Vietnam for greater atonement by U.S.

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, APRIL 30. Vietnam today celebrated the silver jubilee of its victory over the U.S. and its ally, the former Saigon regime, in the war of liberation that led to a reunification of the southern and northern parts of the country. The main celebration, held at the ``Reunification Palace'' in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), was featured by a military parade and a colourful pageantry.

The ceremony, designed to celebrate in style the communist triumph and also to underscore unity with the formerly non- communist sections, was graced by a galaxy of top leaders. There was also a note of austerity in the celebration in keeping with the country's economic challenges at present.

The ceremonial function, timed exactly for the liberation of Saigon a quarter of a century ago to this day, was held in Ho Chi Minh City, while the main political function was held in Hanoi, capital of the reunified country, yesterday when the Prime Minister, Mr. Phan Van Khai, put the past in perspective for the country's future agenda in the context of the challenges of the 21st Century as also the groundswell of hopes generated, in the first place, by the 1973 Paris Peace Accord that helped bring the now-legendary Vietnam War to an eventual end.

On a note of reconciliation with the U.S., more particularly its citizens, Mr. Khai said: ``We respect the peace (-loving) and justice-loving people in the U.S., particularly the young generation, who stood on justice's side and in myriad ways opposed the war of aggression (against the Vietnamese) thus contributing to the end of the U.S. military ventures in Vietnam. Today, they are still making contributions to normalising the Vietnam-U.S. bilateral ties.''

Without wishing, however, to gloss over the horrors of the Vietnam War, Mr. Khai said: ``Although the war ended 25 years ago, direct and indirect consequences left over by the war are still extremely severe. Normal morality in relations between nations requires (that) those countries which have waged and participated in wars of aggression in Vietnam be responsible for actively joining (hands) with the Vietnamese Government and people to solve the war's aftermath.'' Such an action by the countries concerned would help ``build trust and cooperative ties'' between them and Vietnam, he noted.

While reconciliation with the U.S. was the main theme a few years ago when Washington began a process of normalising ties with Hanoi, the Vietnamese Prime Minister chose the present anniversary of a historic event to call for a greater atonement by the U.S., as seen from his perspective, through suitable action of mitigating the consequences of the long war.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Russia warns of pullout from START
Next     : Hawks in Iran seek to overawe reformers