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Recognition Finally

By VVAW

On July 11, 1995, the U. S. and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam announced the establishment of formal diplomatic relations. This is something that we in VVAW have called for since the end of the shooting war in 1975. While we celebrate this action, we must remember the price the people of Vietnam paid while waiting for successive U.S. political administrations to make this move. Though the shooting war ended in 1975, for the next twenty years the U.S. waged political and economic warfare against the people of Vietnam, even to the point of supporting Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge against them! Finally, when Vietnam was knocked down to its lowest economic level, with the denial of international funds for reconstruction, not to mention the continued effects of the war (Agent Orange poisoning, unexploded ordnance, etc.), moves were made by political and economic elites in this country to open formal relations with the former "enemy." We must recognize that the people of Vietnam have won once again, but once again, they paid a terrible price for this victory. For many of us, this is another very important step toward finally ending the Vietnam war, and we must celebrate with the people of Vietnam, just as we celebrated when they got their country back in 1975. We must also be aware that it will be extremely difficult for Vietnam to maintain its independence in the face of overwhelming pressure to adhere to the economic demands of the "New World Order."