American Strategic Deception Bureau

　In order to get money from the socialist camp, Prince Sihanouk had to provide certain conveniences to North Vietnam, including allowing the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" to pass through Cambodia's northeastern territory, tacitly allowing the North Vietnamese army and the Southern Viet Cong guerrillas to be stationed on the Cambodian border near South Vietnam, and even tolerating the Cambodian Communist Party supported by North Vietnam, which would later become the Khmer Rouge, to develop its power in the countryside - he believed that this could balance the right wing in Cambodia.

　Finally, Prince Sihanouk allowed the Viet Cong to use the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville as a transit point, and smuggled the arms and ammunition unloaded by Soviet cargo ships at Sihanoukville to their bases along the Mekong Delta coast by sea using fishing boats, thus forming a "Maritime Ho Chi Minh Trail."

　As we all know, the shipping capacity of sea transportation far exceeds that of any form of land transportation, not to mention that the Ho Chi Minh Trail is currently inaccessible even to cars.

　Therefore, in the early years of the Vietnam War, the amount of weapons and ammunition transported from Sihanoukville, Cambodia, to the hands of the Viet Cong guerrillas in the south via the "Maritime Ho Chi Minh Trail" far exceeded the amount of war materials that were transported over mountains and hills to South Vietnam via the "Authentic Ho Chi Minh Trail."

　It can be said that Cambodia is currently the logistics base of the Viet Cong, roughly equivalent to Türkiye standing behind the Syrian rebels in the 21st century.

　Alas, claiming to be a neutral country, but making "neutrality" look like this, Cambodia's inclination in the Vietnam War is simply obvious!

　Obviously, the Kingdom of Cambodia's blatant hostility would greatly anger the South Vietnamese regime. Coupled with the existing border territorial conflicts between the two sides, the South Vietnamese Ngo Dinh Diem regime repeatedly carried out armed provocations on the Cambodia-Vietnam border to create friction in order to intimidate Cambodia.

　But this in turn stimulated Cambodia's Sihanouk regime, causing it to move further to the left and towards North Vietnam.

　The smuggling of arms from Sihanoukville to the Viet Cong base in the south also changed from turning a blind eye to actively releasing them in large quantities.

　The White House and Pentagon were naturally furious about Cambodia, a neutral country that received tens of millions of dollars in annual US aid yet remained "not neutral at all." However, they were unable to come up with any countermeasures, as they were afraid to further expand the Vietnam War.

　Even so, the Kingdom of Cambodia, taking advantage of the US's fear of harm, secretly allowed the Vietcong to smuggle arms in Sihanoukville. But now, it actually allowed the North Vietnamese regular army to attack South Vietnamese cities through its territory, and this was after the US military had officially entered the Vietnam War...

　Isn’t this a bit too much?

　This is simply a slap in the face of the American imperial teacher, okay?

　"I think this might be because Prince Sihanouk doesn't want to see the resurgence of Ha Tien. Because this name also claims some of Cambodia's coastal territory...Prince Sihanouk previously expressed his concerns about this matter to the White House through diplomatic channels."

　Dr. Kissinger speculated, “But we never dreamed that his reaction would be so intense…”

　Over 200 years ago, Mo Jiu, who founded the Ha Tien Kingdom, served as an official in the Cambodian court when he first arrived in Southeast Asia. Later, when he arrived in the western Mekong Delta and established the Ha Tien Kingdom from scratch, he initially considered himself a vassal state of Cambodia (Chenla).

　Therefore, the territory of Ha Tien Kingdom during its heyday spanned present-day Cambodia and Vietnam.

　Of the seven cities that made up the core territory of Ha Tien, four were located in South Vietnam and three were in Cambodia.

　——If the territory of Ha Tien Kingdom had not been split in half, how could Ha Tien Port become a border city between Vietnam and Cambodia?

　In ancient times, which country would be willing to place its capital on the border unless it was absolutely necessary?

　If calculated based on the territorial scope of Ha Tien Kingdom during its most prosperous period, then even Sihanoukville belongs to Ha Tien Kingdom!

　Cambodia's already short coastline was about to be taken away by more than half by the Ha Tien Kingdom.

　Therefore, it is understandable that the Kingdom of Cambodia expressed doubts and disgust when it learned that the United States wanted to rebuild the Ha Tien Kingdom in the Mekong Delta... However, this does not require allowing the North Vietnamese regular army to pass through its own territory, right?

