THE
MYTHS AND PROPAGANDA OF HANOI:
HOW COMMUNIST VIETNAM CONNED THE WEST
As America and
Communist Vietnam gear up for normalization of trade, the Montagnard
hill tribes face increased acts of genocide. This article will expose
how for the last 25 years Hanoi has managed to elude Western
criticism for being one of the "worst violators of human rights in
Asia". Further the myths of communist Vietnam are exposed for exactly
what they are: a regime relying on state perpetrated lies, enabling
the genocide of the Montagnard hill tribes and the repression
of human rights of all Vietnam's citizens.
The ability of Communist Vietnam's policies and (unfortunate)
success in deflecting human rights criticism can be divided into two
main categories. The first is "by playing on the guilt of the Vietnam
War". The second is "by promoting myths and lies through its state
controlled propaganda machine". In both these categories the Western
media, governments, political organizations and international trade
groups are also guilty of much complicity here by ignoring the massive
human rights violations facing the citizens of Vietnam and genocide of
the indigenous Montagnard hill tribes. Thousands of Vietnamese people
and Montagnards were killed by the Vietnamese government and over one
million people imprisoned in forced labor camps since 1975.
Repression is so widespread in Vietnam today that the communist
government has become one of the worst violators of human rights in
Asia. (A summary of these atrocities will be documented here.) Over
the course of the last few months the communist security forces have
enacted martial law throughout the central highlands - torturing and
even executing hill tribe people, the security forces have also
stepped up intimidation and repression of Buddhists all across the
country.
The
Western perspective:
Many westerners when
they think of Vietnam - conjure up images of Hollywood war movies and
have somehow come to believe that Vietnam's problems ended with the
war years ago. They often believe the Vietnamese people united
together in a concerted effort to kick out the Americans in order to
welcome communism . Even more discerning is the idea that since 1975
- Vietnamese society "came right" and that all is basically fine
under the communist government. Westerners often talk of just
forgetting the Vietnam War and often feel some misguided notions of
guilt and therefore ignore Vietnam's current crimes against humanity.
These myths are perpetrated and exploited by Hanoi even today and the
Vietnamese people continue to suffer under a regime run by a minority
of power hungry communists intent on eliminating the race of
indigenous Montagnard hill tribes and repressing everyone from
Buddhists to human rights activists.
These myths and
propaganda are identified here in a attempt to educate the world -
particularly those persons who may unwittingly find themselves
contributing to Vietnam's continued repression of human rights by
relying on Hanoi's misrepresentation of history.
Myth One: North Vietnam
won the Vietnam War through a united effort by the Vietnamese people.
The reality is often
neglected, in that prior to 1975 Vietnam was actually divided into
"two separate countries". Many people forget the significance of this
as much of Vietnam's population fought against the communists.
The contribution of South Vietnam to fighting against communism is
primarily overlooked and it must be remembered that over 230,000
South Vietnamese soldiers and countless civilians died fighting
against the North Vietnamese communists. North Vietnam was a military
regime controlled by a minority of Vietnamese people and the
communists invaded South Vietnam only after all American combat
forces left the country and aid was cut to South Vietnam. American
combat troops also were never defeated on the battlefield. There was
a period of over two full years from when US soldiers left and when
North Vietnam actually took over the south. It must be remembered
that the images of the fall of Saigon involved US Embassy personnel
and advisors only and that American soldiers had long left the
country. By 1973 the US Congress began cutting aid to South Vietnam
while China and the Soviet Union increased millions of dollars in aid
and military hardware to North Vietnam.
There are two key words
in this myth perpetrated by Hanoi. The first is "won" and the other
is "united". The facts of history are however, clear - that North
Vietnam did not win on the battlefield. While one can see they
took over South Vietnam - the actual credit for invading South
Vietnam should go to communist China and the former Soviet Union.
Actual military victories were virtually non-existent for the North
Vietnamese army and Viet Cong. In reality the North Vietnamese Army
took over South Vietnam not through a united Vietnamese front but by
relying on support from other communist regimes. It is a fact of
history that North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam only with the
massive injection of arms, aid and military hardware supplied by
China and the former Soviet Union, while simultaneously the US
Congress cut its aid to South Vietnam.
