The day I was born, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) turned 8 years old. And today, about to reach a rare age, I am truly happy to witness with my own eyes a long journey of development of the country after many changes of the times. On that journey, in many "boiling water" and "critical" situations, in a difficult context, especially after the world upheavals from the collapse of the socialist system in Eastern Europe, my country has grown stronger and stronger, always firmly standing as the first worker-peasant state in Southeast Asia.
78 springs have passed since the day beloved Uncle Ho solemnly declared to his fellow countrymen and the world: “Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property to maintain that freedom and independence.” What he affirmed is still relevant today, because it is not only a call but also the iron determination of all people, regardless of age, religion, or social status, determined to join hands to build a “State of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
I think, every true Vietnamese citizen keeps in his heart and mind the first images of his Fatherland associated with the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the young Vietnamese State, the inevitable result of the August Revolution under the talented leadership of the Vietnam Workers' Party, now the Communist Party of Vietnam .
For me, it was the photo of the podium when Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945 at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi that I first encountered through textbooks. I don't remember exactly when I was fascinated by the photo, because at that time I was still a young student, barefoot going to the village school. But perhaps the most emotional moment was the first time I heard those words of Uncle Ho through the waves of the Voice of Vietnam Radio. When I grew up, especially when I was in the ranks of the brave soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army, together crossing the Truong Son mountain range with "bare feet and steel will", and then participating in the Spring - Summer Tri Thien campaign in 1972, the call from the "father of the nation" always echoed in me, always urging me to move forward, to be brave, to complete all tasks to defeat all enemies, so that our country would be united from Ca Mau cape to Mong Cai border.
Later, when I lived and worked in Germany, I had a lot of time and opportunity to examine the Western perspective on the historical event that changed the world situation, which was the spectacular success of the Viet Minh Front in rallying all classes of oppressed people to seize power, regain independence from the colonialists and their lackeys. Since then, a new era in human history was opened, an era that shook and eventually collapsed the entire colonial system of colonialism and imperialism.
Having studied and graduated from university with a major in State and Rule of Law Sciences in Germany, I spent a lot of time reading research works on Vietnamese history by many prestigious scientists in the region using German. And one of the leading experts on Vietnam is Prof. Dr. W. Lulei.
Before retiring, for many years he was the Head of the Department of Vietnamese Studies at Humboldt University of Berlin. He published a series of books and articles about the country and people of Vietnam. One of the works of this famous scientist recently published is the book translated into Vietnamese "History of Vietnam - from King Hung to the present" published in the Federal Republic of Germany in 2018. Due to its scientific nature and high accuracy, the book has been accepted as research material by prestigious libraries in Germany, for example: the Berlin National Library and the Prussian Cultural Property, the Library of Humboldt University of Berlin in Berlin, the University and State of Sachsen-Anhalt, the libraries of universities in Braunschwei, Frankfurt/Main, Osnabrück, etc.
It is admirable that in many places around the world, there are people living half a world away from Vietnam who have sincere thoughts and good opinions about the Vietnamese people who dare to think and dare to do, building a foundation from the ruins after many times of repelling foreign invaders. Not only the tradition of defending the country but also the process of building Vietnam with the goal of becoming a modern industrial nation, is also accurately assessed by the author of the book:
“30 years after the launch of the Doi Moi policy, the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam have achieved positive results. Doi Moi has brought Vietnam to a new height, always politically and economically sustainable. Annual economic growth regularly exceeds 6%, many new factories are established, and exports regularly increase. Living standards have increased significantly, with average annual income per capita exceeding 1,000 USD. The number of poor people has decreased to below 10%.”
He continued: “In the international arena, Vietnam has great prestige. Many countries, including Germany, have signed strategic partnership agreements with Vietnam. Many trade agreements between Vietnam and the US, the Russian Federation, and the EU have been signed. At the same time, Vietnam has signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).”
While acknowledging that knowledgeable and conscientious people in the West have made positive assessments and comments about Vietnam, we must at the same time condemn and criticize some disgruntled elements, forces with ill will and hostility towards Vietnam who have made absurd arguments about the victory of the August Revolution in 1945. They believe that the victory of the Viet Minh was a "lucky event", a "gift" brought about by historical conditions, and that without the 1945 General Uprising, Vietnam would still have gained independence like other countries. Worse, some people consider expelling the French colonialists as "expelling a civilization". It is easy to see that this is a plot to lower the prestige and deny the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh; it is a trend of historical revisionism within the strategy of "peaceful evolution" that forces have been and are deploying against the Party and State of Vietnam.
In addition to praising, restoring, and beautifying the face of the former Saigon regime, and promoting some people and groups of people who have been criticized, hostile forces are making full use of the Internet with the intention of causing doubts about the leadership of the Party - a decisive factor in the victories that the Vietnamese revolution has achieved and is achieving. In the "psychological warfare" that is no less fierce and dangerous than the time when bombs were falling and bullets were exploding, the "historical revisionist" plot of some forces is a "weapon" and is being displayed more and more clearly and sophisticatedly. What happened in Eastern Europe shows the terrible consequences of the "historical revisionist" plot, especially the resurgence of anti-communist tendencies. This reality requires the determination and uncompromisingness of the Party, State and people of Vietnam on the ideological front in the current period, when the world situation is becoming increasingly complicated.
Through this article, I would like to send to those who are going against the country's development process, an excerpt from the introduction of the book "History of Vietnam - from King Hung to the present" published by Regiospectra Verlag in Berlin so that they can reflect on their actions, adjust themselves to wisely do useful things for the people and the country. The passage is as follows:
“A thousand years ago, according to a Vietnamese legend, a golden dragon flew up to the sky when King Ly Thai To chose present-day Hanoi as his new capital. The people interpreted this as a sign that a better era was coming. However, the history of Vietnam was not simple. The country also had to fight against the rule of feudal China, some internal struggles, uprisings, and in addition, natural disasters and poverty. Recent history was also affected by 80 years of colonial rule, then two long wars, the country was divided for 20 years with serious consequences.
However, over the centuries, especially in the last 30 years, Vietnam has become one of the most successful countries in Southeast Asia, with a stable political and economic system, a high culture and creativity. The author of the book, who has studied Vietnam as a historian, working in this field for more than 50 years, has experienced as a witness, to guide readers based on scientific foundations and at the same time with easy-to-understand texts throughout the 4,000-year history of a country that has suffered countless pains but is always confident and constantly moving forward. Even in the present, the rising dragon is not just a symbol.
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