　Could it be that Prince Sihanouk doesn’t understand the principle that “it is easier to invite gods than to send them away”?

　Today, the former "White South Vietnam" has collapsed, and Cambodia's neighbor has become the Red Vietcong. Previously, several provinces in eastern Cambodia were already home to large numbers of Vietcong guerrillas and North Vietnamese regular troops. Now, if the North Vietnamese army were to enter Sihanoukville...

　Could the poorly trained and battle-hardened Royal Cambodian Army, with a total strength of only 30,000 men, deter such a formidable host? The Khmer people of Cambodia had been enemies with the Vietnamese for over two centuries.

　Cambodia is so defenseless against the Viet Cong. Could it be that they are really not afraid of opening the door to thieves?

　Does Prince Sihanouk still remember that he is also a feudal monarch reactionary who the red bandits want to overthrow?

　Although everyone thought Prince Sihanouk was crazy, no matter how much they complained, the fall of Ha Tien Port was inevitable.

　At this point, faced with a fait accompli, the Americans were helpless. Their only option was to mobilize as many ships and vessels as possible, organizing a rescue operation to relocate the defeated soldiers and refugees from Ha Tien Port to Phu Quoc Island, 40 kilometers away.

　The Zhao Shi Zhen, the ship that Fili and Kissinger were on, was also added.

　They joined the rescue operation, carrying refugees back and forth on the sea.

　On June 2, 1963, Ha Tien Port finally fell, and the Viet Cong completely controlled the entire Mekong Delta region under the rule of the former South Vietnamese regime.

　With 300,000 refugees pouring in at once, Phu Quoc Island quickly fell into a dire survival crisis...

　Author's words: PS: Funny story, the Arab media translated "Lun Yu" as "The Analects of Confucius", and are teaching something like Confucius looking at a corpse floating on the river; if I know the way to your home in the morning, you can die in the evening; since you are here, you will be buried here, and so on.

　Also, benevolence is to split a person in half, and righteousness is to hammer a person's head into his chest.

　Arab netizens all agree with this and believe that China is now acting in accordance with the "Lun Yu".

　Chapter 256: Phu Quoc Island is overcrowded

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　Phu Quoc Island, the largest island in Vietnam, covers an area of ​​589 square kilometers. It is located on the eastern waters of the Gulf of Thailand, 40 kilometers east of the Vietnamese coast and 12 kilometers north of the Cambodian coast. It has clear waters, sparkling white sand beaches, and dreamy coral reefs. It is comparable to the French Riviera of Mauritius and is not inferior to the European-style towns of Croatia... It is full of romantic charm like the Garden of Eden.

　Here, you'll find the world's longest cable car, allowing visitors to view the sea from a drone's perspective, offering breathtaking aerial views of the tropical scenery. There's also a fairytale castle, comparable to Disneyland, with its magnificent spires brimming with girlish dreams. And there's a vast wildlife park, where you can often see majestic lions strolling with their lionesses, plump hippos splashing in the water at their characteristically slow pace, giraffes poking their heads out from the treetops, and zebras roaming the grass.

　In the north of Phu Quoc Island lies Phu Quoc World, a colorful town modeled after the European water city of Venice. It is filled with canals, statues, and a variety of shops and exhibition halls. Visitors can take a gondola ride around and enjoy Venetian-style carnival performances.

　Next door to Phu Quoc World is the Thousand and One Nights-themed Pearl Land, known as Vietnam's Disneyland. It boasts roller coasters, a giant Ferris wheel, and a fairytale castle. There's also a giant turtle-shaped aquarium and a truly stunning mermaid show.

　In the southern part of Phu Quoc Island lies the Mediterranean-style Sunset Town. Its Southern European-style houses are nestled among coconut and palm trees, facing the pristine white sand beach and the vast expanse of the Gulf of Thailand. Every night, there's a spectacular light show...

　Of course, all of the above dreamlike tropical island tourism resources will only be available sixty years later.

　In June 1963, there was only a dilapidated fishing port, Yang Dong Town, and a series of refugee camps on Phu Quoc Island.

　The future will be a safari, an island jungle roaming with lions, hippos, and giraffes. Now, it's a patchwork of tents and shacks. Amidst torrential downpours, sewage overflows, a foul stench, and rampant violence, chaos reigns.