The stark reality is
that Vietnam became a chess game of the cold war. North Vietnam did
not win by any united front or by the will of the people, nor did
they win by kicking out America soldiers. America left on its own
accord. The Vietnamese people and hill tribe Montagnards would
however, all suffer dearly by the communist regime.
Myth Two: North Vietnam and
the Viet Cong had support of the people and were benevolent towards
its people during the Vietnam War
The Media has somehow
focused on US atrocities committed in Vietnam and neglected the mass
murder, re-education camps, genocide of the hill tribe Montagnards
and countless war crimes committed by the North Vietnamese Army and
Viet Cong. The vast number of atrocities committed by the communists
however, were result of direct policies by the communist authorities
and have been conveniently forgotten by the Hanoi government.
Notably, the biggest
mass murder of civilians during the Vietnam War was not committed by
American troops - but by communist troops during the siege of Hue in
1968. The infamous massacre at My Lai is dwarfed in comparison by
this communist massacre as approximately 3000 Vietnamese people were
executed by communist troops and found in a mass grave after American
and South Vietnamese soldiers recaptured the city from the
communists.
The murder and
harassment of villagers, enslavement of Montagnard hill tribes and
brutal use of death threats by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops
actually were so widespread that is it estimated thousands of
civilians died at the hands of communist troops. The Viet Cong is
reported to have assassinated 33, 052 village officials and civilians
during the course of the war. Again, Communists in North Vietnam were
a minority of the population who controlled the people through terror
and intimidation. True, it was also practice under the CIA phoenix
program to eliminate communists but it was a policy by communist
troops to intimidate and murder "innocent" villagers both Vietnamese
and Montagnard. The communists would enslave the Montagnard hill
tribe people of the central highlands to work for the Viet Cong and
would murder thousands of these unfortunate hill tribe people.
In one example as reported by Anthropologist Gerald Hickey, Viet Cong
troops used flamethrowers to murder a entire village of Montagnard
people. These acts of brutality were so common that it is impossible
to quantify them here. By the end of the Vietnam war however, over
250,000 Montagnard hill tribe people died as result of the Vietnam
War. This brutality enacted towards the hill tribes however, is one
of the main reasons why over 40,000 hill tribe Montagnards had joined
with the US Army in the fight against the communists.
One cannot openly
dismiss the suffering and injuries committed by either side of the
Vietnam war, whether committed by North or South Vietnam, American,
Australian or Korean soldiers. However the main issue to remember
here is that the communists were also responsible for excessive
amounts of atrocities and in most cases the instigator behind such
war crimes. Further by relying on propaganda that only Americans
committed such acts, Hanoi has managed to limit their true role
in committing war crimes. Thus they are able to perpetuate ongoing
human rights abuses today - some 25 years after the war ended.
Thus communists by
minimizing their role in murder and war crimes of the Vietnamese war
have managed quite successfully to "play on American guilt" and
manage to deflect criticism of their continued use of human rights
violations today.
Myth
Three: The communist government of Vietnam brought peace and justice
to Vietnam and has support of the Vietnamese people today.
After 1975 the
communists ordered thousands upon thousands of Vietnamese people to
attend re-education camps. The communists conducted a classic trick
by stating re-education would be for 30 days only. But once Hanoi got
the Vietnamese people into their concentration camps they kept them
there for long prison terms - as much as 20 years. Over one
million people were imprisoned by communist Vietnam. The conditions
were brutal - starvation, executions and torture were commonplace.
The Montagnard hill tribes were also rounded up - their leaders shot
or forced to slave to death in labor camps. The Montagnard Senator
under the South Vietnamese government Mr. Ksor Rot - was publicly
executed with a bullet in the back of his head in 1975. This was done
as a warning to the Montagnard hill tribes. The Montagnard Minister
Mr. Nay Luett was killed in a North Vietnamese prison camp. It is
rumored that the North Vietnamese camp commander cut the top of his
head off with a saw while he was still alive. Unbelievably the
Communist government operated these concentration camps for years
without much criticism from the west. By disguising the concentration
camps under the misleading name of "re-education camps" is further
proof of how Hanoi managed to keep this atrocity hidden for many
years. Please remember the fact that the brutal death camps of Hanoi
were called "re-education camps" to mislead the west. The name
however, made no difference to the estimated 165,000 people who died
there. In August 2001 the Vietnamese government admitted to
imprisoning over 23,000 people in these camps. The real figure is
much higher however, and would have made Pol Pot proud.
