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As the Vietnamese people in
Vietnam and in many foreign countries were going to celebrate the Tet festival
(Lunar New Year) on February 2, 2003, Mr. Bui Tin, former North Vietnamese Army
full colonel and former editor-in-chief of North Vietnam Army newspaper Quan
Doi Nhan Dan, published his Tet Greeting letter. He is addressing the
Vietnamese patriots various matters concerning current problems in Vietnam
under the Communist regime. The full text was published in Thong Luan monthly,
issue 167, February 2003 in Vietnamese language.
Bui
Tin was serving the Quan Doi Nhan Dan (NVA Daily) for many years. He was the
first NVA ranking officer who entered the Doc Lap Palace (Independent Palace)
in Saigon where he witnessed the surrender of South Vietnamese President Duong
Van Minh and his cabinet on April 30, 1975. In 1990, Bui Tin sought political
asylum in France and joined the rank of the movements for Vietnam's democracy
and freedom. He has been the author of
a dozen books and articles about the Communist leaders' wrongdoing and
about the reconstruction of a free and prosperous Vietnam. He is considered a
fervent activist who strongly supports the dissidents and democracy activists
in Vietnam.
Following
is an English rough translation of his article by Viet Quoc home page. The
article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of this Viet Quoc study group.
We post it just to help our readers take a look at the opinions of a former Communist
high ranking officer although we don't agree with him on some of his arguments.
V.Q.
Early Spring of Quy Mui
(Year of the Goat).
A
PLAN FOR RENOVATION presented to all my
compatriots.
By Bui
Tin
On the occasion of Quy Mui
Spring, I'd like to send my wish to you with this hearty article. This is idea
compiled from those of the many democracy fighters in and out of Vietnam, from
the old Communist veterans to young intellectuals, from my old fighting fellows
to my honest fellow journalists.
In
more than 10 years away from the homeland, I'm always thinking about my dear
compatriots who so far have not enjoyed the freedoms that most people in the world
do like breathing air in the atmosphere. Before his last breath, the late
General Tran Do told me that he would carry with him the shame of a nation
however independent it might be, its people do not enjoy freedoms.
I
eagerly ask you to hand on copies of this article to other people so that it
could generate discussions, remarks, and comments everywhere.
I. Troubles and deadlocks
against the current government.
After the Party's 9th Congress, the Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) has showed its apparent weaknesses compared to their predecessors as theoretical competence, leader's experience and social dignity are concerned. Some people call them “political dwarfs.”
The
most prominent weaknesses can be seen in their perplexity at a series of events:
suppression of the Montagnards (Rhade, Bahnar, Ede), demolition of Protestant
chapels in the Central Highlands; acting cowardly and foolishly at General Tran
Do's funeral; inconvincible argument in the case of “basa” fish exports (the so-called "socialist-oriented
market economy" apparently acknowledges the rude interference of the state
in all economic sectors); crude treatment of Ms. Duong Thu Huong, the brave
writer, and of Don Duong, the popular movies actor; staging histrionic trials
of lawyer Le Chi Quang and veteran Nguyen Khac Toan, while the national
assembly pledges to establish a fair judicial system and modern procedures;
arbitrary arrests of Pham Que Duong, his wife and Mr. Tran Khue; surreptitious
attitudes in the border agreements with China, like a bone stuck in the
throat; many times postponing the trial
of the notorious Nam Cam gang... as if all the events were jokes.
Le
Minh Huong, member of the Politburo and Minister of Public Security ministry
was removed while a rumor was running that he has deeply involved in the Nam
Cam scandal. But at the same time the
Party created - just for Huong - a new illusory position that had never existed
in its Politburo. How awkward the move was.
Actually,
the Communist leaders' perplexity of tragic-comedy nature is not
incidental but derived from the original drama: They do realize the bankruptcy
of Marxist-Leninism theory, of the practical Socialism, the disintegration of
the Soviet Union and its Communist Party, through the dismissal of the
Socialist Bloc. But they are still categorically clinging to their position,
asserting faith to Marxist Leninism and Socialism in order to maintain their
profits and ruling power, keeping the people in fetters of Communism and
socialism. The perplexity is symbolized with solidifying the Party
dictatorship, extorting citizens' freedoms, gagging journalists, writers,
artists who call for freedom of creation.
On
the first days of 2003, Hanoi leaders in turn went on New Year's trips visiting
people. They encouraged people to reach a growth of 7.5 percent; promoting
internal power; firmly fighting corruption, elevating productivity and quality
to enable competition on international markets; reforming administrative and
banking systems; attracting foreign investment, constructing perfect judicial
system, implementing the state of the law... All sounds very well but...