　Originally, the total population of this small island was less than 50,000. Now, 300,000 refugees have suddenly poured in. How could this not be a mess?

　When David Halbernstein, a war correspondent for The New York Times, arrived for an interview on a warship from Da Nang, he found that the refugee camps on Phu Quoc Island were in chaos. Most of the people lacked food, clothing, medical care, and medicine, and were crying out in hunger.

　Occasionally, a truck with the flag of the International Red Cross drove into the refugee camp, and immediately thousands of refugees rushed in like a tide, blocking the road and surrounding the trucks so tightly that the US military helping to escort humanitarian supplies had to fire warning shots.

　As it is now the rainy season in Indochina, heavy rain has been pouring down on Phu Quoc Island, causing many refugees without a roof over their heads to huddle in dirty mud and water, drinking rainwater and going hungry. For a time, the epidemic spread, making the island like purgatory.

　A U.S. Marine Corps officer who saw this scene couldn't help but exclaim that he felt like he was back on Guadalcanal!

　-

　In the Mazu Temple in Yangdong Town, the largest town on Phu Quoc Island, several powerful figures in the area are holding an emergency response meeting.

　The local mayor, a Chinese man in his seventies, crouched in a corner with a gloomy face. Although he was nominally the local representative, with the influx of thousands of unwelcome visitors, the indigenous people of Phu Quoc Island were now marginalized and had little say.

　Chen Lichun, the former First Lady of South Vietnam, also known as "Madame Dragon," was also present at the Mazu temple. She looked much more haggard, as if she had aged ten years in just a few days. She remained silent throughout the entire meeting, her expression akin to someone whose heart was broken.

　That’s right, now her husband is dead, her children are dead, her country is destroyed, and she can no longer be the first lady. It’s good enough that she can still live strong!

　The host of this meeting was Dr. Henry Kissinger, the special envoy of the US President. He sat at the head of the conference table, like a star surrounded by stars, with his back against the statue of Mazu. Fieri, the former commander of the US military in Vietnam, sat next to Kissinger. Behind him stood the black interns brought by Kissinger. Several Hoa Hao militia leaders and former South Vietnamese naval officers were also present.

　Other civil and military officials from the former South Vietnamese regime who had escaped from Saigon all sat respectfully below, as if they were "listening to instructions from the angels of the American Empire."

　However, looking at so many respectful and earnest gazes, Dr. Kissinger felt very uncomfortable, as if he was sitting on a fire pit.

　——There is no way. The current situation facing Phu Quoc Island is really too bad.

　It can be said that it has become a powder keg, and it is about to explode alive by 300,000 refugees!

　"General Westmoreland has urgently transferred 5000 military tents and one million D-type military rations from Da Nang to Phu Quoc Island.

　The Pacific Fleet Command also gathered 2000 tents from its base in Okinawa, Thailand sent 800 tons of rice and 1000 cases of Spam, and the International Red Cross just delivered a shipload of relief food. But for the 300,000 refugees on Phu Quoc Island, it's still a drop in the bucket.

　Kissinger flipped open his notebook and said bitterly, "Currently, the food supply on Phu Quoc Island is only enough to last for two weeks. But compared with the food supply, the problems of sanitation and epidemic prevention seem to be more serious.

　The UN Health Commissioner, who recently arrived, reported after an inspection that 70% of the refugees on the island lack clean drinking water and that mosquitoes and flies are infested. "If effective measures aren't taken soon, most refugee camps are at risk of major outbreaks of dysentery and malaria."

　"I've telegraphed to Da Nang, requesting General Westmoreland airlift a batch of water purification chemicals and medicine. However, due to the recent heavy rains, the conditions at Phu Quoc Island's airport are too rudimentary. Transport planes may not be able to take off or land. We'll have to airdrop supplies or use destroyers for transportation."

　Fili interrupted, "Also, even if medicine can be transferred, housing can't be airlifted in. We still have to find a way to free up as much housing as possible for the refugees. Otherwise, if they are left out in the wild and exposed to the rain every day, even if they have enough food and water, they will still get sick..."

　After hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to the old mayor of Yang Dongzhen in the corner. He was so frightened that he shrank his neck on the spot.

