The Swedish government has never advocated a righteous Vietnam policy.

Sometimes we are allowed to hear some beautiful government words. But in

practice the government has often supported the U.S. imperialism

directly. Therefore we must increase our support to the NLF and combat

U.S. imperialism.

In a speech January 18, 1965, the Swedish foreign minister Torsten

Nilsson said: "We miss the suppositions to judge safely if the American

tactics conduct the raised objectives."

Which were the tactics? Continued murdering and escalation of the

aggression in Vietnam. The objectives? The U.S. government talked about

peace and lied about "aggression from the North". Why should "we" not be

able to "judge" and condemn this?

"In the Vietnam conflict it is hard to determine to what degree the

participants have support for their activity in international treaties

and folkjudical rules."

What does Torsten Nilsson mean by "activity"? The U.S "activity" was an

aggressive war and the "activity" of the Vietnamese was a defense

struggle. Which international treaties and folkjudical rules support an

aggressive war and condemn resistance fight?

"The thing that has upset the Swedish public most during recent months

are the increasing number of testimonies about terror and mass reprisals

used by both sides in Vietnam. The government shares the Swedish

people's disgust for terror activities and reprisal methods, however

they are motivated."

Torsten Nilsson does not distinguish between aggressor and victim. Did

the "terror and mass reprisals" used by e.g. the Norwegian resistance

fighters against the Nazi occupants and their Norwegian puppets during

the Second World War also disgust the Swedish minister of foreign

affairs? Victims of aggression always have the rights to defend

themselves with all possible means.

This was only three short quotations from the minister of foreign

affairs in 1965. But they show clearly the government's attitude in

basic questions: it refuses consistently to take a stand against the US

imperialists aggressive war and for the Vietnamese just resistance

struggle. This implies nothing else but a support to the United States.

And those that have given their wholehearted support to the NLF-- the

Vietnam demonstrators--have been condemned in reactionary statement.

About 200 have been sentenced to pay fines. Recently a NLF activist was

sentenced to jail. December 20, 1967 in Stockholm the police, blessed by

the government attacked a demonstration for support to the NLF, Many

were mishandled.

The government tried as long as possible to stop the Russel Tribunal

from being held in Sweden--the same Tribunal that demasked many US war

crimes in Vietnam. Prime Minister Tage Erlander said that the Tribunal

did not further peace in Vietnam.

The government helps make the US imperialist policy possible by

supporting the US dollar, which has been weakened by the same

imperialist policy: military bases all over the world, military support

to dozens of reactionary regimes, etc.

The government even refuses to give a statement about SENTAB and other

Swedish enterprises, that give direct support to the US war in South

East Asia.

The government refuses to give asylum to the Vietnam War Refusers

seeking refuge in Sweden. In this way it "escapes" taking a stand to the

US war.

All these acts against the Vietnamese people's struggle have been

blended with halfhearted statements supporting the NLF, The government

have swayed to and fro in the Vietnam question since 1965. Its last

"stand" was taken in the parliament foreign affairs debate recently.

Torsten Nilsson then informed that the Swedish government will present

the DRV with fertilizers worth 10 million Swedish Kronor. He "hoped"

that South Vietnam would be included in the aid program, "but as long as

the bombing goes in South Vietnam it is useless to give any help".

Also now Torsten Nilsson refuses to take any stand. The bombs do not

fall by themselves. For years they have been dropped at the command of

the U.S. imperialists. But the government pretends knowing nothing about

it.

Thus we can see that the government now as before conducts a means.

policy of support to the US imperialists. Of course the government has

taken some positive stands; the recognition of the DRV, permission for

the NLF information office in Stockholm. But these decisions were not

taken by the government on its own initiative; it has been forced by the

firm public opinion.

We cannot expect the government to act differently in the future.

Therefore we must continue the work for solidarity with the Vietnamese

people and increase the support to the NLF.

The United NLF-groups of Sweden