But
how Vietnam could have strict law enforcement when the judicial system is still
a tool of the Party while the Politburo, not the judges, are distributing justice.
How can producers and businessmen feel safe when private ownership has not been
fully recognized, when private sector is still considered a bastard beside a
legitimate child – the state-run sector. How can people fight corruption when
the press corps is still tightly gagged whenever journalists are against the
"monsters" that, along with powerful courtiers are accepting dirty
and large bribes. Foreign investments dwindled by 40 percents in 2002, because
whenever there are lawsuits, the Party-controlled law courts have never been
fair and always act in favor of state-owned firms. Sometimes out of greed, the
courts even faked evidence to convict and then confiscate assets and property
of "foreign or overseas Vietnamese capitalists" whom the Party leaders
still consider "the class' enemies."
As
AFTA and US-VN Bilateral Trade Agreement are concerned, Hanoi government has to
abide by international covenants, to honor pledges, to comprehend and implement
international laws. All require a rule-of-law state that would not feign
incomprehension to excuse itself. It'll be unable to deal with frequent
lawsuits when the so-called "free-market, socialism oriented economy"
reveals itself a market without freedom and is brazenly interfered by the state.
In
2003, Vietnam will have to fulfill commitments to entire transparency of
statistics, production, consummation, markets, prices, budgets, expenditures,
investments, debts as well as accurate figures concerning social, educational,
health care and environmental conditions. We are aware of the fact that last
year in the entire nation, up to 40 percents of total invested capital was
stolen and lost. It is a frightening figure.
The
Construction Ministry alone, has suffered a loss of more than 500 million out
of
its
overall capital of 2.6 billion U.S. dollars. International journalists said at
such figure, it can't
be referred to as corruption but robbery and brigandage. The Communist mandarins are plundering
people's properties in complicity with other Communist officials. In a
democratic country, a loss of 10 percent will make people angry, responsible
officials including related ministers and prime minister may be sacked because
it is a serious crime that leads to collapse of buildings, schools, bridges,
roads, even to deaths and injuries, and cost much money to repair. However in
our country the public keep mum, and there are only light apologies offered at
the national assembly.
There
are figures that interest few people but in another country they would frighten
the public: Every year about more than 200 lawsuits were misjudged and required
re-trials; more than 7,000 convicted criminals are living free in the
neighborhoods; tens of thousands of fake certificates of Bachelor and Master
degrees are in use; tens of thousands of traffic accident injuries and other
tens of thousands of death by drugs and by AIDS.
Despite
arguments by the government that corruption exists in every country, the
different forms of corruption in Vietnam cause the loss of national budgets ten
folds of money compared to that of other countries, maybe the highest in the
world.
II. New Opportunity and
Coordinated Action of the Democracy Fighters.
-
The silent crisis in the Communist Party began since a long time ago, emanating
from its inhumanity and dictatorship. It once highly developed by concealing
its nature behind the label of popular democracy. In fact, popular democracy
has been denounced by a number of French and British theorists because it is
neither democratic nor popular. The Hungarians rejected it in 1956, the
Czechoslovakians followed suit before the Polish Solidarity. The Berlin Wall
collapsed in 1989 and precipitated the Communism crisis. The Communist Bloc was
ruining without any way to save itself.
-
The Soviet Union and its Communist Party broke apart in 1991. It was an event
marking the most serious crisis of the four precarious Communist regimes in
China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, and Laos. After that horrible earthquake,
all of them have been in instability awaiting the unavoidable judgment of the
people and history.
-
The Vietnam Communist Party is still in power not because of any special
capability, but only because the democratic force is not strong enough so the people
have not risen to claim their own fate.
Today,
the Year of the Goat and 2003 is beginning; the force for democracy is facing
new opportunity and new favorable situation:
1.
VCP's leaders are now incapable and puzzled. Their policies contradict and
quash one another. The current plight ties their hands and locks them up. The
economy is maintained and keeps developing thanks to aids and investments from
Western countries, but these countries often accuse the VCP regime of human
rights violations, religious oppression and suppression on democracy activists.
They even require that better human rights records are conditions for Hanoi to
have normal relations and continuous aids and investments.
