B.A in International Trade Law, Foreign Trade University of Vietnam (Graduated 2015)10mo
Question: Why is Vietnam a good communist country, but China is a bad communist country?
Answer: I think Vietnam proves itself to be a good communist country.
War Remnants Museum in Vietnam
First of all, If you study the history of Vietnam after 1945, you will notice that it is almost entirely filled with conflict and violence, in which there is a fierce struggle led by nationalist forces under the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Communist State of Vietnam has led the Vietnamese people to overcome the horrific consequences of an event that can be referred to as the ‘Vietnamese Holocaust”.
Vietnamese people in Central Vietnam
According to incomplete statistics, the wars waged by the French and Americans in Vietnam from 1945 to 1975 claimed the lives of approximately 3 to 4 million Vietnamese people. Throughout these conflicts, the U.S. even used Agent Orange as a chemical weapon, resulting in severe consequences for both humans and the environment, causing birth defects in about 5 million people after the war. The amount of bombs and ammunition used by the U.S. and French military over 30 years was greater than the total number of bombs dropped by all forces during World War II. And the ultimate goal of France and the United States in Vietnam was to maintain Vietnam within the colonial system of the West. They were willing to suppress, massacre, and attack the movements for independence and national liberation in Vietnam. The Jews and many other ethnic groups in Europe may be horrified by the atrocities of the Nazis and the Holocaust. However, they seem unable to deny a Holocaust-like event occurring in Vietnam, directed by the war machines in Paris and Washington. It caused the deaths of millions of Vietnamese and left lasting impacts and consequences on people and the environment after the war.
So, is it right or wrong for the Communist Party of Vietnam to rise up and lead the country in liberating Vietnam from white colonialists? Perhaps everyone has their own judgment on this. However, one difficult thing to accept is that while Western countries are advocating for war reparations in Ukraine, they seem to forget about war reparations in Vietnam. They overlook the fact that millions of Vietnamese were killed in the Holocaust-like event in Vietnam. Do they not deserve compensation? Approximately 5 million people affected by Agent Orange, due to the chemical weapons used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, also deserve reparations.
Victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam
It is surprising that neither the Americans nor the French have compensated for the events of this Vietnam Holocaust, nor have they offered any public apology. And do you know who took on the role of addressing the consequences left by the U.S. and France? It was Vietnam, specifically the Communist Party of Vietnam. Surprisingly, Vietnam was even pressured by the U.S. to pay for the consequences of the American invasion later on. The final payment made by Vietnam occurred in 2019.
Surprising, isn’t it? Vietnam paid $145 million to the U.S. as one of the conditions for normalizing trade relations with America. It’s not much different from saying, “Hey, Jewish friends, you should pay Germany for helping to reduce the Jewish population during the Holocaust.”
The Communist Party of Vietnam has demonstrated that their fight against the colonialism of the French and Americans was justified. They also showed courage and resilience in leading Vietnam to overcome the consequences of the wars caused by the French and Americans from 1945 to 1975.
Secondly, A communist country like Vietnam continues to write a chapter of history for justice, peace, and freedom by liberating the Cambodian people from the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, a force directly supported by China and backed by the U.S. after 1979.
Khmer Rouge
The Americans and Western countries, such as the UK, continued to support the Khmer Rouge after 1979, despite the exposure of their genocidal crimes. The Vietnamese once again demonstrated that they were fighting in a just war, against a side that was covertly supported by the U.S. and many Western countries.
The Vietnamese communists not only provided timely support to the Cambodian people, preventing a genocide on a massive scale, but they also offered unlimited assistance in consolidating and rebuilding Cambodia, including support for state institutions and timely medical and educational aid. Today, although Cambodia has not yet become an economically successful country, the Cambodian people enjoy a stable and peaceful life with rapid economic development.
Phnom-Penh, Cambodia
Whether one wants to acknowledge it or not, Cambodia today is a model of economic recovery after war, with sustained and rapid growth over a long period. It demonstrates the correctness of Vietnam’s military intervention in Cambodia to prevent genocide, as well as its resistance against the U.S. and Western countries that supported the Khmer Rouge after 1979.
Thirdly, and not least, the communist state of Vietnam, instead of encouraging ethnic hatred, has transformed Vietnam and is now in an era of rising, engaging with all nations, including the U.S., China, France, and other former adversaries of Vietnam.
Saigon, Vietnam
Although not forgetting the past, the Vietnamese people live well in the present. The Communist Party of Vietnam has promoted a harmonious, friendly, and peaceful society with nations in a world full of changes.
Regarding China, I think you have the answer. Please feel free to share if you can.
Lusia Millar.
Đọt Chuối Non 