Today any Vietnamese
person who criticizes the Vietnamese government is subject to arrest
and imprisonment. Vietnamese security forces will arrest, torture and
even murder its citizens who criticize the government. In 1988
a Vietnamese women was arrested for distributing democracy leaflets.
The Vietnamese security forces tortured her and broke her legs and
blinded her. Today the Vietnamese authorities still continue with
such actions and even has laws allowing them to arbitrarily arrest
people for peaceful activities (Decree 31/CP). In the year 2001
numerous Buddhist Monks remain under detention and Montagnards are
tortured with electric cattle prods. Human rights violations in
Vietnam continue unabated. While it is impossible to report them all
we hope the you will see the depth of repression in Vietnam from the
points illustrated below.
Genocide
of the Montagnards (Degar people) and repression of Buddhists and
Vietnamese people
Since 1975
communist Vietnam has killed and worked to death over 160,000
people and imprisoned over one million of its people in forced
labor camps. Some of these camps still operate today in the
year 2001. |
Since 1975 the
communist government of Vietnam has systematically persecuted
the indigenous Montagnard hill tribes of the Central Highlands
by execution, torture, religious repression, confiscation of
ancestral lands, forced and coerced sterilizations and official
discrimination. Untold thousands of people were killed by the
government. |
In February
2001 the communist authorities enacted a military crackdown in
the Central Highlands involving tanks, helicopter gunships and
over 13 regiments of soldiers to repress Christian Montagnards.
|
In February
2001 communist security forces sealed off the central highlands
from human rights organizations and journalists. They began a
renewed terror campaign against the Montagnard hill tribes,
resulting in executions, mass torture and repression of
Christian Montagnards through intimidation, disappearances and
arrests. |
In March 2001
the communist authorities offered bounties for the capture of
Montagnard refugees who were fleeing torture, arrest and
execution by security forces to Cambodia (Reported by Human
Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Refugees International
and numerous news agencies). |
In March 2001
Vietnamese security forces continue repression - The BBC
reported the burning of Christian Churches in Gia Lia province.
Montagnard Foundation reports executions and hundreds of cases
of torture and beatings. |
In March 2001
the US State Department calls on Vietnam to allow diplomats and
observers to monitor the situation of martial law in the
central highlands and the numerous allegations of human rights
violations. |
In May 2001
Amnesty International issued a Emergency Action Appeal for
Christian Montagnards who were forcibly returned to Vietnamese
security forces by Cambodian Authorities (bounty hunters).
|
In May 2001
the United Nations steps up security measures to protect
Christian Montagnards in Cambodia refugee camps as Vietnamese
security forces are operating inside Cambodia to capture
refugees. |
In April 2001
the Vietnamese authorities arrested and deported a Norwegian
Minister of parliament Mr. Lars Rise for trying to speak to
Vietnamese Buddhists who are under surveillance by Vietnamese
security forces. |
In April 2001
- Vietnamese human rights activists - the Vietnam Committee for
Human Rights - condemns Vietnam for persecuting and
arresting Buddhists in Vietnam at the UN Human Rights
Commission in Geneva. |
In April 2001
the BBC and AFP report mass poisonings of over 200 Montagnard
children. The Montagnard Foundation reports these are carried
out by Vietnamese security forces in order to terrorize the
Montagnard population. |
In May 2001
the International Commission of Religious Freedom in the United
States condemned Vietnams repression of Religious Freedom and
called for aid restrictions by enacted against Vietnam.
