What Service Did Vietnam Render during the Conflict?
Not by accident, Ho (1948) begins his speech with the famous statements contained in the Declaration of Independence. He also mentions the values of equality and self-determination upheld by the Allies. He longs for these principles that have become universal everywhere but on the territory of the occupied Vietnam. It means that the Vietnamese have been suffering from the absence of equality and self-determination as well as other basic rights guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence under the lengthy occupation of both the French and the Japanese. Therefore, in essence, the ‘service’ provided by the Vietnamese for the free world was the blood spilled in quest of the moral standards that should have been provided without the struggle. It proves that the people of Vietnam were determined and dedicated enough to fight for their freedom, and having such a strong nation as an ally would be a great favor based on the service provided by such model nation in the midst of the World War 2. Not only did the country struggle with the basic challenges of war, but it also managed to break the chains of monarchy and establish a democracy. This was in essence the main ‘service’ of being an example to other struggling states.
Philosophical Principles of the Allies
Ho (1960) draws a contradictory parallel between the Japanese who have basically surrendered to the Allies without having embraced their philosophical principles, and Tehran as well as San Francisco who have been understanding of the struggles and oppressed rights of the Vietnamese. More specifically, when it comes to the ethical values upheld by the Allies, Ho (1948) refers to “the principles of self-determination and equality of nations”. Therefore, basing his reasoning on such values promoted by the Allies, Ho (1948) uses the struggles of the Vietnamese during the French and Japanese occupation to assert that Vietnam should be free. Basically, the activities that have been occurring on the land of Vietnam are totally against the ideas promoted by the Allies, which means that they should be nothing but supportive of the Vietnamese independence.
Crimes Committed by the French during Their Occupation of Vietnam
In essence, Ho (1948) states that the French have violated the basic human rights, such as public opinion, racial equality, equal distribution of resources, democratic liberties, educational rights, etc. However, in my opinion, the most serious offence committed by the French in this respect is the one outlined by Ho (1948) in the very beginning of his speech. He states that they have been acting immorally under the notions of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, which in reality have been the guiding force of the French nation since its inception (Ho, 1948). Therefore, the serious crimes committed by the lawmakers, politicians and army leaders have been hurtful enough for the oppressed people, but the problem has been exacerbated by the fact that the French considered these actions to be fair and even righteous. Their view was much skewed towards the prosperity of their own race rather than providing equal rights for all citizens independent of their background, as the Declaration of Independence suggested (Ho, 1960).
Reference
Ho, C. M. (1948). Selected works (Vol. 3). Hanoi: Foreign Languages Publishing House.
