For over two weeks since General Vo Nguyen Giap passed away
on Oct 4, 2013, there have been heated discussions about his life and
influence in Vietnam and in the world.
Why such a phenomenon? Following
are just a few remarks from one personal perspective.
There are different opinions about General Giap, his
character, his roles during the wars and in peace, and his influence or
legacy for future generations in Vietnam.
Depending on the individual’s sociopolitical stance, we can notice two main contrasting views:
1. He is considered a talented military leader and a national hero,
even a saint or idol in Vietnam history.
People compare him to legendary heroes and founding fathers in Vietnam
history such as Ly Thuong Kiet, Tran Hung Dao, Nguyen Trai…. The whole nation and many Vietnamese
communities in the world mourned him at such a high level as found only at the
funerals of great Vietnamese historic figures like Phan Chu Trinh, Ho Chi
Minh…. He is looked up as a beloved and
a genuine nationalist, an excellent follower of Ho Chi Minh, and one of the
founders of Vietnam after 1945. Without
him, there would not have been the decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu, which
forced the French colonialists to withdraw from Vietnam in 1954. He was also instrumental in building up the
Vietnamese People’s Army from its first blueprint as "armed propaganda
brigades" in 1944 with only 34 people.
No one denied his role as Commander in Chief throughout the war against
the US, even though, with Le Duan and Van Tien Dung’s presence in South Vietnam,
he had no longer directed southern operations since 1972.
Crowds of people, children
and youth born in peace times as well as old veterans in remote areas from the North to
the South, tried all they could to come to Hanoi or Quang Binh to pay tribute to
the famous General. During his funeral
procession from his house in Hanoi to his burial place in Vung Chua, Quang Binh
(a distance of 437km), despite the scorching sun, a sea of people waited in long lines
wherever possible to show their admiration and respect to him the last time. Many could not hold back their emotions, including soldiers in duty at his burial site.
2. On the other side, his enemies regard him as a merciless general
towards his own soldiers and towards prisoners of war at the front. To them he only focused on the
final victory, and never concerned about the high price Vietnam had to pay for the
prolonged wars in terms of human lives and national economic and cultural
developments. Those who are against the
current regime in Vietnam have exploited his image and his death as the last glowing
vestiges during the sunset of communism in the region and in the world. Protesters against the Vietnam Communist
Party and current government leaders think he remained a powerless weakling
silently pushed aside by his comrades (Le Duan, Le Duc Tho, Le Duc Anh ….) from 1960s through1980s. Democratic
activists and political reformers consider him a respected but too defensive patriot after the war.
Despite his talents and wise vision, they think he had no significant
roles or contributions after April 30, 1975. Those advocating for a peaceful transition into a new
democratic Vietnam regret losing him as an intellectual supporter for their
movements.
All comments and criticisms aside, General Giap remains a
historic Vietnamese figure with a huge and lasting influence and a unique
legacy in national and international history.
At the national level, to younger generations he left a
legacy of an idealistic character with his honesty, integrity and consistency in
serving the nation. He was faithful to
his ideal and the national cause till the end of his life. Throughout his life he continued to share
his visions in many national issues with government leaders and his people during wartime (Dien bien
Phu 1954, Tet Offensive 1968, Summer 1972, Spring 1975, the war against China in 1979, Central Highlands and the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands since 1990s) and in peace (land reforms in the 1950s, and current problems about national security, educational, scientific and economic development, policies about
oceanic research, boxite extraction, etc.). These are pragmatic lessons for political
and military leaders to study and apply.
His pragmatism, responsibility and discipline are models for good
leadership. In adversities, his
open-mindedness, tolerance and empathy, and especially his wise tactics in dealing
with internal and external affairs should be thought-provoking to political
leaders, including those against him.
At the international level, he has been admired and respected by
both his former enemies, fighters in movements for national liberation and
independence, and peace-loving people around the world. Among foreigners attending his funeral were
US veterans and peace-loving fighters.
