Phản Đối Việc Treo Cờ VC tại Đại Học Texas tại Arlington

Vietnamese American to Protest the Communist Flag at

The University of Texas at Arlington

Dallas Morning News

Friday, May 26, 2006

Vietnam trade accord reopens deep wounds

Some U.S. veterans and immigrants oppose raising nation's status

07:38 AM CDT on Friday, May 26, 2006

WASHINGTON   President Bush will soon ask Congress to do Vietnam a favor and complete closure “ commercially, at least “ on a war that ended more than 30 years ago.

But not every American is ready to let go, as a recent flag dispute at the University of Texas at Arlington showed.

Mr. Bush wants to establish "permanent normal trade relations" once known as "most-favored nation" status“ with Hanoi. That would cut tariffs and help Vietnam gain membership in the World Trade Organization, where it would be subject to the trade rules and customs of 149 other nations.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam remains the "least-favored nation" of many Vietnamese-Americans and veterans of the war. They want to see more freedom and democracy, and a more thorough, honest

They remain a political force, as they showed in protesting the yellow star on a red flag that hung in UTA's engineering hall. The protesters wanted the flag replaced with the banner that flew over Saigon until South Vietnam fell on April 30, 1975.

Both flags were in the display of 123 banners from the countries of origin of UTA students. There were fears that campus funding might be cut by the Texas Legislature unless UTA removed the communist flag. Rather than give in to the protesters' demands, UTA president Jim Spaniolo ordered all 123 flags taken down.

Victories elsewhere .State Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, said Vietnamese-Americans have succeeded in getting the old Vietnamese flag recognized as "the freedom flag" in several communities across the country. Republican Gov. Rick Perry signed a resolution to that effect approved by the Legislature in 2004. "It's still very much a very tyrannical regime," Mr. Vo said.

The Vietnamese government has protested to the State Department about the nationwide flag campaign of the Vietnamese-American Public Affairs Committee.

"The yellow star and red background flag is the sole and legal representation of Vietnam in any place around the United States and the world," said Vietnamese Embassy spokesman Cuong The Nguyen. "The University of Texas at Arlington has acted correctly and appropriately displaying the yellow star and red background flag."

Like China, Vietnam has remained a Communist Party government while abandoning much of its communist economic orthodoxy. It's grown 50 percent since 2001 and is scrambling to provide jobs for the 1 million young people who are entering the workforce every year.

"There's no question that things have improved. Whether they've improved enough is another question," said Virginia Foote, president of the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council. "If you look at the State Department's assessment and other work done on this, the political and human rights situation in Vietnam has improved steadily over the same period the economy has improved."

Approving the trade deal would complete a thaw in relations started under President Bill Clinton in 2000. Since then, trade between the former enemies has grown to $7.8 billion. Vietnam sends clothing, textiles, shrimp, shoes, furniture and coffee to us. We send them airplanes, mining equipment, cotton and plastics. In 2005, the U.S. trade deficit with Vietnam was $5.37 billion.

U.S.-Vietnamese relations are also viewed as an important check on China's influence.

Mr. Vo is not persuaded. "I do not agree with that open-door policy to trade with Vietnam right now," he said. "I want to see President Bush impose conditions on Vietnam before he fully opens up our trade policy with them."

This concern is not likely to halt the trade deal. Each vote since 2000 on advancing the U.S.-Vietnamese trade relationship has met with less opposition.

But Vietnam did not help itself when Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, made his first return visit in February since spending seven years at the "Hanoi Hilton" as an injured, abused prisoner of war. Mr. Johnson toured the former prison with other members of Congress and was not amused by what he heard from the Vietnamese government tour guide.

"As if reading straight from the Communist Party song sheet, she noted how well American POWs fared while in captivity. What great meals we enjoyed ... how we received excellent medical care," Mr. Johnson wrote to constituents. "Of course, it was all a bunch of lies. After she spoke, I would describe the way we really were treated."

E-mail jlanders@dallasnews.com