Nhan Dan-The Voice of Vietnam-28 April 2000 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Nhan Dan The Voice of the Party, State and People of Vietnam No.205 - Updated 28 April 2000 - Uncle Ho's Birthday and Liberation Day Marked Abroad - US Senator's Statements are Untrue and Deeply Hurt Vietnamese People - Activities Mark Liberation Day - Truong Sa Liberation Day Marked - Foreign Ministry on Addressing War Consequences - Vietnam, South Africa Sign Trade Deal - Opinion: Continue the Revolutionary Path Taken Uncle Ho's Birthday and Liberation Day Marked Abroad A grand meeting was held at a factory named 'Socialist Republic of Vietnam' in Havana on April 25 by the Institute of Cuban Friendship with Nations and the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association to mark the 110th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the 25th Liberation Day of the South. Ms Marta Rojas praised the leadership of the Vietnam Communist Party in the struggle for national liberation and the April 30 glorious victory as well as in the socialist construction by the Vietnamese people. She thanked the Vietnamese Party, government and people for their assistance to national construction and defence of the Cuban people. The Vietnamese ambassador to Cuba, Thai Van Lung expressed his thanks to the Cuban Party, government and people for their assistance to the struggles for national independence in the past and in national construction and defence at present. Mr Lung affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, government and people always stand side by side with the Cuban people in the struggle for the lifting of the US embargo against the country. Earlier Mr Lung held a press conference to mark the two anniversaries. In Mexico, a newspaper published a report praising the glorious victory of the Vietnamese people in the Anti-US Resistance War on April 30, 1975. Festival to Mark Uncle Ho's Birthday The Association of Vietnam UNESCO will organise a May Festival to mark the 110th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the Hero of the Struggle for National Independence and World Cultural Famous Man on May 7. Also, at the ceremony, the International Year of Culture and Peace, initiated by the United Nations and the UNESCO, will be launched. Two thousand members of the association will give gymnastic and art performances. The ceremony will end with pigeon releasing and a parade by the members of the association. US Senator's Statements are Untrue and Deeply Hurt Vietnamese People "I wonder whether [US senator] John McCain perceives that his statements on Vietnam are untrue and deeply hurt the Vietnamese people," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Phan Thuy Thanh said in Hanoi on April 27. The spokesperson was responding to a question put by Voice of Vietnam Radio (VOV) on Vietnam's reaction to statements made by US Senator John McCain during his visit to Hoa Lo (Hanoi Hilton) prison in Hanoi on April 26 that he has not forgiven those people who had imprisoned and persecuted him and that he still felt deep resentment against them for having barbarously treated his friends and even killing some of them. "It was John McCain who, during his visit to Hoa Lo prison in 1994, had said that 'I am deeply grateful to the Vietnamese government and people for having given kind treatment to me - a prisoner of war in Vietnam,'" the spokesperson continued. The spokesperson added that "It is the United States who initiated a war of aggression in Vietnam, committing numerous barbarous crimes against the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people were the victims of that brutal war of aggression. Nothing can compare to the losses and grievances which the Vietnamese people have had to suffer. Concrete figures prove that truth. Nearly 3 million people were killed, more than 4 million others were invalid, particularly victims of Agent Orange [sprayed by US aircraft during the war], and the remains of 300,000 martyrs have yet to be found." "Being a nation with a tradition of humanism, lenience and friendship, we now put aside the past to look forward to the future. It is quite contrary to morality when those people, who brought bombs and shells to sow death and devastate a country, now pass themselves off as having the right to criticise their victims-saviours," the spokesperson concluded. Activities Mark Liberation Day Many activities were held nationwide marking the 25th Liberation Day of the south. The Ministry of Public Health, the Hanoi Department of Public Health and Hanoi Television and Radio held a meeting for healthcare workers, who fought in the battlefields B, C and K on April 26. The participants of the meeting reviewed their spirit of overcoming difficulties and dangers to treat the wounded and ill soldiers on all the battlefields. Senior Lieutenant General Pham Van Tra, minister of defence, praised the contributions and sacrifice of the healthcare workers to the struggle for national independence. The military command in Thai Binh province organised a meeting of historic witnesses on April 25 with the participation of Ms Nguyen Thi Chien, the first Army Heroine of Vietnam, Mr Nguyen Xuan Liem, a hero of the Tank Division and Mr Bui Quang Than who planted the flag on the top of the Independence Palace on April 30, 1975. Also, on April 25, the Party Committee of the southern province of Vung Tau held a meeting for veteran revolutionaries in the Anti-French and Anti-US Resistance Wars. Truong Sa Liberation Day Marked A solemn meeting to celebrate 