Politicians from France and the USA all expressed their respects and
sorrows at his death. He is always an inspiring fighter for national liberation against foreign aggression. His books on war tactics and strategies have been translated into many languages and are currently used in military academies in many countries.
The General’s long-lasting legacy and final message to both the Vietnamese people and current government
leaders was probably his decision about his burial place. With this last choice he seemed to imply that as a
son of his homeland fighting for his national independence, at the end of his life, he wanted to be buried like other
ordinary soldiers and citizens in his own homeland. Many
years before his death he had chosen a burial place in a remote area close to
high mountains looking toward the vast sea. It is located at
Vung Chua-Dao Yen, Quang Binh Province, the narrowest and the poorest region in
northern Central Vietnam. It is so remote
that there is almost no decent road to get access to this burial place for a well-known historic figure like him. Until the
day before his funeral, many soldiers and workers had to work hard to build the
road to welcome the hero back to his homeland.
The week before his death, the region and its neighboring areas in Central
Vietnam had been struck by a seasonal typhoon, which flooded a huge area and
killed many villagers. The General
lived and died with his people, and he remained faithful to the ideal of the Vietnamese People's Army to the end
of his life. That is why he chose not
to be buried in Mai Dich Cemetary, where selected
Communist Party and government leaders were often buried.
One important question remains: “Why so many Vietnamese people
mourned General Giap?” When asked about the reasons of their emotional behaviors,
many sincerely expressed their deep respect toward him. To them, he was a faithful and dedicated
public servant with high dignity, honesty, and integrity till the end of his
life. He was a simple person with an exemplary life and character that they truly admire and love. Moreover, he belonged to the long-gone
generations of high-minded people who out of patriotism had joined and had been trained in the
wars for national liberation and reunification. It is possible
that the people have a strong need to express their patriotism and personal
emotions toward a legendary figure who passed away at a time when Vietnam and many of its traditional values seem to be quite vulnerable.
Attending his funeral is a legitimate and politically-safe way for the people
to express their desires, aspirations and concerns toward the future of their
nation, and to send a strong protest message against many corrupted
leaders at all levels. What the Vietnamese people
desire at present is honesty and transparency from their leaders, and a civic society
with freedom and democracy in which the people’s voice is well respected and
listened to attentively. When they
mourned General Giap, they also mourned for themselves, and for the betrayal of
current leaders against the national ideals that many generations had sacrificed
their youth and lives fighting for. Their mourning is fundamentally an expression of concerns and sorrows for the gloomy future of their nation.
Related Sources:
Documentaries about General Vo Nguyen Giap
1-Duong Kach Menh/The Revolutionary Way
2 Tu nhan dan ma ra/Born from the People
3 Chin nam lam mot Dien Bien/ The Nine-Year Making of Dien Bien Phu
4 Cuoc dung dau lich su/ A Historic Encounter
5Tien len toan thang at ve ta/Forward and the Victory is Ours
6 Nguoi anh ca cua Quan doi Nhan dan VN/The Eldest Brother of the Vietnamese People's Army
Wiki
Duong Que Pham. Ups
and Downs (Waves and Winds) in General Giap’s Life
General’s Giap’s last letter to businessmen and women. Read
by Quoc Trung Duong on Oct. 6, 2013 at the Club of Vietnamese Industrialists
and Businessmen and Businesswomen
http://infonet.vn/Kinh-doanh/Doanh-nghiep/Buc-thu-cuoi-cung-cua-Dai-tuong-Vo-Nguyen-Giap/114292.info
Hang Lien Nguyen.
The Gaps in General Giap’s Life
http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/forum/2013/10/131013_nguyenlienhang_view_on_gen_giap.shtml
Larry Berman.
General Giap Understands His Enemies
http://www.thanhnien.com.vn/pages/20131007/giao-su-su-hoc-my-larry-berman-dai-tuong-vo-nguyen-giap-hieu-ro-ke-thu.aspx
Meeting between General Giap and McNamara
http://news.zing.vn/Cuoc-gap-an-tuong-cua-tuong-Giap-va-McNamara-post346517.html.
Office of General Vo Nguyen Giap- Some Memories
