THE SUPPRESSION

THE SUPPRESSION

By Van Nguyen

 Efforts were made to remedy deteriorations in the administration of the country. In the congress of June 11, 1989 in Ho Chi Minh City, members of association, having discussed the “rights to freedom and democracy of the citizen and other important issues of the society,” sent a petition to the National Assembly, requesting it to “verify and have attitude towards a number of constitutional violations of certain government organs.” The Ministry of Information, as a case in evidence, infringed on Article 67 of the Constitution on freedom of the press, closed down in series the newspapers that daringly revealed the truth, particularly setbacks in the fighting against conservatism, bureaucracy, and authoritarianism. 

Facing sharp requests from the association and being apprehensive of a movement of dissent inspired from it, during the Sixth Plenum taking place, June 15–August 4,1989, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam discussed important issues among which  was  the conduct of ideological tasks vis-à-vis the political developments in the country and abroad. The discussion was focussed on the conspiracy of the American imperialism and the activities of anti-revolutionary forces that were outlining vile schemes to destroy socialism.  Party Secretary-general Nguyen Van Linh stressed the goal of democratic centralism and the unshakable will of the Party to eradicate every artful plot of the enemy. The debate concluded with firm resolution “to determinedly exterminate political pluralism and persistently carry out proletariat dictatorship”

   On August 22, 1989, leading members of the association held a conference in Ho Chi Minh City. Among them were Nguyen Ho, Ha Huy Giap, To Ky, Huynh Van Tieng, and Tran Van Tra. After deliberate discussion, the group sent a petition to the Central Party Committee requesting it to define the main objective of the economy for the South, invigorating the national economy and enforcing a comprehensive renovation. More importantly, the Party should not place itself above the Constitution and the law; it should serve itself as an example, showing high respect for the laws.

     

    The petition pointed out: “There is no dialogue, no discussion whatsoever. [The Party and the State] do not listen to opinions from cadres, party members, and the masses. The leadership, orientation, and management of the Party and State, in some respects, are inclined to dependent on orders, severe administrative measures, violence, and weapons (guns, electric rods, and hunting dogs) to face the masses. Such incidents had taken place in Cong Hoa Village (Thanh Hoa Province), Tu Trinh Village (Thai Binh Province), and Ky Hoa (Ho Chi Minh City). Those hard measures indicated that the Party and the State had used the Steel Fist approach to restore social order. There is no doubt that the peasantry was the main force of the Revolution in the rural areas and that the students were the main forces for the Revolution in the cities. They are now "enjoying" a taste of our weapons, the atrocity of hunting dogs, the proletarian dictatorship, and socialism. That is sad! (Do Trung Hieu. Cau Lac Bo Nhung Nguoi Khang Chien Cu. 1995: 27)

On January 7, 1990, more than 200 members of the association and representatives from various organizations held a seminar at the National Museum, Ho Chi Minh City under the co-chairmanship of General Tran Van Tra, Pham Van Khai, former Party Secretary of the South Thanh Son, and Tran Bach Dang, discussed “an approach to renovation,” establishing a more democratic and freer political regime for a modern Vietnam. On the same day, a debate on the situation of the country was taking place at the House of Culture of the city on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Avenue with the participation of prestigious long-standing Communist party members among who were Tran Van Giau, Nguyen Van Tran, and La Van Lam. The main theme was focused on “the reforms in East Europe and the actual renovation in Vietnam.”  Tran Van Giau pointed out the setbacks of renovation in the Soviet Union, specifically he deteriorating economy and the ailing leadership that led to the disintegration of the communist bloc, not only in this country but also in other countries in Eastern Europe. Comprehensive reforms were sufficient and necessary condition to save Vietnam from backwardness and authoritarianism.

To suppress opposition, the Party Committee executed strict measure; convoking 24 members in the association liaison committee were convoked to the Fatherland Front Headquarter of Ho Chi Minh City to be explained on true patriotism and the path to socialism and vile schemes of “peaceful evolution.” The Club of Veteran Resistance War Fighters became a thorn in the side of the Communist Party of Vietnam Party and was fast developing into an ant-communist movement just like the Nhan Van Giai Pham (Humanity Literary Movement) in the North in the late 1950”s. Repression ensued. The Politburo executed harsh measure, forbidding all assemblies by the Club, suspending the review “Truyen Thong Khang Chien”, instructing the executive board to exclude from it extremist elements, particularly, Nguyen Ho and Ta Ba Tong and disbanding auxiliary activities sections such as the  Actives Committee, for example. 

On March 4, 1990, Nguyen Van Hanh representing the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City openly criticized Nguyen Ho’ on charges of deviations from the objectives of the association. Nguyen Ho was excluded from the executive committee and was replaced by Pham Khai, who was nominated acting chairman of the association. A session of work of senior party members under the chairmanship of the Party Secretary of Ho Chi Minh City Vo Tran Tri accused Nguyen Ho of wrongdoings. General Tran Van Tra, specifically, pointed out the serious mistakes Nguyen Ho had committed, notably, the dissemination of the petition to the Communist Party and State of Vietnam calling for adoption of political plurality and multiparty. The rhetorician Tran Bach Dang analyzed in depth these deviations in terms of ideology, mainly the principles of democratic centralism and concluded that Nguyen Ho was obviously a traitor. On March 21, 1990, Nguyen Ho left Saigon to live in seclusion in Song Be Province and denned membership to the Communist Party of Vietnam. Key members of the Club were arrested one by one. Among them were Do Trung Hieu, Ta Ba Tong, and Ho Hieu. Disheartened, Pham Khai resigned from his position as Caiman of the Executive Board of the association. On May 5, 1990, Pham Van Dang, the newly-nominated Chairman of the Executive Board of the Association of Veteran Resistance War Fighters, in a circular letter, informed members of the club of the subversive activities activated by enemy forces currently operating in the country and advised everyone to heighten vigilance against any vile scheme of reactionary and ant-revolutionary elements.  On July 30, 1990, the Party Committee of Song Be met Nguyen Ho and charged him with crimes of espionage. On July 9, 1990, Nguyen Ho was arrested and placed under house supervisor at Cu Chi District, southwest of Saigon.

 The Association of Veteran Resistance War Fighters of Ho Chi Minh City was disbanded in mid-1990, but it was not until April 1994 that the Communist Party and State of Vietnam informed party cadres and the population of the “Veteran Resistance War Fighters Affair” and the Party’s political judgments. There was no mention of the motif as regards the disbandment, however.