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Unite to protect and develop country

Unite to protect and develop country

Thursday, April 25, 2013, 13:15 GMT+7

“After the war, it was not easy for everyone to look to the same direction, But today, given that the country has unified and that the April 30 Victory is the common victory of every Vietnamese person, everybody despite their circumstances will naturally get closer to each other,” said Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh.

The official, who is a member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Defense, made the statement in an interview with Tuoi Tre about issues related to national defense policy and safeguarding the country’s sovereignty on the 38th anniversary of Liberation Day (April 30).

Q: We would like to hear from you, one of the leaders of the army after the country was unified, about your feelings about the historical event on April 30, 1975.  

A: Everybody, depending on their circumstances, will have their own feelings about the historical event, but there is a common point: it is a victory for the entire Vietnamese nation. We are proud of overcoming the hardships of war with the strength of the entire nation. This victory has built the first permanent peace and created good conditions for national development.

In order to achieve victory, we paid dearly with a large number of fallen people. Perhaps after the April 30 Victory, few people would think that 40 years later our country would still have to try to overcome consequences of the war, firstly consequences in sentimental and psychological aspects. In addition, there are other consequences such as AO, unexploded ordnances (UXO), and soldiers missing in action (MIA), which will likely take us more time after 30 or 40 years to resolve.

Q: Do you want to emphasize the value of peace by mentioning the past war?   

A: Peace is invaluable. It means a peaceful life for people, the well-being of people, the happiness of every family, and the laughter of children. It also means there are no longer mothers who have lost their children to the war. With a simple but sacred meaning, peace is all for us.

When recalling the April 30 victory, we are proud of it and confident in our ability to safeguard our fatherland and defeat every aggressor, but we must keep permanent peace for our country. It is a peace that is based on independence, self-control, territorial integrity, and self-determination.

Every war is aimed to create peace, but is such peace built on the foundation of dependence or independence and freedom? Everything can be paid for with peace, except one, which is territorial sovereignty and the right to live in independence and freedom. After all, a sustainable peace requires independence and freedom for people.

Q: Can current difficulties facing the country discourage or make somebody feel doubtful about the country’s ability to develop enough and avoid backwardness and to safeguard territorial sovereignty?

A: In these days, when looking back to the April 30 victory, the national spirit, and the people’s deep patriotism, we have a strong belief that our country will overcome all challenges to advance. We have survived a long and hard war, so it does not matter that there are difficulties in peacetime in which there are still many advantageous conditions. I don’t agree with the comment that people, especially young people, pay attention to the country’s situation. An issue here is that we should provide them with sufficient and objective information about the country’s situation that consists of both advantageous and disadvantageous conditions.

The market mechanism has different impacts, both positive and negative, on every person. On one hand, we have to accept it for the sake of development and integration; on the other hand, we must adopt the principles of transparency and publicity to help our people have a sound orientation.

In wartime, joining the army was patriotism or devotion to our country, but in peacetime, we should teach young people about what devotion to our country is. When talking with my children, I usually told them that labor is the most valuable thing to people. The issue here is that predecessors should create favorable conditions for younger generations to make contributions to the country based on their ability, knowledge and ambition.

Q: Peace, cooperation and development is a common trend in the region, but many factors still exist that cause instability, such as disputes on seas and lands that have become more and more fierce. In such a context, will the nation’s strength be multiplied if we adopt a policy of tolerance and harmony, as said by the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet?

A: Our people have a tradition of benevolence and tolerance. Our Party and State have also adopted a policy of eliminating hatred, closing the past and looking to the future. As I have said, every Vietnamese person, regardless of their circumstances, has a common goal: national interest. Great national unity is based on similarities but it should also accept differences that are not against national interests. For the sake of national interests, everybody will act to have more and more similarities.

When talking with overseas Vietnamese, I often say that my biggest wish is that every overseas Vietnamese who returns home feels that they have been given good conditions for family reunion and doing business. Before calling on overseas Vietnamese to contribute to the country, the country must open its arms to welcome them.

Tuoi Tre

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