Thursday, October 16, 1997
Vietnam needs a change
FREEDOM: Pleasant puppet show glazes over historical suffering,
hardship, paints unrealistic picture
By Tram Linh Ho
It has only been 22 years since the fall of Saigon and the end
of the Vietnam War. With 59,000 soldiers dead on the battlefield,
there is still a fresh wound in the hearts of many. Memories of
lost family and friends still cloud our minds. Throughout history,
the Vietnamese people have faced oppression, imprisonment and
suffering. We have been stripped of our land, clothes and
rights.
Over 200 individuals gathered this weekend outside of Sunset
Recreational Center. Inside, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
prepared for a "thousand-year-old art of Vietnamese puppetry and
music" performance. Ordinary passersby would look at the protesters
with interest and confusion. These protesters gathered amidst a sea
of yellow flags with three red stripes, – the symbol of democracy
for the Vietnamese people – chanting "Down with Communists!" and
"human rights, freedom and democracy for Vietnam!" The only way to
fully understand the protesters is if we look beyond this
children’s puppet show.
First, past laws have strictly censored the exchange of
information between the United States and Vietnam. The UCLA
Performing Arts Center claims that they have not censored this
performance and that "no political ideology is endorsed by the
presentation of this event." However, Thang Long already has been
censored by the Communist government as to what they can and cannot
perform. When approached by the intrigued audience, the puppeteers
were escorted by the police and not even allowed to speak with
family members in the crowd. Hearts went out to the performers as
the crowd yelled, "Speak out, speak out! Run for your freedom. We
are here to help you escape the Viet Cong!" Community activists
were willing to help them seek refuge in the United States. But
they did not do so, fearing for their families and for their own
lives as well.
Second, ordinary Vietnamese citizens could never organize and
see such a performance inside Vietnam. Thang Long originally
started as an educational program for the children of the North
Vietnamese villages. Now the show is being used by the Communist
government to "manipulate international opinions by presenting a
normal face abroad." This water puppet show is a false depiction of
life in Vietnam. It is supposed to portray everyday farming and
fishing life in the Vietnamese cities. But Thang Long does not
present the other side of a war-ridden country, under an oppressive
Communist regime. Our people are suffering, human rights are being
violated, religious and political leaders are jailed and face house
arrest, citizens are denied their freedom of expression and then
killed for not succumbing to the demands of the heartless Viet
Cong.
Since this puppet show is part of the children’s art series of
UCLA’s Performing Arts Center, members of the Thang Long audience
believe that they can now have a pleasant image of Vietnam. But
this is simply not the case. The best way for people to relate to
certain events is through visual aids. For example, the American
public did not respond to cries of hunger and starvation in Somalia
until exposed to pictures and images of the dying, malnourished
children. If we do not see the true image of life in Vietnam, most
of us will think that life is really normal and happy. In reality,
destitute farmers toil all day long in the fields, young daughters
are forced into prostitution, and citizens must comply with all the
demands of this unyielding, oppressive government. This is the sad,
yet very real picture of what Vietnam is like.
Third, on a broader level, the United States is considering
Vietnam for "most favored nation" (MFN) status. With this false
image of happy life, the U.S. government is willing to give
favorable trading rights to a brutal and hostile Communist
government. Just as we learned in China’s case, economic trade will
not constitute human rights. Imprisonment, exile of religious and
political dissidents, and torture and abuse will continue to plague
the Vietnamese people regardless of economic relations with the
United States.
After joining the Vietnamese community activists for an entire
weekend outside Sunset Rec Center, I have gained a greater
understanding for my people. Those who have lived here most of
their lives do not realize the many implications behind the Thang
Long’s seemingly innocent water puppet show. After reading this, I
hope that we all have a better understanding why 200 people
gathered in protest, over why 59,000 soldiers died in the
battlefields of the Vietnam War.
In itself, the water puppet show is beautiful. But as an image
representative of Vietnam, it is a false one. Maybe at one point in
time, Vietnam was beautiful. And it may be so again – if everyone
realizes that Vietnam needs a change, and if we take action to make
this vision our future.