Shii visits Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam

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Shii visits Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam

A Japanese Communist Party delegation to Vietnam headed by Chair Shii Kazuo on January 14 visited the Cu Chi Tunnels historical site, an immense network of underground tunnels used as a base of military operations by the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are located 75 km to the northwest of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), then the capital of the U.S.-backed puppet regime. The 250-kilometer tunnel network from which the NFL guerrilla fighters inflicted major damage on the U.S. forces is now recognized as a heroic monument.

The delegation members received explanations from Historic Site Administrative Commission Advisor Huynh Van Chia, who had taken part in the combat operations as a guerrilla fighter. They offered incense sticks at the mausoleum where the names of the war dead are inscribed.

Shii said, "I have deepened my respect for the Vietnamese people's struggles. I strongly hope for further development of friendship between Japanese and Vietnamese peoples."
- Akahata, January 15, 2007