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| Historian Duong Trung Quoc and delegates on the sidelines of the Workshop on Implementing the Vietnamese Cultural Outline in Building and Developing Dong Nai Culture and People, Meeting the Requirements of Sustainable Development by 2023. Photo: Hai Yen |
Independence, Freedom, Happiness is the motto under the name of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which still holds its value and is the goal to strive for. This goal is for all people with a government that, as Uncle Ho determined, has the mission of the people, by the people, and for the people. That meaning of all people was further clarified by historian Duong Trung Quoc on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.
- In the event of April 30, 1975, we used the word "liberation" correctly, liberation not only aimed at the goal of national independence, but most importantly, the most sacred was national unification. Today, we continue that cause by preserving the territory. The goal is not for us to defeat the enemy, but to achieve the goal of national unification, unification includes the meaning of national harmony.
* Stopping at the connotation of national reconciliation, as a historian, do you have any specific historical data to prove this, eliminating a part of the "arrogant" and "self-righteous" revolution?
- There are many evidences for the issue of national reconciliation. In 2008, the editorial board of Xua & Nay Magazine (Mr. Duong Trung Quoc is Editor-in-Chief - NV) received the manuscript of Vo Van Kiet - Wisdom and Creativity by writer Hoang Lai Giang, which included a memoir Reminiscing and Thinking written by writer Hoang Lai Giang. Xua & Nay Magazine published an excerpt in the June 2024 issue, with the following passage: “I will always remember the words of comrade Le Duan after the country's reunification, when he had just stepped off Tan Son Nhat Airport: "This victory is the victory of the entire Vietnamese nation, not of any one person." The war lasted for 30 years. During 30 years, all Vietnamese people who loved their country, more or less, contributed to this victory. Except for a few who were traitors, the majority of our people loved their country, each person loved their country in their own way."
Dong Nai has just done a very meaningful thing before the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day: erecting a statue of General Secretary Le Duan at the Central Office of the South Relic in Ma Da Commune (Vinh Cuu District), located in the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, demonstrating the national unification mission of General Secretary Le Duan, author of the Draft of the Southern Revolutionary Path when he was Secretary of the Regional Party Committee right after the 1954 Geneva Agreement, which Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet mentioned in Remembering and Thinking.
Since the end of the war, everyone remembers the words of General Tran Van Tra when sitting with Mr. Duong Van Minh, President of the old regime, at the Independence Palace, on April 30, 1975, that: "Here, no Vietnamese lost, only the invaders lost". I personally met Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky, famous musician Pham Duy - people who had once stood on the other side of the battle line, but then they came to their senses and returned to the country. Reconciliation is generally in that sense.
* As a historian, what do you think about national harmony and solidarity?
- We can solve this problem. This concern has both subjective and objective factors. External factors and our own development path encountering many difficulties can make people unsatisfied, especially when we are still in the process of building a democracy where everyone has the right to control their own destiny, to control their own country. This is a long process of struggle and we cannot be too hasty but we also cannot be satisfied with what has been done.
* How do you feel every April 30th, sir?
- Great solidarity to realize the common goal of a peaceful , unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam. Those are still the goals ahead.
Every April 30th, we realize more and more that the goal is not only to preserve independence, but more importantly, that independence must be associated with territorial integrity and national unity. This is an extremely great and noble cause that our generation and our era have achieved fundamental issues, but there is still much more ahead.
Why can we reconcile with many countries that sent troops to Vietnam such as France, Japan, the US, and upgrade diplomatic relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the US (September 2023), Japan (October 2023), and France (October 2024); while our own problems have not been realized, that forces us to think. Each person with his or her civic consciousness and responsibility must participate in the process of national reconciliation and must ask himself or herself what he or she has done.
* From a historical perspective, what is your opinion on a historical event not only of Vietnam but also of world significance?
- What our people experienced in the 20th century was just a repetition of what our ancestors did in the past, throughout the history of the nation. That is what President Ho Chi Minh summarized in the truth "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". But it is true that in the 20th century, that challenge was extremely fierce. During the Tran Dynasty, we defeated the Yuan army three times (1258-1288), 30 years apart, but each time the enemy invaded, it was only a few months at most. In the 20th century, we directly fought against the great powers, lasting continuously for 30 years (1946-1975). Then the war at the southwestern border, the northern border... Without national unity, it is impossible to do that. But having been unified, we need to be more unified to achieve achievements of a higher stature from 2025, the 50th anniversary of national unification.
Exactly half a century has passed, using "new era" is not a trendy euphemism, but must be truly independent, unified, national harmony and revolutionary apparatus for development, "standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers" as Uncle Ho wished.
* Thank you!
Tran Chiem Thanh (performed)
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/chinh-tri/202504/nha-su-hoc-duong-trung-quoc-thong-nhat-hoa-hop-de-phat-trien-2f84d33/
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