspects of the program that addressed issues relevant to national identity were met with greatest resistance. Second, despite the resistance that American officials faced in the most ambitious aspects of the program, Chieu Hoi clearly demonstrated its value and effectiveness in weakening the communist insurgency in Vietnam. This was evident through the overall scale of defections during the program’s operation and was underscored by internal discussions of Chieu Hoi found in captured insurgent documents. Third, an important learning process took place during Chieu Hoi’s implementation. Social science research revealed the prevalence of non-ideological factors in motivating insurgency participation and these findings were used to modify inducement strategies over time. This study helps to address a void in the Vietnam War literature and, in doing so, offers a new perspective on an important and complex program that has been unjustly neglected.
The Ralliers: a study of the Chieu Hoi amnesty program in South Vietnam
Winn, A. (Author). 1 Feb 2018
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy