Socialist Republic of Vietnam

As a veteran with 9 years service during the Vietnam war (U.S. Army infantry Colonel retired) and many years work in post-war Vietnam as an interpreter for high level U.S. delegations and over 10 years residence in Hanoi representing the General Electric Company, I find much of the anti-Vietnam commentary which continues to appear in newspapers and in testimony given at Congressional hearings to be surreal.

Some of the allegations which have recently appeared in articles--some in the context of the current presidential campaigns--typically by persons opposed to John Kerry's election--have grossly misrepresented the situation in Vietnam.

For example, there have been claims that the Vietnamese Government does not permit freedom of religion and oppresses ethnic minorities. There have even been allegations that Vietnam's alleged "oppression" has increased as the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral political and economic relations have improved. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Vietnam--always the victim--but somehow always blamed.

Any objective reading of history will show that throughout its history Vietnam has been the victim of foreign aggression. Go to any library and try to find an instance in which Vietnam invaded China, France, Japan or the United States. In fact each of these countries invaded (or “introduced troops” if you prefer) Vietnam--not the other way around. Yet, Vietnam was often further victimized by the post-war policies of embargo, isolation of the former invaders.

Given the above history of being the victim and then having major powers play the "blame the victim" game, Vietnamese leadership and society should be commended for their humane and balanced efforts to achieve reconciliation among their own citizens--ethnic Vietnamese and minorities alike and with the international community.

Freedom of religion and human rights--commendable in context

The Vietnamese enjoy freedom of religion qua religion. Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hoa Hao and Cao Dai are all free to practice their religion. Vietnam’s secular State combines freedom to believe in any religion with the freedom to not believe in any religion. Thus, there are no pressures against agnostics or atheists. It is “live and let live.” Vietnam is now considered one of the safest places in the region for there is no violent conflict between and among religions, between and among believers and non-believers and for the high degree of satisfaction of the people to the government’s policy and its reforms.

Some religious leaders get into trouble mixing politics with religion in a manner that violates existing law and exacerbates perceptions of threat – right or wrong - derived from experience. For example, there are reports that some foreigners visiting Vietnam have visited rural villages in the highlands and presented themselves as Protestants who offered money and a so-called religious or political rationale to entice people to flee to Cambodia and request political asylum.

Human rights in Vietnam are already good relatively to some 190 nations extant in the world. The frequent atrocities occurring in so many countries, e.g., religious police forcing little girls back to their deaths in a burning school because they did not meet the dress codes, recent roundups and persecutions of gays, dowry deaths, floggings, amputations and stonings in a number of countries--all would be unthinkable in Vietnam.

And another the fact is there were groups of ethnic minorities that were armed and used by both the French and Americans against Vietnam's drive for independence. In the aftermath of the war, the government has carried out programs to improve the lives of ethnic minorities. The United Nations has recognized Vietnam's achievements in human development, public health, eliminating hunger and cutting poverty in half during the past 10 years. Enlightened policies toward ethnic minorities are enshrined in Article 5 of the 1992 Constitution and augmented by numerous regulations and actual practice. The Ministry of Health deploys teams regularly to the Central Highlands for medical treatment visits on ethnic minorities. The Ministry of Culture and Information has specialists and scholars who have been sent to the areas to help preserve traditional culture and ethnic identity, including language development. Both women and ethnic minorities are well represented (27%) in the National Assembly which is elected directly by the people in a secret ballot. The Secretary General of the Communist Party belongs to an ethnic minority.

While I still represented GE in Vietnam, the company used to provide approximately $25,000 per year for "Operation Smile" based in Norfolk, Virginia, so American surgeons could visit Vietnam and operate on facial deformities afflicting Vietnamese children. One year, we ear-marked $5,000 of this for direct transfer to Vietnam's Ministry of Health. With this small sum, MOH deployed surgeons to a remote area and operated on 54 children of ethnic minorities. This is the real, typical Vietnam--not the unbalanced and hostile propaganda by people who do not even live in Vietnam.

Vietnam's leadership has strong, effective programs to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Maternity leaves in Vietnam exceed the standard 12 weeks recommended by the International Labor Organization. And women hold many senior positions in Government and industry.

Cooperation helps achieve human rights objectives--not threats.

Given Vietnam's heroism in defending its freedom and independence against foreign aggression combined with its hospitality toward foreign visitors and receptiveness to constructive ideas for improvement, it should be obvious that working with Vietnam in the spirit of mutual respect,
mutual benefit has been and will continue to yield far better results than threatening, hostile policies. It is noticed that since the coming into effect of the Bilateral Trade Agreement, several laws and many by-laws documents have been revised, rewritten or newly introduced in an effort to make the legal system in Vietnam conform to its pledged international obligations.

Threats, troops and B52 bombers did not work before and continued diplomatic hostility will not work now--at least not for Americans. It might help America's business competitors, but will prove most unhelpful to the Vietnamese people or to American diplomatic, strategic interests which we share with Vietnam's leadership and people in peace and stability in East Asia. Vietnam is a natural ally against terrorism, money laundering, and narcotics and human trafficking.

Finally, the Vietnamese do not respond well to hypocrisy. They are very receptive to constructive suggestions given in good will. But proposing legislation against Vietnam or including Vietnam on the CPC list (Countries of Particular Concern) given that so many countries with viciously oppressive dictatorships are not on the CPC list and are not the subject of punitive legislative proposals is seen clearly for the hypocrisy which it clearly is. And this hypocrisy based on experience, suggests a hidden agenda--does it not?

I hope that sharing these perspectives will be helpful to Americans trying to understand the real Vietnam and how its remarkable people are building a modern, humane country by adroitly practicing the incredible complex politics of reform. Uneven, and therefore hypocritical treatment strengthens anti-American sentiment and undermines complex reform politics by weakening the strongest reform advocates.

The blemishes (current and past) on the U.S. human rights situation combined with the history of U.S.-Vietnam relations (bringing the war to Vietnam--even in the cold war context, post war support for China and the Khmer Rouge, the trade embargo while practicing "constructive engagement" with China should argue for some humility in dealing with Vietnam on human rights issues.

Clearly the choice for Americans in dealing with Vietnam on human rights and religious freedom issues is between counter-productive moral posturing (possibly for domestic consumption) or working effectively with Vietnam is the spirit of friendship and mutual benefit in the pursuit of achievable "win-win" objectives.

Andre Sauvageot
Colonel, U.S. Army (retired)
Advisory Board, U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council
Senior Advisor, Fonthiem International, LLC
601 13th Street, N.W. Suite 1100 North
Washington, DC 20005