If
the VCP want to be successful in fighting corruption, it must establish the
rule of law, the judicial system must be independent and the Party must not
interfere in the law courts' operation. However, the VCP has not been willing
to give up the controlling power over the law courts. The VCP shows its wish to
integrate into the free world and behave friendly with all nations, but it is
sympathizing too deeply with the dictatorships and terrorist forces (North
Korea, Cuba, Ukraine, Myanmar, Libya, Iran, Iraq, the Taliban regime in
Afghan). Foreign economic and political relations are running against each
other. The VCP regime accepts aids, loans and the largest investments from
Western capitalist countries and Japan and international financial
institutions. But it always sneer and blow whistle at them, impose
conditions... Communist authorities brazenly keep denying law violations,
bureaucracy, shortsighted planning, excessive corruption, human rights and
civil rights violations, crackdowns on religions and journalists.... Meanwhile
some of the VCP political close friends whose leaders are respectfully praised
as "comrades" such as China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, have the least
economic, trade and investment relations with Vietnam. It does not mention the
silly alliance with its northern neighbor that becomes detrimental when Vietnam
is flooded with contraband goods, when Hanoi conceded to China the border areas
at the China Gate and the Ban Gioc Fall, and more than 10,000 square kilometers
of the Gulf of Tonkin. The coming agreement about fishing would yield the
remaining rich resources in the Gulf center to China.
2.
Since the 16-year renovation began in 1986, particularly the normal relations
with the U.S.A., the Bilateral Trade Agreement as well as joining the ASEAN and
broadening other international relations, political perception of the society
has developed to the ever-highest degrees. From a tightly closed regime where
the people were staying at the bottom of the well suddenly woke up to the new
world outside. As if to make up for the past time of darkness, everyone hasten
to adopt (foreign) culture and modern lifestyle, sometimes to the excess. They
boldly drop off the depraved and backward ways of life although the
conservative regime tried to crudely enforce its direction. Consumers are free
to select fragrant rice from Thailand or India, fashionable clothes: skirt,
miniskirt, blue jeans; delicacies as pizza, curry, sushi, and smoked salmon...
There emerge the pleasure and delight of the right to chose, following the
pluralist natural laws. The political effects are quickly followed by people's
questions: why we're not like
Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Japan where there are free and
multiparty elections, with different candidates and agendas, and the citizens'
rights to heckle and to elect. Which is better to the whole society? Or it's
still the one-party regime, one agenda without right to select?
It
is the right and the pleasure of selection that lead young men in Vietnam to
reading works of Nguyen Huy Thiep, Duong Thu Huong, Ta Duy Anh, Tran Huy Quang,
who dared to discover, to jump out of the well bottom onto the modern world.
They say farewell to faked idols, spurning wooden tongues, erasing Communist
imperial literature, slogan-style works (that degrade both writers and readers
down to the rank of the poor literal slaves). Young intellects appear
everywhere, those who dare to think without being restricted and discover truth
by themselves. There have been students in Hanoi and Saigon who overtly requested
precise definitions about freedoms of the press, of election, and whether the
press belongs to the party or to the entire society. The VCP make a serious
mistake when taking the young people as a herd of foolish sheep that can be
tamed easily.
With
the overt founding of the Democracy Group and the demand for the founding of the
free and democratic parties as well as the declaration made by Vietnamese in
and out of Vietnam on the Vietnam-China border agreements, the movement for
democracy has reached the "Post-Tran Do" era along with new
self-confidence, undoing the fear of the tyranny, even challenging the
Communist authorities to hold open trials which could be attended by the people
and foreign journalists. VCP leaders dare not accept that, so "Who scares
whom?" is the question.
They
are young intellects who wake up and are at the vanguards' front line for the
salvation of our nation and our people from the "heroic blindness"
and "triumphant stagnation" in the last 50 years. This is the broad
and necessary awakening of post-war generations when they get in touch with the
world democracies. It's why I make a welcoming bow to personages mentioned
above along with those like Le Chi Quang, Nguyen Khac Toan, Pham Hong Son,
Nguyen Vu Binh and a hundred of thousand others. They carry the spirit of
Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Nguyen Truong To, Chu Van An, Solzhenitsyn and
Havel, who dared to reason with consciousness, think against skeptical creeds
and speak up what they thought were right, to be opposed to the many when
necessary without being afraid of ignorant rulers. They wouldn't give up what
they think right in spite of being incarcerated or burned alive. Students of
literature and history courses all know the famous saying of Nguyen Trai (16th
Century scholar):
"I
calmly speak out what I'm thinking,"
"But
I wouldn't bend my tongue to please anyone."
While
writing these very lines, news from Hanoi let me know that the older sister of
the famous Rev. Nguyen Van Ly was allowed to visit him at Ba Sao prison camp.
