The Indochinese Communist Party (ICP), km, បក្សកុម្មុយនីស្តឥណ្ឌូចិន, lo, ອິນດູຈີນພັກກອມມູນິດ, zh, t=印度支那共產黨 was a
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
which was transformed from the old
Vietnamese Communist Party (Vietnamese: ''Việt Nam Cộng sản Đảng'') in October 1930. This party dissolved itself on 11 November 1945.
Background
The
Vietnamese Communist Party was founded on 3 February 1930 by uniting the
Communist Party of Indochina
The Communist Party of Indochina ( Vietnamese: ''Đông Dương Cộng sản Đảng'' 1929–1930) is one of three predecessors of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Other two predecessors are the Communist Party of Annam (An Nam cộng sản Đả ...
(despite its name, this party was active only in
Tonkin
Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...
) and the
Communist Party of Annam (active only in
Cochinchina
Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; vi, Đàng Trong (17th century - 18th century, Việt Nam (1802-1831), Đại Nam (1831-1862), Nam Kỳ (1862-1945); km, កូសាំងស៊ីន, Kosăngsin; french: Cochinchine; ) is a historical exon ...
). Thereafter, the
Communist League of Indochina (active only in
central Annam) joined the Vietnamese Communist Party. However, the
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by ...
argued that the communist movement should be promoted in the whole of
French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
(including
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
,
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
and
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
) rather than only in Vietnam, therefore it urged the Vietnamese Communist Party to transform itself into the Indochinese Communist Party.
[">"Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Movement"](_blank)
. The
Communist International
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by ...
had a substantial degree of control both over the party's policies and over the composition of its leadership in return of financial aid.
The
was a pro-
Viet Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
movement of
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
ese inhabitants in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...
.
The organization emerged from a network of revolutionary committees formed among Vietnamese residents in the border areas of Cambodia towards the end of 1946.
Such groups had emerged in places like
Takéo Province,
Prey Veng Province and southern
Kandal Province.
The League for National Salvation of Vietnamese Residents of Kampuchea was set up as a
front organization
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy ...
of the Indochinese Communist Party in March 1947, merging the various local revolutionary committees.
One of the first Viet Minh documents captured by the French in Cambodia was dated 30 April 1949 and revealed the existence of the League, as well as detailing a proposed Vietnamese-
Khmer alliance against the French.
In 1950, Vietnamese sources claimed the organization had a membership of 50,000.
Transformation
In a resolution issued by the Vietnamese Communist Party in October 1930, the party criticized its own regulations and party name, with the resolution stating: "When naming the party "Vietnamese Communist Party", it implies that Cambodia and Laos are not concerned. Excluding these countries is a wrong thing because Annam, Cambodia and Laos should closely contact each other in terms of politics and economics even though they do not share a language, custom, and ethic". The party resolved "to give up the name "Vietnamese Communist Party" and to take the new name "Indochinese Communist Party".
Later, the ICP issued a statement to explain the reason for changing its name. Noting the historical relationship between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the flyer emphasized the need of a union of three countries to overthrow the French colonial regime in Indochina.
Party activity program
The party program of action was based on 10 points:
# To overthrow French imperialism, Vietnamese feudalism and reactionary bourgeoisie;
# To make Indochina completely independent;
# To establish a worker-peasant-soldier government;
# To confiscate banks and other enterprises belonging to the imperialists and put them under the control of the worker-peasant-soldier government;
# To confiscate all the plantations and property belonging to the imperialists and the reactionary bourgeoisie and distribute them to the poor;
# To implement eight-hour working days;
# To abolish the forced buying of government bonds, the poll tax and all unjust taxes that the poor has to pay;
# To bring democratic freedoms to the masses;
# To dispense education to all the people; and
# To realize equality between men and women.
Dissolution
On 11 November 1945, the Indochinese Communist Party issued a communique to dissolve itself.
"Thông báo Đảng Cộng sản Đông Dương tự ý giải tán, ngày 11-11-1945"
Later in 1951, the Vietnamese members of the party founded the Workers' Party of Vietnam and Cambodian members founded the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party
The Cambodian People's Party (CPP), UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ; is a Cambodian political party which has ruled Cambodia since 1979.
Founded in 1951, it was originally known as the Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party (KPRP)., UNGEGN: , ALA-LC: ; ...
(now Cambodian People's Party). Four years later, Laotian members of the party founded the Lao People's Party
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The party's monopoly on state power is guaranteed by Article 3 of the Constitution of Laos, and it maintains a unitary ...
.
See also
* History of the Communist Party of Vietnam
This article describes the history of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) (from 1930 to 1945, the Indo-Chinese Communist Party) from its origins in the 1920s through to the consolidation of its position as the ruling party of a united Sociali ...
Notes
References
{{Reflist
Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
Communist parties in Vietnam
Defunct political parties in Vietnam
History of the Communist Party of Vietnam