One of the memories that Rear Admiral Do Minh Thai - former Deputy Chief of the Navy remembers most during the journey to bring overseas Vietnamese to visit Truong Sa is the story of former commando lieutenant Nguyen Ngoc Lap of the Republic of Vietnam regime currently living in the US. During the trip that year, Mr. Lap always carried the guilt of hatred. But an 'incident' happened that changed this person.
With the theme "Fatherland's beliefs and aspirations - For the 10th time, overseas Vietnamese returning to Truong Sa", the voyage has a meaningful number that is the result of 11 years of active work by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (State Committee on NVNONN) and the Navy Command. Two of the people who have made great contributions in these journeys since the early days are Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son - former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Chairman of the State Committee on Foreign Affairs and Rear Admiral Do Minh Thai - former Deputy Chief of the Navy Staff. These are also two special guests on train 571 this time.
Sensation and harmony
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Delegation of the 4th delegation gave books, stories and confectionery to children in the large Truong Sa island. Photo: Nguyen Minh |
Having worked with the diplomatic front for decades, veteran diplomat Nguyen Thanh Son said he was the one who came up with this idea in 2012, after many years of surveying and assessing the situation and studying the thoughts and aspirations of overseas Vietnamese. He said: “This is a very beneficial job for the cause of protecting national sovereignty and territorial waters as well as serving very well in foreign propaganda about our East Sea through the Spratlys. Therefore, I boldly put forward this idea and proposed it to the Government. After listening to our presentation, the Prime Minister as well as functional agencies of the Party and State fully supported and allowed the first trip to be piloted in 2012.
“The viewpoint of those who have radical ideas against us changed very clearly right after visiting Truong Sa because they witnessed the truth with their own eyes and no longer listened to distorted propaganda as before.”
Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Thanh Son
According to Mr. Son, one of the arguments he presented to the Government at that time was that the East Sea was our territorial waters. Bringing overseas Vietnamese to witness with their own eyes that the protection of sovereignty is being carried out firmly is a living proof for them to see that the misrepresentations about "offering the sea and selling land to foreign countries" are completely incorrect. At the same time, it will also smash distortions about Vietnam's foreign policy as well as the policy on sovereignty over sea and islands.
“The first trip in 2012 can be said to have surprised hundreds of expatriates from dozens of countries around the world participating in the journey. People are surprised to see that we are building and protecting the sacred sovereignty over the territorial waters and territories of the Fatherland very well. After this trip, overseas Vietnamese had exhibitions displaying the first vivid images of how we still keep every meter of land on the island, every stride in the territorial waters claimed by Vietnam, "said Mr. Son.
In the four trips to bring overseas Vietnamese to visit Truong Sa that former Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Son directly participated in the journey, the trip in 2014 (visiting 9 islands and 2 rigs) was appreciated by him as having a very profound meaning, both national solidarity, and also shows the very tolerant and generous nature of the people in the country, the Party and Government of Vietnam. During that year's voyage, many elements involved in radical anti-Communist organizations and those who directly organized activities against the country were also invited to attend.
“One of the people with hatred and fierce opposition is an expatriate from Germany Davis in the US. After visiting the big Truong Sa island - the last island before returning to the mainland, at an exchange with the island's officers and soldiers, he was touched and said: In fact, this time I came back, I wanted to see if the Vietnamese government was hiding it, saying it was right or wrong... but now I want to stand in the ranks of officers and soldiers on the island, holding guns to firmly protect our territorial waters, "said Mr. Son.
Unanimously agreed
Deciding to cancel a trip to Morocco with friends and relatives to join this special journey, Rear Admiral Do Minh Thai said that this was a choice he liked for many reasons. In it, there is a detail that he repeated many times in conversation with me that the first overseas trip and the 10th visit to Truong Sa was also made by the ship named Truong Sa 571.
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Leaders of the Navy and expatriates chat with officers and soldiers on the island of Len Dao. Photo: Nguyen Minh |
Joining the army at the age of 17, Mr. Thai participated in the defense of the Spratly Islands in the Navy's shirt in 1989 - a year after the tragic event on March 14, 3. Associating his entire military career with the task of protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands, the Navy general has a keen intellect with his academic title, associate professor - doctorate degree, always worrying about consolidating and increasing the solid strength of the Truong Sa army and people and the DK1988 rig with many resources and measures.
According to Mr. Thai, after 1975, there was a gap between the Vietnamese community and the Vietnamese community in awareness and understanding of the country's situation in general and the issue of sovereignty over seas and islands in particular. Even this happens in the country. “The South China Sea is one of the most complex disputed areas in the world,” he said. The problem itself is difficult, so the perception of each person about the sea and island issue is also different. Some people are fully aware, some are partial. Therefore, when overseas Vietnamese come to Truong Sa and DK1, they will see what the country has done over the years in terms of asserting sovereignty, exercising sovereignty and protecting national sovereignty in the East Sea."
One of the memories that Mr. Thai remembers most in the journey of bringing overseas Vietnamese to visit Truong Sa is the story of former commando lieutenant Nguyen Ngoc Lap of the Republic of Vietnam regime living in the US. During that trip, Mr. Lap always carried the guilt of hatred. However, an "event" happened that made this person admire and obey. The story is that near the end of the journey, Mr. Lap had acute glomerulonephritis, when the ship returned to Truong Sa Island, a DHC-6 seaplane of the Navy Air Force flew from Cam Ranh on a mission. Mr. Thai (then Colonel, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff) reported the situation to his superiors and suggested that Mr. Lap fly back to the mainland for treatment and then fly to Ho Chi Minh City by civil aircraft...
“When the delegation returned to Ho Chi Minh City and met Mr. Lap there, he said to me: 'It is right that we lose to you. And when he returned to the US, Mr. Lap made very favorable statements for us in negotiating policies. If we are open, sincere and willing to share with each other, we will understand each other better, and agree with each other, "said Mr. Thai.
(There's more)