|
In June 2001
UNICEF reports that Vietnam's ethnic minority children are
suffering disproportionate levels of poverty. |
In June 2001
Mr. Olivier Dupius member of European parliament was arrested
and deported from Vietnam for trying to speak to Buddhist
Monks. |
In July 2001
the European Parliament issued a Resolution condemning
Religious Persecution in Vietnam with specific reference to the
repression of Montagnards in Vietnam. |
In July 2001
US Congressmen Introduced the Vietnam Human Rights Bill and
concurrent Resolution 178 concerning the repression of
human rights in Vietnam and systematic persecution of the
Montagnard hill tribes. |
In July 2001
the International Commission of Jurists issued a report
concluding the Vietnamese government has committed systematic
human rights violations against the Montagnard people since
1975 namely; executions, torture, confiscation of ancestral
lands and religious persecution. |
In July 2001
Human Rights Watch Reported issued a urgent report condemning
Vietnam's persecution of Montagnards and the human rights
violations they face if returned to Vietnam from refugee camps
in Cambodia. |
In August
2001 the Vietnam Committee for Human Rights condemned Vietnam's
record of persecution before the UN Committee for Elimination
of Racial Discrimination in Geneva. |
In August 2001
the Montagnard Foundation asked the United Nations
sub-commission of Human Rights to take emergency action
regarding Vietnam's persecution of Montagnard Hill tribes and
end the military crackdown and torture. |
In September
2001 the Vietnamese security forces continue arresting and
persecuting Montagnard Christians and Vietnamese Buddhists.
|
In September
2001 Human Rights Watch called for international donors to
suspend aid to Vietnam over increased persecution of Buddhists
and increased human rights violations in Vietnam.
|
The strategy of
Communist Vietnam: "selective guilt" of the Vietnam War
The communist
government basically uses "selective guilt of the Vietnam War" when
convenient to their regime. For example they will only raise the
issue of agent orange and US bombings when accusations of human
rights are raised against them. Never, never, do they confront
Westerners with allegations of human rights violations when they are
in business deals with westerners or when they want millions of
dollars of foreign aid. A classic example of this occurred in May
2001during the so called "Senator Kerry affair". Earlier this year in
2001 Senator Kerry of Massachusetts revealed his military unit had
been involved in some killings of innocent Vietnamese civilians
during the Vietnam War. The US media carried much coverage of this
event and the issue created much controversy.
During this time
however, while the media was concentrating on events committed by
Americans some 25 years ago - the Hanoi government was in the middle
of torturing Montagnard hill tribes and burning Christian Churches.
The Christian Montagnard hill tribes were facing a increased military
crackdown. Over 13 thousand soldiers had occupied the traditional
lands of the hill tribes in order to repress these people. It is
unknown exactly how many died as Vietnam sealed off the region so its
security forces could operate without media criticism. Human Rights
Watch reported torture and killings by security forces. While the
media was focusing on Senator Kerry's event of 25 years ago the
communist authorities were hunting Montagnard refugees -beating them
and torturing them with electric prods. Unbelievably the communist
authorities even placed bounties for the capture of Christian
Montagnards who were fleeing the dreaded security forces. Those lucky
to escape execution and torture have made it to refugee camps in
Cambodia. All these events have been reported by Human Rights Watch,
Refugees International, Amnesty International and US Congressional
Resolution 178. In August 2001 Vietnam also rejected the United
Nations proposals for the safe return of Montagnard refugees. The
fate of over 500 Montagnard refugees still remains in doubt in
September 2001. What will happen to these indigenous people is
unknown, but those returned to Vietnam have been imprisoned and
tortured. Credible reports indicate that Vietnam has tortured some of
these people to death.
However, what was
Vietnam's response to Senator Kerry's events of 25 years ago? Hanoi
said - Don't worry about it - Lets put the past behind us. Foreign
Ministry Spokeswomen, Phan Thuy Thann said "We think the best way for
Mr. Kerry, as well as those Americans who fought in Vietnam to
find peace in their minds is to have concrete and practical actions
contributing to the healing of war wounds they had created in
Vietnam."
It sounds noble doesn't
it. But the truth is there was something much more important to
communist Vietnam at the time than forgiveness or peace. In fact
Hanoi's response had nothing to do with forgiveness. It was to do
with trade. You see America and Vietnam were in the middle of trade
negotiations. Hanoi desperately wanted the US to grant them normal
trade status. In August 2001 the House ratified the US - Vietnam
trade agreement under much pressure from the US trade lobby. But
getting back to Senator Kerry...what was Hanoi really saying to
Senator Kerry?
Hanoi really was saying
"We don't give a damm about what happened 25 years ago Mr. Senator -
just get the trade treaty signed so our corrupt government can make
money."
Conclusion: two million communists control 77 million Vietnamese
It must be remembered
that the Vietnamese and Montagnard people (and other ethnic
groups) did suffer greatly under years of war - the French Indochina
War, the American Vietnam War and (what has been largely ignored by
the world) the current repression under the Hanoi regime. Importantly
however, it must be remembered that the Vietnamese citizens and
Montagnard hill tribes continue to suffer today in the year 2001.