　After listening to the translator's gibberish, the old mayor waved his hands, indicating that he was powerless. "There are no houses left. There really are no houses left! The streets and alleys of Yangdong Town are now crammed with people! The other villages are similar, all packed like cans!"

　"After the navy evacuates Phu Quoc Island, the barracks left behind can be used as refugee camps. They should be of some use, right?"

　Colonel Hu Tien Quan, the former South Vietnamese naval commander, stepped forward at this moment and generously stated this. The other former South Vietnamese civil and military officials who were preparing to relocate to Da Nang and take refuge in Quang Nam also echoed this sentiment, saying that once they left, the vacated apartments would be given to the refugees.

　Even though their house was originally requisitioned from landlords' houses and hotels on Phu Quoc Island...

　Philip's mission on this trip to Phu Quoc was to persuade the former South Vietnamese Navy to change their flag, sail north to Da Nang, and join the newly established Quang Nam Kingdom, Zun Shiding, thereby changing their name to the Quang Nam Navy. This mission was accomplished with almost no effort.

　Colonel Hu Jinquan, the naval commander trapped on Phu Quoc Island, and his officers have been looking forward to the recruitment from Da Nang for a long time!

　After all, there was really nothing on this small island except fish. They couldn't even pay the soldiers, and there was no place to resupply fuel and ammunition. Apart from obeying the orders of their American father and going to Da Nang to collect their pay and supplies, what other options did these sailors have?

　You can't just hoist the red flag and take the fleet to join the Red South Vietnam, right?

　Well, the Viet Cong did send people to instigate the sailors to rebel, and even threatened the sailors' families in Saigon, Vung Tau and other places.

　But the problem was that the bloody purge being carried out by the Viet Cong in Saigon made their promises and guarantees sound completely unreliable.

　Moreover, unlike the army, where a few soldiers could escape the barracks and flee with their weapons as long as they agreed, the navy needed at least half of the crew on a ship to be united, and there had to be enough fuel to keep the ship moving.

　In the end, only a part of the sailors deserted and ran away, while most of the naval officers and soldiers were still determined to follow Colonel Hu Jinquan to Da Nang to serve as the Guangnan Navy.

　If Colonel Hu Jinquan and the former South Vietnamese navy fled to Da Nang, the barracks they had previously occupied and built on the island could be used as a refugee camp. However, even with the former South Vietnamese high-ranking officials' residences added in, the total vacated housing could only accommodate a maximum of 10,000 people. Given the massive refugee backlog on the island, this still felt like a drop in the bucket.

　"The bottom line is, there are more than 300,000 people crammed onto the tiny island of Phu Quoc. This population density is inherently unreasonable."

　A US military advisor interjected, "Since Colonel Hu's navy is going to Da Nang, can they transport tens of thousands of refugees there?"

　"I'm afraid that's not a good idea. General Zun Shiding is under immense pressure. He needs to find a place to house the troops and their families evacuated from the Central Highlands. Furthermore, only a small number of refugees who fled the occupied territories made it to Phu Quoc Island. The majority went to Nha Trang, Qui Nhon, Hoi An, and Da Nang, which are also full of refugee camps, with many people sleeping rough in every city."

　Dr. Kissinger shook his head. "Phu Quoc Island is overwhelmed by refugees, and the situation in Guangnan is similar. They can't help us much."

　“What about other countries?

　Can the country share some of the refugee burden on this island?"

　An American diplomat who fled from Saigon to Phu Quoc Island stood up and asked.

　"Regarding this issue... At Secretary Rusk's urging, King Rama IX of Thailand established a refugee camp in U-Tapao. However, the Thai side stated that they could only accept a maximum of 30,000 refugees; any more would exceed their capacity."

　Dr. Kissinger replied, “Then the Federation of Malaya offered to take 3000 refugees and to resettle them in Singapore.

　After persuasion from our diplomats, Singapore reluctantly agreed, but claimed that they would only accept Chinese refugees..."

　Well, at this moment, Singapore has not yet separated from Malaysia, and the two are still in the same country.

　They just dislike each other, cause trouble for each other, and have all kinds of disagreements, which are already very serious.

　One of the manifestations of this was that the Federation of Malaya, while pretending to be humanitarian by taking in refugees to boost its reputation, at the same time, stuffed the refugees into Singapore.