In front of a Communist major of the camp's staff he told his sister that
Renovation requires a leading light. To receive that light, the government must
be modest and faithful. First of all, the government must cross out the motto
"Independence-Liberty-Happiness" on official paper headers. Once the
Rev. Ly had changed the motto into "Lacking Independence-Lost
Liberty-Without Happiness."
3.
Going into 2003 when pledges to FTA are implemented and the bilateral trade
agreement with America takes a deeper effect, Hanoi's dogmatic, bureaucratic
and party-controlled policies might be more restrictive, obstructive to the
integration process. So serious standstill in economic and financial
management, in investment, construction, and foreign relation... will emerge
gravely all around. In such situation, lacking bold decision on renovation in
both politic and economic domains will cause serious standstill and stagnation
in development, unstable achievements from Renovation will face the risk of annihilation
leading to grave social disturbances.
Before
long, the dictatorship in Iraq under Saddam Hussein should be overthrown and
replaced by a pluralist democracy; Communist tyrannies in Cuba and North Korea
will be further isolated; all other despotic regimes including one in Vietnam
will be "checked" by the world democracies and most of the United
Nations members. These tyrannies are the remnants of the past, under which
their countrymen haven't had enjoyed freedoms they are entitled to.
Without
political freedoms, there will be no equality in a stable society, high rate
harmonious development and healthy foreign relations. There will be no
meaningful cultural development because nothing is less cultured and less
civilized than using a government to impose its rules on its the people,
strangling their freedoms of thought, expression and creation. What those
tyrannies leave behind would be a black patch, a stain on this beautiful
planet, remnants of obscurantism, enormous errors, foolish illusions of the
past that all sound forces and people of the world will get rid of.
Tyrants
would take cover behind "national sovereignty" to resist the
"intervention" of the world. But the civilized world has proposed a
new principle of the "right to intervention" and "obligation to
intervention" in order to save individuals, communities, oppressive
peoples who are robbed of freedoms - the slaves of the modern era – by
exercising not violence but many different measures, resourceful and effective.
On
the contrary, if the Vietnam dictatorship changes into democracy, one-party
rule into pluralism, other democracies in Europe, the United States, Canada,
Australia and Japan together will give us unconditional aids in extremely large
scale. Politicians, diplomats, economists, financiers and bankers from those
countries sympathizing with our people have primarily estimated, and stressed,
that such aids from the U.S. alone could reach fifty to sixty billion dollars
in five years, not including Europe Union, Australia, Canada, Japan. It has not been able to estimate how much
money, labor, expertise and experiences sent to Vietnam by eager overseas
Vietnamese. Then Vietnam could attain a growth of 15 to 18 percent, higher than
in China, speedily closing the gap behind its neighboring nations. It will
reconstruct infrastructure, promote surpassing stable progress in health care,
education, science and technology. Such dreams are within our arm length, only
if our people want them.
III. Renovation Plan – Proposals From The Forces For Democracy In And Out Of Vietnam.
This
time is a good opportunity for democracy forces in and out of Vietnam to
cooperate and propose a renovating plan as foundation for a broad political
campaign among the people, the masters of their country. We suggest that our
compatriots request the Communist Party to:
-
Boldly implement both economic and political reforms aiming at democracy and
freedom.
-
Revoke Article 4 of the current constitution, which asserts the VCP political
monopoly, to establish pluralist democracy, to prepare free elections under
international and U.N. observation.
-
Implement religious freedom, stop interference in churches' affairs, return to
the churches – Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai - all of their properties
that the government has confiscated.
-
Release all political prisoners currently in prisons or under house arrest
because of their political, religious, ethnic causes.
-
Realize freedoms of speech and of the press, allowing private publication,
ending press monopoly, asserting citizens' freedom of expression, prohibiting
promotion of violence, war, national divisions among races and religions,
interdicting of slanderous, distorted and fraudulent acclamation.
-
Affirm land and other assets ownership (revocation of the ambiguous conception
that all land belongs to the nation), respecting the right to free trade of
private citizens and their equal competitions with state-owned enterprises.
-
Establish a democratic judicial system that abides by the law, all trials
conforming to the law; all political parties and social institutions are under
the law.
-
Apply a foreign policy that is peaceful, friendly, engaging to democracies and
good relations with neighboring nations.
-
Overtly and fully disclose to the public all agreements signed with China at
the earliest session of the national assembly for discussion and for referendum
if it is necessary.
