Eva Cheng, Hanoi
Around 100 solidarity and left-wing activists travelled here from some 40 countries on August 31-September 2 to join the 82 million Vietnamese people in celebrating their 60 years of hard-won independence.
Throughout several days of discussions, the international guests and Vietnamese hosts reached a clear consensus that solidarity with Vietnam goes beyond supporting the socialist construction of Vietnam, but should also extend to solidarising with other anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggles in order to "reproduce" Vietnam's historic victory in other countries.
In closing an international solidarity conference for Vietnam on September 1, much-respected former vice-president Nguyen Thi Binh (better known as "Madam Binh") emphasised the importance of the anti-imperialist and pro-people struggle in Venezuela under the leadership of President Hugo Chavez, and the need for anti-capitalist activists around the world to extend support to it as well as the Palestinian struggle.
She noted the close collaboration between Cuban President Fidel Castro and Chavez in their common struggle against the aggression of US imperialism, and extended the Vietnamese people's wholehearted support.
Vietnam won its independence 60 years ago under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), ending eight decades of French colonial rule. But with US backing, the French colonialists soon sought to "reclaim their property", only to be defeated militarily by the Vietnamese people in 1954. Washington eventually launched military attacks under its own banner, seeking to bomb Vietnam "back to the Stone Age", raining down millions of tonnes of bombs before being defeated by the Vietnamese liberation forces on April 30, 1975.
An international conference on poverty alleviation in Asia, Africa and Latin America was held in Hanoi on August 31. The organisations represented included the Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO), the Organisation for Solidarity with Peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America (OSPAAL), the World Peace Council, the World Federation of Trade Unions and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. Other participants included Australia's Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP), an affiliate of the Socialist Alliance, represented by its national secretary John Percy, and former Labor MP and cabinet minister Tom Uren, a high-profile activist in the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Keynote speakers were Dr Fakhry Labib from AAPSO; Angola's former foreign minister Paulo T. Jorge; Dr Syed Husin Ali of Malaysia's People's Justice Party; Alfredo Leon Alvarez, secretary general of OSPAAAL; Francois Houtart from the Belgium-based Tricontinental Centre; and Dang Bich Thuy of the Vietnam Academy for Social Sciences.
Opening the conference, Madam Binh pointed out Vietnam's difficult challenge building socialism in a poor country against enormous odds, registering that while the country's poverty rate had halved in the 10 years to 2004, the poor still account for 25% of the population — more than 20 million people. She added that Vietnam's rate of poverty reduction has recently slowed down.
The aftermath of the US's extensive use of Agent Orange — a herbicide that contains the deadly dioxin — in Vietnam over the 10 years to 1971 continues to afflict millions of Vietnamese people, resulting in horrific deformities, cancer and other serious disabilities among even the new borns. Despite this, Washington and the major drug companies that supplied Agent Orange have continued to refuse compensation for their victims in Vietnam.
Madam Binh called for all friends of Vietnam and opponents of imperialism to lend their support to Vietnam's campaign to seek justice for its citizens devastated by Agent Orange. Speaking to Green Left Weekly, she made a special appeal for support from Australian Vietnam War veterans.
The International Meeting of Solidarity, Friendship and Cooperation with Vietnam was held on September 1. Speaker after speaker welcomed the significant improvement in Vietnam's food production and economic growth in recent years, a far cry from the crisis it faced in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, a key ally, in 1991. Vietnam remains one of the poorest countries in the world, but thanks to the people-oriented social policies of the socialist republic, its citizens enjoy a living standard markedly higher than that of countries with a similar per capita GDP.
Many speakers pledged to support the Agent Orange reparations campaign launched by the Vietnamese government, promising further solidarity actions in their respective home countries. All conference participants supported the issuing of an open letter expressing their solidarity for the ongoing struggle of Vietnam.
International participants of the two conferences, both organised by the Vietnamese Union of Friendship Organisations, were also invited to meet with CPV general secretary Nong Duc Manh and other party leaders on September 1 at the party's reception centre.
The highlight of the celebration was a major state parade on September 2 by tens of thousands at the Ba Dinh Square, where 60 years ago Vietnam's communist hero Ho Chi Minh declared the victory of the country's national liberation struggle.
Over September 3-7, a delegation of five DSP members met with the CPV's various bodies and mass organisations. Ta Minh Chau, vice-chairperson of the commission for external relations, explained the party's thinking and priorities in foreign relations, agreeing to step up collaboration.
In a meeting with the Vietnam Confederation of Labour Union, Sam Wainwright, DSP delegate and editor of the newspaper of the Maritime Union of Australia's West Australian branch, delivered a special letter of solidarity from Chris Cain, WA MUA state secretary.
There was also a discussion with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union about collaboration with the socialist youth organisation Resistance.
Communist Youth Union secretary Doan Van Thai told GLW that as a step to strengthen mutual understanding and solidarity with Venezuela, Vietnam and Venezuela are planning to set up embassies in each other's country in the coming weeks.
Intensive discussions were also held with the Vietnam Women's Union, during which the current state of women's position in Vietnamese society today was reviewed.
From Green Left Weekly, September 14, 2005.
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