One year ago, the “VIET MINH” or “DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF VIETNAM” which was organized in 1941 for the struggle against French imperialism and Japanese Fascism, rallied all the people of VietNam around its flag, seized the power out of Japanese hands and proclaimed the independence of the Republic of VietNam.
This republic comprises Tonkin, Annam and CochinChina* formerly states of the French colony Indo-China. They are all three united to one another by close ethnical, cultural, historical and political ties.
The young Republic, as soon as it was born, was faced by the invasion of French forces in the South, while at the same time, it was confronted by a tremendous famine in the North. It was further handicapped by internal intrigues prompted and sponsored by French imperial interests. Yet, in spite of it all, it managed to stand firm thanks to the strength, solidarity and sacrifice shown by its people, as well as to the wise leadership of its President Mr. HO CHI MINH.
Mr. VO NGUYEN GIAP’s speech reviews the first year of struggle and reconstruction of the VietNam Republic. Supported by concrete facts and figures, the speech is no mere adorned picture of rhetorical propaganda. It portrays the determined efforts of a people growing ever more and more united in their struggle for national defense and emancipation over a period of more than 80 years; a struggle which now finds expression in the battle cry of the new Republic: “Independence, Liberty and Happiness”. It pays worthy tribute to the tenacity and courage of this same people who, in Southern VietNam, do not hesitate to apply, in the last resort, the grim “terre brulee” (scorched earth tactics) against the French invaders. While at the same time their brothers in the Northern VietNam, in the midst of a precarious peace, can still go on repairing and rebuilding the national economy even in the absence of foreign materials and technicians.
A fight for its independence and liberty by a valiant and determined people must earn substantial support from all democratic nations of the world. Especially so, since these powers in the gravest moment of their war against German Nazism and Japanese Fascism have emphasized the right of self-determination for all peoples.
The VietNam people after the surrender of the French army on March 9th, 1945 to the Japanese, set up by themselves a determined resistance movement. In Northern VietNam this movement liberated a sixth part of the country from the Japanese yoke and received effective aid from American forces in China. In Southern VietNam it trained the youth to be in readiness to play their part in the event of an Allied landing. Only the early surrender of the Japanese prevented this movement from coming into full play over the whole country through the vast net-work of organisations controlled by the Viet Minh.
This same democratic and independent national government now claims the right to rally round it all the democratic forces of the world.
Their determined fight against the Japanese must be upheld by the Allies against those who, after their surrender, now come back to VietNam to assert their old domination under the pretense of acting in the name of the Allies. And we must remember as well that the arms and equipment used by the French are to a large part arms and equipment obtained from America for purposes of fighting against Nazism and Japanese Fascism.
LE HI
Editor, “Viet Nam News”.
* They have been changed respectively into Bacbo or Northern VietNam, Trungbo or Central VietNam and Nambo or Southern VietNam.
Population figures are respectively 9, 7 and 6 million; of the total 26 million of Indo-China, VietNam comprises 22 million.