IV. Conclusion.
The
democracy forces in and out of Vietnam eagerly call on the VCP to respect the
interests of the nation and the people, to seriously enter in the dialog of
this plan for renovation, to actively participate in the process of
democratization and liberalization; to march along with the people into the new
era of democracy, liberty, active integration into the civilized and democratic
world to begin a process of speedy, harmonious and powerful development. This
is the pathway that many veteran party members have been thinking of, that many
honest, brainy and truly patriotic party members have proposed; quite a few
veterans many of those who are field grade and general officers have suggested;
all would be happily welcomed by our compatriots when they catch on the ideas.
As
Qui Mui Spring starts, we wish that the sacred soul of the country and the
beatitude from our forefathers would shed a light to the VCP leaders' minds so
that they wouldn't disregard this opportunity and wouldn't forbid party
members, the young and the people to accept the democracy reform. If they
would, it could be the great benefits for the nation and for the Communist
party as well... They would be praised for its achievement of having marched
along with all people into the new era of democracy, profound and radical revolution,
national solidarity, broad national concord and reconciliation; it could
provide the VCP an honor exit – sloughing off the Communist skin; it could also
deliver the nation from a tragic end of the dictatorship as in Yugoslavia,
Romania, East Germany and Poland.
We
have been deeply aware that consequently, the fate of our nation is in the
hands of the people, the dominating majority of young Vietnamese citizens, the
many common party and party's youth association members who are not bound up with
privileges. We believe that you are at the front line to tirelessly
disseminate, promote, expound and propagate this plan for democratization,
resolutely struggle for the victory of democratization. The will of the people
is God's aspiration, which is irresistible.
As
this meaning is concerned, it is you who represent the Eternal Spring of our
Nation.
Bui Tin (Paris)
***
In
the Post Script, Mr. Bui Tin dedicates his article to:
- His
old teacher, Mr. Nguyen Lan, who, along with his friend Nguyen Xien has sent a
proposal to the VCP leaders asking them to "govern by rule of
ethics."
-
Mr. Vo Nguyen Giap, NVA general whose
birthday is forgotten by party leaders but they do remember that of other
former top leaders. In his speech at the late 2002 Veterans Assembly, Giap said
that even if the growth rate truly reached 7 percent as VCP leaders rejoiced
at, in 2020 Vietnam would still be lagging 30 years behind Thailand. In a true
democracy, it could be as high as 18 percent. Does Giap endorse this plan or
does he have any like this?
-
Mr. Hoang Minh Thao, NVA general, former C.O. of NVA 304th Division,
Bui Tin's former boss, who was drafting several plans. What does Thao see as
the best? dictatorship, party-monopoly
or democracy?
- All
People's Army veterans, with the vow to be always a soldier of the people. He
insists at the late NVA general Tran Do's words: "The humiliation of
losing people's liberty is no worse than losing the country's
independence."
- The
veterans and disabled soldiers of the former Republic of Vietnam in Vietnam and
overseas: in the true meaning of reconciliation and concord, Bui Tin wrote "here
I declare that I give up all my nine Medals of Resistance, of Merits, of
Military Service and Honorable Warrior" awarded by Hanoi
government. He admitted of having woefully realized the fact that in 30 years
of war, the highest number of Vietnamese war victims were killed and wounded
not by foreign soldiers but by their compatriots who have been eagerly slaying
one another because of strange doctrines.
- His
colleagues in the North Vietnam corps of journalists whose initial lessons
taught them that an article which is truthful, inspiriting, conscience-wakening
might have the power of many elite brigades in attacking brutal despotic
regimes.
- Young
citizens, students all over the country: he had dedicated his two first book
written since he fled the country to those in Vietnam and abroad, (Hoa Xuyen
Tuyet, or Snow Flower, and Mat That or True Face), with regrets of the older generations, who achieved
little success but made so many mistakes. "We firmly trust you young
Vietnamese who are on the spearhead to activate the national democratization."
- Relatives
of the Bui extent family bound to one another in solid sanguinary relation: "to
my wife, my daughter and daughter-in-law, son and son-in-law, my four grand
children, as words from my heart and apologies for not taking care of the
family for the last 12 years," he says.
- "My
old and new friends in Vietnam and abroad in place of Quy Mui Tet greeting
cards, with my hope that you would help disseminate this writing and join the
movement for democratization with both our minds and souls.
Bui
Tin asserts that he has no political ambition, only his blood and heart for
this plan.
He
is looking forward to hearing the readers' comments.
His
address: Mr. Bui Tin, 1 ter, Rue des Franc-Tireurs, 93120 La Courneuve, France.
Email:
lienbat@aol.com
***
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