On July 26, 2010, the San Jose Mercury News publish an opinion piece by Sonny Le, a so-called is a Bay Area freelance writer and media relations consultant. In this opinion piece, Sonny made several outrageous claims including the claim that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam recently arrested dissidents because of the action of Ly Tong who allegedly “maced” the Vietnamese singer Dam Vinh Hung in Santa Clara. Le went on to write that the Vietnamese overseas tries to overthrow Socialist Republic of Vietnam and he compares that effort to that of white South Africans trying to overthrow the current government of South Africa. Le also claimed that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is much more open, prosperous and developed nation than either northern or southern Vietnam ever was during the war. After reading this article, I have several question and rebuttal to Mr. Sonny Le, they as follows:
Since Mr. Le claimed to be offering “humanitarian assistance to VN”, I want to know just what exactly Mr. Le humanitarian assistant activities are? Mr. Le, are you one of those who begged the Vietnamese living in the U.S for donations for every natural disasters in VN because the Socialist Republic of Vietnam government refused to help their own people? There have been numerous scandals regarding numerous “humanitarian groups” who took in large amount of donations, but the people whom they claimed to help only received less two percent of the total donations.
Mr. Le claimed that “People like Ly Tong, the attacker, often employ political theatrics to call attention to their anti-Vietnam sentiments. In response, the government of Vietnam engages in a campaign of arresting and imprisoning those who advocate multiparty governance...” Mr. Le, are you aware that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam have been arresting dissidents since they took over South Vietnam since 1975 and they have never stopped ever since 1975 ? According to Human Rights Watch, from near the end of 2009 to the first few months of 2010, the SRV have arrested many dissidents. The SRV courts in Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Thái Bình và Ho Chi Minh City have sentenced 17 dissidents from 50 years to 80 years for demanding human rights and freedom in Vietnam. So just how Ly Tong did causes dissidents in Viet Nam to be arrested Mr. Le, when the facts don’t support your lies?
Sonny Le states that “The likelihood of a critical mass formed among the overseas Vietnamese to overthrow Vietnam is like that of white South Africans once again being able to rule South Africa.”. Again, Mr. Sonny Le shows his ignorant of history, the Vietnamese refugees is not like the white Afrikaners, we were the victims of the oppressive Socialist Republic of Vietnam not the oppressors. After the Vietnamese Communist took over South Vietnam, they institute a series of programs from 1975 to 1979 called “đánh tư sản, mại bản” movement (the Anti private property, anti-bourgeois” programs aimed at robbing people of their possessions and businesses. Chinese merchants were especially hurt by these legalize robbery programs and “ethnic purging” programs. Up until the ”Doi Moi” period, the SRV considered those who were born and lived in Viet Nam for three generations to be “Nguoi Hoa” (Chinese) if their grandparents were ethnic Chinese. The “chinks” were prohibited from practicing certain professions so they cannot compete against “pure blooded” Vietnamese. Chinese businesses in Cho Lon (The Chinatown quarter of Ho Chi Minh City) were confiscated, families were literally thrown out in the street and their houses were occupied by members of the Vietnamese Communist Party and their family.
Over 800,000 Vietnamese of Chinese left Vietnam to escape persecution which why there is so few Vietnamese of Chinese dissent living in Cho Lon today, thanks to the government that Sonny Le Loves so much. Do you also loved ethnic cleansing and legalize robbery Sonny Le? What would you think if the U.S government decided that it doesn’t like Asians like you and took over your property by force and kick you out in the street? Ethnic cleansing isn’t so cool when you are at the receiving end is it?
Also, the overseas Vietnamese don’t have to overthrow Vietnam, they only want the corrupt Socialist Republic of Vietnam to topple and the SRV will collapse if did not receive 8 to 10 billion dollars annually from the Vietnamese communities oversea, cut off that source of revenue and what do you think would happen to the SRV ?
Sonny Le proclaimed that “Vietnam today, the ruling party's ideology notwithstanding, is a much more open, prosperous and developed nation than either northern or southern Vietnam ever was during the war. The people of Vietnam no longer have to send their sons to the front to kill their cousins from the other half of the country. They no longer have to worry about stray bullets or bombs raining down from beyond the clouds. “. This is yet another ignorant claim from someone who knows nothing about Vietnamese history. The South Vietnamese economy according to Communist historian Đặng Phong is far superior to the economy of North Vietnam
Under the Diem government, the average South Vietnamese has much better buying power and enjoy a much better life and freedom than even today in VN. I doubt that Mr. Le had read the research done by Nguyễn Hội in his article “THỜI NÀO DÂN VIỆT SƯỚNG NHẤT” [Under what regime did the Vietnamese people enjoy the most prosperity]. Researcher Nguyễn Hội carefully reviews the cost of the typical Vietnamese diet (rice, etc…) with the wage of the Vietnamese from 1955 – 1975 and in 2006 (considered the best economic period under the Communist rule).
Based on this data we can see how much it costs the typical Vietnamese with the regard to their salary. Guess what period in modern history did the typical Vietnamese enjoy the best buying power and is the most prosperous? That’s right, it was under South Vietnamese Ngo Dinh Diem that the average Vietnamese has the living condition, the best wages and could afford the most food. In fact, the typical Vietnamese buying power and wages (factor inflation) is exponentially lower today than under the Ngo Dinh Diem government.
Today Vietnam is divided into two distinct class of people. The filthy rich, most of whom are members of the Vietnamese Communist Party and their family and the poor. Sonny and those who deal business with the oppressor of the people of Vietnam of course believe that the people in Vietnam are “better off”. Sonny like his ilk and other “Viet Kieu” is better off in Vietnam, they enjoy life amidst the suffering of the average Vietnamese people. Sonny and his kind ignore the sufferings of the tens of thousands of Vietnamese woman who sold themselves as “mail order brides” each year to foreigners sometimes with tragic consequences, of the poor Vietnamese who has to live in decrepit cemeteries, of the children who were sold to Kampuchea by their parents and the Vietnamese government officials to be sex slaves to foreigners.
Mr. Sonny Le ignores the plight of the “Dan Oan” [oppressed people] who land and properties continue to be confiscated by the Communist government in order to build golf courses or business parks for the like of Sonny and companies doing business in Vietnam.
Apparently, many “enterprising” Viet Kieu like Sonny prefer to adapt the model of the three wise monkeys, they see no evil, speak no evil and hears no evil, at least not while they can make a profit by dealing with an evil government.
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