　"Taiwan and the Philippines both refused to accept refugees, while Hong Kong agreed to take in a symbolic 200 people, but nothing else."

　Dr. Kissinger continued, “In the end, there were still more than 200,000 people who could only struggle to survive on this island.”

　As for the Kingdom of Cambodia, which is closest to Phu Quoc Island, no one present mentioned it at all.

　If Cambodia's Prince Sihanouk had not allowed the North Vietnamese army to pass through, catching the Hoa Hao militia by surprise, then Ha Tien Port, with its strategic location backed by Pingshan Mountain and facing the sea, might not have fallen thanks to the overwhelming support of naval and air firepower.

　Since the Kingdom of Cambodia has clearly sided with the Viet Cong, how can we expect Prince Sihanouk to share the burden of refugees on Phu Quoc Island?

　In short, after deducting the refugees who could be transferred to foreign countries, there were still more than 200,000 refugees and defeated soldiers on Phu Quoc Island, who had to be resettled locally.

　Dr. Kissinger had no choice but to act like a beggar, sending telegrams everywhere to beg for money, collecting tents and building materials to provide them with shelter from the rain, and preparing food, fuel, and medicine, begging for humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the Red Cross to keep as many refugees as possible alive.

　It is conceivable that the more than 200,000 refugees stranded on the island will have to go through a very difficult rainy season.

　But there was nothing that could be done about it. During the rainy season, the Viet Cong guerrillas also dug holes in the ground and slept in huts. There was no reason why these refugees couldn't endure it - at least they didn't have to fear bombing by American planes, nor did they have to worry about being surrounded and hunted by the enemy!

　-

　The resettlement of refugees has been preliminarily finalized, and the next topic is the more sensitive organization of the regime.

　With the fall of Ha Tien Port, the "Ha Tien Kingdom" plan originally planned by Firi and Dr. Kissinger was stillborn.

　Then, we can only settle for the second best and let these remnants of South Vietnam to circle the island of Phu Quoc and become island tycoons.

　For more than a month, the force that actually controlled the island was South Vietnamese Navy Commander Hu Tien Quan. However, the nature of the navy itself made it difficult for him to become a warlord, and his fleet could not be separated from the logistical support of the United States.

　Therefore, after finding a new destination in Da Nang, Hu Jinquan decisively chose to run away and left Phu Quoc Island without any nostalgia.

　In this case, the people who will rule Phu Quoc Island in the future will naturally be the black-robed monks of the Hoa Hao sect who have brought hundreds of thousands of believers to the island.

　Several sharp-looking monks in black robes were seen whispering to each other in the meeting hall. They said, "We are monks and should not be obsessed with power. However, the world is in chaos and demons are rampant. To protect the believers, we have no choice but to step forward and benefit the people."

　——In short, the goal is to transform Phu Quoc Island into a "Buddhist Republic" regime similar to the Kashag of old Tibet.

　Unlike Cao Dai, which created a "big-eyed" figure as its supreme deity, Hoa Hao, South Vietnam's second-largest local sect, is not actually an independent religion but rather a branch of Theravada Buddhism, somewhat similar to China's White Lotus Sect. Therefore, Hoa Hao adherents also claim to be Buddhists and advocate compassion, universal love, universal harmony, and karma. At first glance, aside from the fact that everyone wears black, they appear not much different from ordinary Buddhists.

　Of course, since the leader of the Hoa Hao Sect, Huang Fuchu, was able to establish his own sect in 1939, it shows that it is different from ordinary Buddhism.

　Specifically, the Hoa Hao sect does not build temples or create Buddha statues. Instead, it uses a piece of red cloth instead of a statue, and only uses flowers and water as offerings.

　After the leader Huang Phu Thu was killed by the Viet Cong, the Hoa Hao Sect placed Huang Phu Thu's photo under a red cloth as a memorial, and that was all.

　Compared to traditional Buddhism, which requires the construction of magnificent temples and the casting of expensive bronze Buddhas, and therefore demands huge donations from believers and collects large amounts of incense money under various pretexts, Hoa Hao Buddhism is much less exploitative and is more easily accepted by poor Vietnamese farmers.

　To put it in a metaphorical way, it's very similar to the Christian heresy that launched the "iconoclastic movement" during the Byzantine Empire. However, compared to Christianity, Hoa Hao, as a branch of Buddhism, is more inclusive.