Thursday, October 16, 1997
Controversial water puppet show spreads communist propaganda
PROTEST: Performance doesn’t exhibit culture, tradition, but it
manipulates foreign perception
By Jonathan Pham
The Thang Long puppet show group is not be purely an art
performance. Indeed, many similar groups have been sent to other
countries by the Vietnamese communist government with a clear
purpose of using cultural and art activities to spread their
regime’s propaganda, which severely violates the human rights of
the Vietnamese people.
Though water puppetry is a beautiful Vietnamese tradition, the
reason the Vietnamese communist government permits its exhibition
in the United States has nothing to do with showing off Vietnamese
culture. Like China, the Hanoi communist government likes to
manipulate international opinion by presenting a normal face
abroad, a picture of a Vietnam as a normal country, but Vietnam is
not one.
Ordinary Vietnamese citizens could never organize a performing
group and put on similar shows in Vietnamese cities. Ordinary
Vietnamese citizens are not allowed even to leave their country.
Indeed, the people of Vietnam are currently forbidden from
realizing their most basic aspirations.
Today, Buddhists and Catholics are persecuted for following
their faith.
Only this summer the Vietnamese communist government jailed 10
Vietnamese Buddhist monks and laity for organizing a charity
mission to aid flood victims. In another incident in mid-July,
thousands of people staged a sit-in in front of the office of the
People’s Committee of Thai Binh for several days loudly denouncing
the government’s heavy-handed policies on compulsory labor
contribution and taxation. Also decried was government officials’
arrogance, corruption and autocratic behaviors toward local
residents, despite Hanoi’s dispatching of military and
anti-demonstration Public Security Units to crack down on the
protest. Hanoi refused to treat its people normally and with
respect; any attempt by that regime to present a normal face abroad
ought to be protested.
Not too long ago, a similar group of seven performers, who did
not want to do this kind of propaganda for the inhumane Vietnamese
communist government, had requested and received political asylum
from the Australian government.
As Vietnamese refugees living in California, we do not want our
children, who are currently students at UCLA, to be influenced by
this type of propaganda.
Help us to fight for the 70 million people crying for freedom in
Vietnam.