25th Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago Liberation Day (April 29, 1975 - April 29, 2000) was held in the Big Truong Sa archipelago by the Truong Sa district's People's Committee, Khanh Hoa province. Mr Phung Khac Dang, deputy head of the Political General Department of the Vietnam People's Army; Mr Nguyen Van Tinh, secretary of the Party executive committee and deputy commander of the Naval Service; representatives from the Central Committee for Ideology and Culture, the Central Committee for External Relations, the Vietnam Women's Union and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union attended the meeting. In the general offensive and uprising in Spring 1975, of which the pinnacle was the historical Ho Chi Minh campaign, implementing the instructions of the High Command, with the guidelines of 'Lightening speed, daring, surprise' the Vietnamese naval soldiers quickly prepared its forces, watched the situation closely and attacked and liberated the Truong Sa archipelago occupied by the Saigon puppet troops. The Truong Sa victory was of great significance, contributing to the great national victory, completely liberating the south and unifying the country. Since 1975, especially during the renovation process, the people and army of Truong Sa have overcome many difficulties and hardships to preserve the country's sovereignty, building the island-district into a strong and prosperous one. With the investment from the Party, State and the Ministry of Defence and the support of the people nationwide, all islands in Truong Sa have television receiving stations through satellite; some islands have wharves, lighthouses and economic-scientific-technical service stations for catching aquatic products and research work. After the meeting there was an army parade and procession and a gymnastics performance by armed forces, local committees and branches and the people of Truong Sa district. Foreign Ministry on Addressing War Consequences Those countries that conducted and took part in the aggressive wars against Vietnam should take concrete measures, especially in the form of practical and effective co-operation with the country, to settle the aftermath of the war in Viet Nam. So said a foreign ministry spokesperson in reply to the Vietnam News Agency's query on the Government's viewpoint regarding the requests of many foreign mass organisations that their governments officially apologise to and compensate war victims in Vietnam. The spokeswoman, Ms Phan Thuy Thanh, described it as "suiting to morality and the people's hearts and being practical by healing the wounds of the war, obliterating out obssesions of the past and promoting reconciliation between Vietnam and concerned countries in the interest of peace, stability and development in the region and the world." The Vietnamese people are victims of many foreign aggressive wars, including the most brutal and fierce one which was waged by the US, killing nearly three million people and disabling more than four million others, particularly victims of Agent Orange. With the remains of 300,000 fallen combatants still unaccounted for, heavy consequences of the war still persist after 25 years, Thanh said. Like other nations which have been victims of aggressive wars, Vietnam will never forget those war crimes, she stressed. The spokeswoman added: "As a nation with a tradition of humanity, leniency and peace, we are willing to put aside the past to look forwards the future." Asked about activities of foreign media in Vietnam on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the complete victory of the anti-US resistance war for national salvation, the spokeswoman said that in addition to permanent correspondents of foreign press and news agencies in Hanoi, a large number of non-resident correspondents from major news agencies and television firms in the world have come to Vietnam since late March. Such correspondents number around 400, coming from Asia, Europe, America, and Australia with two thirds of them from the United States. Thanh said that foreign mass media have shown keen interest in many topics such as the achievements of Vietnam's renovation process, changes in Vietnam in the past 25 years since national reunification; post-war lives and works of soldiers who took part in the anti-US war, and Vietnam's policies that encourage overseas Vietnamese to invest and run businesses in Vietnam. She elaborated that many foreign correspondents have been in Vietnam for a long time and travelled extensively throughout the country in order to comprehensively cover Vietnam. However, the spokeswoman noted that the issue attracting the most public opinion is the aftermath of the war and the Vietnamese people's efforts in overcoming the consequences and healing the wounds that the was has left behind. (VNA) Vietnam, South Africa Sign Trade Deal Deputy Minister of Trade Nguyen Nhu Dinh and South Africa's Vice Minister of Trade and Industry Mme Lindiwe Hendricks signed a trade agreement between Vietnam and South Africa in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 25. Trade between Vietnam and South Africa has increased considerably in recent years. Vietnam's export turnover to South Africa reached 40 million rand (roughly US $5.9 million) while its imports from South Africa were valued at 12 million rand (about US $1.7 million). Our Opinion Continue the Revolutionary Path Taken by V.I. Lenin Today, together with the entire progressive mankind, Vietnam celebrates the 130th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilich Lenin (April 22), the prominent