The international
community must not however, be blinded by "a selective use of guilt"
of the American Vietnam war to appease communist policy. Human rights
and the preservation of the Montagnard race must take precedence over
such misrepresentations of history. The people of Vietnam - both the
Vietnamese people and its numerous minorities and its indigenous
people must not be ignored. If real justice and real peace shall ever
be brought to the Vietnamese people then the international community
must assist in bringing about an end to human rights violations in
Vietnam.
The message here, is
not to encourage outright rejection of the Vietnamese government or
an attempt to seek revenge on the communists, by any means. It is
however, an attempt to educate the west and trade lobby in
order to bring about real justice for Vietnam. Further it is an
attempt to save the Montagnard hill tribes from extinction and
genocide. What should be remembered is that the west should not
joins hands with Hanoi under the false knowledge that Vietnam is a
benevolent nation. The West should make extra efforts to ensure that
human rights remains a serious condition before trade benefits are
extended to Vietnam and all oppressive regimes. The West should
remember today that there are only two million communists who control
Vietnam's total population of 77 million people. If this doesn't
convince the West to take human rights seriously in Vietnam - then
just beware that in April 2001 the Hong Kong based Political and
Economic Risk Consultancy group (PERC) rated Vietnam as the most
corrupt nation in Asia. in other words: beware - your investment
money or aid money will be embezzled and stolen by every corrupt
official and corrupt communist party member along the way.
How
to Con the West out of Money:
Bear in mind that
Communist authorities in Vietnam will repeatedly - over and over and
over - act with the same strategy to con the Westerner. The strategy
is very simple.
|
First: Hanoi will flatly deny all human rights
allegations. ( perhaps even pretend not to understand and feign
their government is being insulted.) |
|
Second:
They will then play on the guilt of the
Vietnam war and talk about forgiveness and change the topic of
current human rights abuses to ones that happened years ago.
|
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Third:
They will talk about moving on
to forgiveness - they will smile and show politeness and talk
about moving to the future. But be assured that the most
corrupt nation in Asia - will secretly laugh later when they
have secured what they want. |
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Do not take our word
for this however, just ask one of the thousands of Vietnamese people
who suffered under the communist regime. Ask one of the boat persons
who fled Vietnam by the thousands in the late 1970s. I would say ask
the Buddhist Monks named Thich Huyen Quang or Thich Quang Do. Ask the
Montagnard hill tribe people who are in the prison. But you can't
because the Buddhist Monks have been under house arrest and
imprisoned for over two decades and the Montagnard hill tribe people
are chained to the floor in underground cells at the old radio
station in Ban Ma Thuot.
You could ask the
Montagnard women H'Boc Eban who tried to escape to Cambodia this
year. But you cannot because the Vietnamese security forces captured
her and tortured her with electric prods so many times she was unable
to speak. Her three children were also imprisoned with her and their
whereabouts are unknown.
The US Congress
recently introduced the Vietnam Human Rights Act to Congress to
coincide with enactment of normalized trade relations between Vietnam
and the United States. Vietnam is however, vehemently opposed to this
human rights act. Why? Why is Vietnam opposed to human rights?
The answer is simple "Communist Vietnam wants the benefits of western
trade deals and business but they do not want to relinquish control
over its citizens". Communist Vietnam is also afraid the world will
openly discover how their regime has oppressed its people and
committed genocide against an vanishing race of hill tribe people.
The plea here however,
is simple - please do not be fooled by those who say human rights are
secondary to trade and business. Importantly please do not be mislead
by Hanoi into believing trade and business is all about forgiveness.
Hanoi has for the last 25 years done nothing but persecute the hill
tribes and repress freedoms of the Vietnamese people. These are
facts. Please remember that in the last few months many people have
died and many been tortured. Please ensure human rights for all
Vietnam's citizens remains a priority and that the genocide of one of
Asia's oldest indigenous people - the Montagnards - is stopped
before its too late.
What would the
Montagnard mother
H'Boc Eban say about human rights - if she could
speak freely today?
Make sure human
rights remains a priority before Hanoi is rewarded with trade
benefits - please endorse the Vietnam Human rights Act
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