HILT the doves and hawks on both sides in the Vietnam war continue their search for a peace formula in Paris, the South Vietnam Government has shown it has little time for a dove-like approach to the Viet Cong.
A military tribunal in Saigon has jailed for five years, with hard labour, Mr. Truong Dinh Dzu, 51, the lawyer who was runner-up in last year's South Vietnam Presidential election, on a charge of conduct "detrimental to the anti-Communist spirit of the people and armed forces."
Mr. Dzu's offence was to advocate peace negotiations between the South Vietnamese Government and the Viet Cong. There is no appeal against either verdict or sentence.
His lawyer said at the trial, which lasted less than two hours, that Mr. Dzu took the view that not all of the Viet Cong were Communists and that it was with the non-Communists that talks should be held.
The case for the prosecution was based on statements made by Mr. Dzu in April in an interview with the Times and United Press International news agency. The interview with the Times, in which he suggested a Coalition Government of Viet Cong and antiCommunist elements, was subsequenty broadcast to South Vietnam in the B.B.C.'s Vietnamese service.
Mr. Dzu polled over 800,000 votes in the Presidential election, compared with the 1,650,000 of President Nguyen Van Thicu. He stood as a peace candidate and after the result was declared he accused the ruling party of "rigging"the result.