Traveller guide

History of Vietnam VII.

Published: 7.11.2008

In spite of a fact that the names, such as Vietnam and Vietnameses are the names used quite often, hardly anybody knows more, than some facts, generally famous (Vietnam wars - 1970-1980, thousands of Vietnamese arrived to Czech Republic to find here new home, twenty years ago) The following articles will present you something more about history of fascinating country, located in South-East Asia.

After-war Vietnam

After 30th April 1975, in contradistinction to bloody massacres effected by Khmers in neighbouring Cambodia, Vietnam communists did not started with killing. However, most of government officers and military staff were sent into so called „educational camps“. Nevertheless, many Northvietnamese soldiers started to realize that whole ideas regarding South Vietnam, did not correspond to the truth. They were told that South Vietnam citizens are poor, exploited by capitalists and they are handled as with slaves. Instead of that, they saw here plenty of foodstuffs, goods, fashion cloths, a lot of books and music. All objects, which completely missed in north.

In 1976, Vietnam was united officially and renamed to Vietnam Socialist Republic (VSR), with Hanoi as capital. The party started to support the development of heavy industry and collectivisation. However, within next years, all companies were nationalized.

As far as the relations with foreign countries are concerned, Vietnam became friends with Soviet Union. On the other hand, the tension with China arose, and confict with Cambodia, Chinese ally, was open.

Many of former high situated South Vietnam officers were - together with people of consequence from intelectual and spiritual circles - sent to so called „educational camps“. In fact there were labour camps.

Vietnam Socialist Republic applicated stalinism, as their official doctrine. There was introduced secret police - Cong An - controlling standard way of living of whole Vietnamese population. Local censorship was very strict, and most of works from music, art and literature area was forbidden. Most of religions was re-organised into churches, under full state control. Whoever expressed negative comments, addressed to a party, government, „uncle Ho“ or whatever connected with communism, obtained the sign of „reactionary“. This meant that the concerned person was irritated with police, expelled of school or working place or sent directly to the jail. Nevertheless, the communists did not managed to remove so called black market, where consume goods, foodstuffs or literature were sold. Bad conditions of life had its consequence that more than one million of Vietnameses left the country.

At the beginning of 1979, China invaded Vietnam, in order to „give a lecture“ to Vietnamese, for their recent invasion into Cambodia. At the beginning of 1980, many Vietnamese organisations were established in abroad, which required to throw down communist government. However, secret services always managed to render harmless.

Text: Maxim Kucer

Photo: Wikipedia.org, Google-Earth