STOP-TORTURE APPEALS MADE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 15

STOP-TORTURE APPEALS MADE

(N.Z.P.A Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, July 15. Two Labour members of Parliament and Lord Brockway have written letters to President Johnson appealing to him to stop the alleged torture of prisoners of war in Vietnam.

The members, Mr Michael Foot and Mr Frank Allaun, and Lord Brockway have also made a similar appeal to the President Ho Chi Minh, of North Vietnam. The letter to President Johnson said: “We are writing to appeal to you to order the stopping of torture of those taken prisoner by the United States forces in Vietnam.

“We make this appeal to you because we fear such torture inflames public opinion in the East and makes it harder to secure peace.”

In their letter to President Ho, they said: “We are writing to appeal to you not to agree to any possible proposals to try captured American airmen as war criminals.” The letter goes on: “While understanding the justifiable anger of the Vietnamese people against the American Government, which, we believe, is mainly responsible for the war, we nevertheless ask you to distinguish between the war-like policies of the Government and those who are ordered to carry them out.”