ideologist and talented leader of the proletariat and working people worldwide, and a great leader of the Russian October Revolution. In his quest for a way for national salvation, President Ho Chi Minh approached Marxism-Leninism, finding in this theory a way to save the country and the people. President Ho stated, "To save the country and liberate the nation, there is no other way than the proletariat revolution!" and "Only with socialism and communism can oppressed nations be liberated and working people world-wide be freed from slavery." Having confidence in Lenin's theory, Ho Chi Minh was determined to follow the path of the Russian October Revolution, opening up a new era, a transition from capitalism to socialism. Having absorbed well Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh tried his best to disseminate it to the workers' movements, patriotic movements that gave rise to the foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Fully aware that "a revolution could only be successful if it is led by a powerful party," Ho Chi Minh did everything possible to temper our Party into a staunch Marxist-Leninist party of the working people which is absolutely loyal to the interests of the working class, the people and the nation. The most salient feature in the Communist Party of Vietnam's strategy is to combine national independence with socialism, which represents the strength and the root cause of the victories of the Vietnamese revolution. With this sound revolutionary guideline, since its birth 70 years ago, the Communist party of Vietnam has adapted creatively Marxism-Leninism to the actual conditions of the Vietnamese revolution and has thus led the people from one victory to another. The successful August Revolution has overthrown the colonialist and feudalist yoke to establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first Worker-peasant State in Southeast Asia which opened up an era of national independence and socialism in Vietnam. From the plight of slaves, the Vietnamese people have become masters of their own nation. With this guideline, the party has mobilised the strength of the entire nation and combined it with that of the time to win the struggles for national liberation and defence as well as to accomplish internationalist obligations. The Spring Victory 1975 put an end to the 30-year revolutionary struggle for national liberation and reunification and advanced the country towards socialism. Over the past 15 years, having overcome numerous difficulties and hardships and continuing the path blazed by Lenin and chosen by Ho Chi Minh and led by the Party, the Vietnamese people have recorded worthwhile achievements in the renovation process. These successes have created an impetus and confidence for the entire party, people and army to enhance national industrialisation and modernisation while safely defending the country. The 70-year history of the Vietnamese revolution has proved that national independence combined with socialism represents a goal, motivation and ideology of our Party and people. This view remains unchanged from different stages of the revolution, now just as before power was seized by the people. Now the Party is leading the people to strive for the goal of a prosperous people, a powerful country, and a fair and civilised society. From the successes of the revolution, we can once again assert that Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Ideology constitute the beacon for every single revolutionary action our Party and people. The entire Vietnamese nation is jubilantly celebrating major anniversaries. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, the people are actively engaged in major socio-economic tasks, Party build-up for 2000 that bridges two centuries and millennia and in preparations for the 9th national Party congress. Both opportunities and challenges are lying ahead. Confident in the path chosen by President Ho Chi Minh, the entire Party and people are determined to realise the goal of national independence and socialism as the singly correct path to a life of plenty and happiness. Marking Lenin's birth anniversary, analyzing his theory and thoughts to apply creatively to our guidelines and policies and solutions to make them realistic, we must make thorough preparations of Party congresses at different levels in the spirit of the 9th Plenum of the Party Central Committee. We have to redouble efforts in socio-economic development, enhance national industrialisation and modernisation, combine economic development with social welfare policies, fully tap inner resources and make full use of external assistance, expand international co-operation and promote democracy. The success of the party build-up and streamline movement regarding politics, ideology, ethics, lifestyles and leadership, will contribute positively to achieving socio-economic objectives for 2000. This will lay the groundwork for the forthcoming 9th national party congress, a most significant event for our nation in the new century and millennium. Exerting full force of the nation, continuing with the process of renovation by boosting national industrialisation and modernisation and national defence, will be our glorious cause, representing the determination of the entire Party, army and people to follow the revolutionary path of Lenin and to deserve our great leader Ho Chi Minh. NHAN DAN Nhan Dan editorial office 71 Hang Trong St. Hanoi, Vietnam tel: 84-4-8254231 84-4-8254232 fax: 84-4-8255593 ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytas-04.29.00-01:44:10-30485