July 22, 2024 |
Introduction: On the occasion of Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong’s death, Thoibao.de re-posted an article asking for debate with Secretary General Trong that caused a stir in the online community more than 11 years ago by Nguyen Dac Kien, journalist of Gia Dinh & Xa Hoi newspaper.
But professor and doctorate in party building Nguyen Phu Trong, with an excellent theoretical reputation, did not respond. Instead, Kien was immediately fired by his newspaper.
Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and journalist Nguyen Dac Kien of Gia Dinh & Xa Hoi newspaper.
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VTV1 News Program, 7:00 p.m., February 25, 2013, delivered a statement in Vinh Phuc by Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as follows: “Recently, there have been opinions that can also be attributed to the political recession, ideology, ethics, etc. There are someones having the idea of wanting to abolish Article 4 of the Constitution and deny the party’s leadership role? Do you want multi-party pluralism? Is there separation of powers? Is there depoliticization of the military? People are having such views, even posting them on the mass media. So that’s a recession, nothing else!”
With all respect for the head of a Vietnamese political party, I would like to say a few words to Nguyen Phu Trong:
First, it is necessary to determine, whom are you talking to? If you speak to the people of the whole country, I would like to affirm that you have no qualifications. You are the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, if you want to use the word “recession,” at most you can only speak to those who are members of the communist party but not to the people of the whole country. If you and your comrades want to keep Article 4 and hold a leadership role as well as want to politicize the military, do not want multi-party, do not want separation of powers, then that is only your and the Communist Party’s will. You cannot attribute that to the will of the Vietnamese people. However, it is also necessary to emphasize that the above wishes should only be considered those of Mr. Trong alone, not necessarily the wishes of all current communist party members.
Next, let’s get into the content, you said about moral degradation. I want to ask you, what morality are you talking about? Human ethics? Civic ethics? Vietnamese national morality? I guess you’re talking about your communist morality. So, you think that only your communist morality is true morality? So, our ancestors have no morality when there was no communism? So, are all non-communist people in the world immoral?
Next, let’s go into the content of political and ideological degradation. I want to ask you, what politics and ideology are you talking about? Is it the politics and ideology of the communist party? So your communist party is the only one, right? Personally, I think that no person with normal conscience would admit that. At most, you could only say that to communist party members, but even to communist party members, you could not blame them for degradation. If you don’t believe me, try re-reading the Political Platform and Charter of your party. There is nothing that says removing Article 4 is degenerate, wanting political pluralism is degenerate, wanting to depoliticize the military is degenerate, only embezzlement and corruption go against the interests of the people is recession. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, try reading this again and thinking again!
Now, I respectfully declare what I want:
I not only want to remove Article 4 of the current Constitution, but I want to organize a Constitutional referendum and create a new Constitution that is truly the will of the entire Vietnamese people, not the will of the communist party as the current Constitution does.
I support pluralism, multi-party, and healthy competition for parties for freedom, democracy, peace, and progress of the Vietnamese people. No party, in any way, takes any position to manipulate the country.
I not only support building a government with separation of powers, but also want a government with vertical decentralization, that is, increasing autonomy for localities, building strong local governments, and eliminating states corporations and national organizations which consume the budget, corrupt the people’s wealth, and destroy trust, will and national solidarity.
I support the politicization of the military. The army is to protect the people, protect the homeland, protect the borders and territories, not protect any party.
I affirm that I have the right to make the above statement and all other Vietnamese people have the right to make the same statement. I affirm that I am exercising the basic human rights of freedom of speech and thought; this natural right is something that every person has, it is recognized and respected by the Vietnamese people; This right is not given by your communist party, so you have no right to take it away or judge it. Therefore, I can consider your above judgments, if directed towards me, as a personal defamation. And I think that those who oppose the above rights are reactionary, go against the interests of the people and the nation, and go against the progressive trend of humanity.
Nguyen Dac Kien – February 26, 2013
