Freedom of creation, not freedom to distort!

No matter how cunning or deceptive the distortions may be, they must be silenced by the realities of life in Vietnam and by the policies of our Party and State regarding freedom of expression and the protection of ideological foundations and historical truth. The misrepresentation of "freedom of expression" with "freedom of distortion" by hostile elements is unacceptable!

Regardless of the perspective, it is undeniable that historical truth dictates which force led the August 1945 General Uprising, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945, achieving the Dien Bien Phu Victory, expelling the French colonialists in 1954, and waging the protracted resistance war against American imperialism to unify the country in 1975.

Huynh Ngoc Tuan (Dak Lak province) was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in prison for producing numerous videos and articles that distorted and slandered the people's government. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Conversely, no matter how much one "turns the tables," it is impossible to deny the historical truth about which regime was established by the French colonialists in 1949 and was part of the French Union, then inherited by Ngo Dinh Diem under the name "First Republic," and which power relied on more than half a million American soldiers to try to permanently divide Vietnam, aiming to transform the "temporary military demarcation line" of 1954 into a "national border."

By blatantly rewriting history with unconvincing "political rhetoric," those hostile to the Vietnamese revolution use literary and artistic techniques to manipulate concepts, avoiding the need to examine reality and make a clear distinction between truth and falsehood.

Over the years, both in Vietnam and abroad, a number of literary works and films have emerged that present a "different perspective on war."

The "different perspective" here is essentially "seeking legitimacy" for the Saigon government. The so-called "Republic of Vietnam" was actually the successor state to the "State of Vietnam" established by the French colonialists for Bảo Đại in 1949. The "Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam" was essentially a transformation of the Vietnamese army within the French Union, later supported by the United States.

In some literary and artistic works, the image of "Glorious Saigon" before 1975 is emphasized, using emotion to overshadow the rational question of what source nourished that prosperity if not the enormous aid from the United States.

There's nothing wrong with talking about "human fate" in war. But it would be very wrong if the author deliberately separated the tragic circumstances – "mothers losing their children, wives losing their husbands, children losing their fathers, soldiers dying or losing parts of their bodies" – from the fate of the nation, ignoring the sacred value of national self-determination, independence, and freedom.

Talking about the losses of the soldiers on the "other side" is not wrong; they also have the same blood and skin as the "soldiers of Uncle Ho." But it would be completely wrong to use this as an excuse to erase the cause-and-effect relationship – whether you take up arms to fight foreign invaders or take up arms to sabotage national unity at the command of a foreign power, both leave "bloodstained hands."

It is difficult to ignore the presence of 3 million American troops in South Vietnam (the total number of American soldiers directly involved in combat at its peak in 1969 was 638,000).

But if the US must be mentioned, the common tactic in "revisionist" works is to emphasize that the US was merely an "ally" of the Saigon government and to downplay its role as a patron – providing aid, organizing, directing, and deciding on all matters, while glossing over the fact that American soldiers were the main force in battles against the Vietnamese army.

Another literary technique—considering American soldiers as “victims of the Vietnam War,” “equal” to the millions of Vietnamese who died—fails to clarify whether the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ever sent B52 bombers and troops to Washington to wage war, or vice versa.

To focus solely on the suffering and tragedy of war, while ignoring the heroic spirit of the generations of young men and women who "marched across the Truong Son Mountains to save the country," is to distort history. But it is also ungrateful to our ancestors, who shed so much blood and sacrificed so much in the resistance, to portray today's peace as a "gift from nature," something that is simply taken for granted.

"Rewriting history" is a fairly common tactic used by hostile groups in products created in the name of literature and art.

Today, with the popularity of social media, many short films and ultra-short video clips broadcast on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc., contain content that slanders national heroes, whitewashes those who betray their own people, or simply "normalizes" all the achievements of our side and all the crimes of the enemy side.

The Dien Bien Phu Campaign? Those who rewrite history consider it merely a victory for the Vietnamese People's Army with the massive assistance of the Soviet Union and China. They strive to diminish its significance in ending French colonial rule in Indochina, affirming the strength of people's war under the leadership of the Vietnam Workers' Party (now the Communist Party of Vietnam), President Ho Chi Minh, and General Vo Nguyen Giap, encouraging the national liberation movement, and changing the global political landscape.

The sentimental, dark perspective of a writer or a film crew is no longer a matter of personal psychology. Nowadays, the re-examination of history is carried out in an organized manner, influenced by both material and ideological factors.

Distorting history in literature and art under the guise of "freedom of creation," as well as distortion in general, all aim at one goal: denying the achievements of the revolution, rejecting the contributions of previous generations, and equating the war of national liberation and reunification with a "civil war" or "fratricidal conflict."

"Rewriting history" is not a multifaceted perspective of experts, but rather a scheme by hostile forces to undermine the country, divide national unity, and carry out peaceful transformation.

Global experience shows that campaigns to overthrow regimes and interfere in politics often follow waves of ideological dissemination through media, literature, art, and social networks.

Remember, creative freedom is not the same as freedom to distort the truth!

Article 40 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam of 2013 (amended and supplemented in 2025) stipulates: Everyone has the right to conduct scientific and technological research, create literature and art, and enjoy the benefits from these activities.

The 2022 Film Law sets forth the principle of respecting and guaranteeing the freedom of creative expression within the framework of the law.

Furthermore, both the 2022 Film Law and the 2012 Publishing Law clearly state that one of the prohibited acts in film and publishing activities is "distorting national history, denying revolutionary achievements; insulting the nation, national figures, and national heroes."

The Film Law and the Publishing Law regulate works produced and distributed domestically or imported through official channels. However, the distortion of history, denial of revolutionary achievements, and undermining national unity on the internet are governed by the 2018 Cybersecurity Law.

Besides silencing harmful information through legislation, protecting the "essence" of national history also needs to be strengthened through the creation and publication of high-quality patriotic works, combined with the viral effect of social media.

The recent release of films such as "Peach, Pho and Piano," "Tunnels: The Sun in the Darkness," and "Red Rain" demonstrates a shift in positive thinking from both sides: filmmakers and audiences, especially young audiences.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/tu-do-sang-tac-khong-phai-tu-do-xuyen-tac-20260521074119359.htm