Bùi Tín

Former People's Army of Vietnam Colonel Bùi Tín (born December 29, 1927) is a Vietnamese dissident.

Biography

Bùi Tín was born near Hanoi on December 29, 1927, and was educated in Huế. During the August Revolution in 1945, he became an active supporter to politically pressure the government of France to cede Vietnam its independence. He later joined the Việt Minh along with Hồ Chí Minh and General Võ Nguyên Giáp. He would fight on two sides of the line, using both weapons and his skills as a journalist for the Vietnam People's Army newspaper. He enlisted in the Vietnamese People's Army at age 18. He was wounded during the 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

He would serve on the general staff of the North Vietnamese army. During the Vietnam War, he had authority from Defense Minister Võ Nguyên Giáp to visit any of the camps where American POWs were held, meet with the camp officers, look at the POW files, and interview the POWs. During at least one such occasion, he was involved in an interrogation of John McCain.