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Canada’s Bill S-219 distorts Vietnam’s liberation struggle
Canada’s Bill S-219 distorts Vietnam’s liberation struggle
25/4/15
On April
22th 2015, Canadian Parliament passed the the Bill S-219 or the so-called
Journey to Freedom Day Act, an
absolutely wrong law, whose contents distort the Vietnamese people’s past
struggle for national liberation and reunification, which had been supported by
the international community, including Canada.
To day I want to provide you with more information about
this wrong law:
The bill, sponsored by Senator
Ngo Thanh Hai, would recognize April 30 as a national day to commemorate the so-called
the exodus of Vietnamese refugees and their acceptance in Canada after the fall of Saigon
to North Vietnamese communist forces.
The bill was originally
entitled the “Black April Day Act”, as April 30 is known among many, including
Ngo, who fled South Vietnam
at the end of the Vietnam war.
In a nod to the vociferous
objections of the Vietnamese government, the title was changed to the “Journey
to Freedom Act.” But the intention remains unchanged, dredging up the past,
painting a distorted view of Vietnam’s
history and ignoring its positive bilateral relationship with Canada over the
past 40 years.
From the
beginning, Vietnam
had strongly opposed the bill,
When the bill was sent to
the Senate’s human rights committee for study in October 2014, Vietnam’s ambassador to Canada wrote to
the committee chair to express his government’s “serious concerns” about the
bill, and asked to be a witness. But the Conservative majority on the committee
refused to invite the ambassador, suggesting instead that he send a written
submission. However, after hearing from only three witnesses, including Ngo,
the committee wrapped up its study of the bill before the ambassador’s
submission,
Vietnam Ambassador to Canada,
Mr To Anh Dung said: “The government of Vietnam disagrees with this negative and
selective portrayal and has expressed its concerns privately and publicly, and
has made many representations to the most senior levels of the government of Canada and
leaders of Parliament expressing our serious concerns about the language and
intent of this bill.”
“This bill will have an adverse impact on the growing
bilateral relations between our two countries. Despite claims of being
non-political, this bill clearly incites national hatred and division, not
unity” he added.
Vietnam’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister,
Pham Binh Minh, wrote to his Canadian counterpart, John Baird, back in June to
voice his concerns.
“While we understand that this is technically not Government
of Canada policy, we believe that passage of this Senate Bill S-219 would send
the wrong message to the international community and the people of Vietnam,”
he wrote.
On Friday, April 24Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
Friday vehemently objected to Canada’s
passage of the Bill S-219 or the so-called Journey to Freedom Day Act, as it
distorts Vietnam’s
struggle for national liberation and reunification. The
objection was released by the ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh in Hanoi.
Binh emphasized that the Bill S-219 is an absolutely wrong law, and this is a step backward in the relationship between the two countries, adversely affecting the developing ties between Vietnam and Canada and hurting the feelings of Vietnamese people as well as a large part of the Vietnamese community in Canada.
Binh emphasized that the Bill S-219 is an absolutely wrong law, and this is a step backward in the relationship between the two countries, adversely affecting the developing ties between Vietnam and Canada and hurting the feelings of Vietnamese people as well as a large part of the Vietnamese community in Canada.
“Over the past many years, both Vietnam and Canada have been making efforts to
develop their relations. We hope that Canada will be aware of the
negative impact of the passage of Bill S-219 and will take measures to remedy
it and prevent similar occurrences,” the spokesman said.
On the same day, the ministry called in the Canadian
Ambassador to protest over the bill and make clear Vietnam’s view on this issue
The Canadian Press also assessed
the passage of this wrong law as an obstacle to trade and politic relation
between two countries. Representatives of
the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Canada-Vietnam Trade Council
said this would create tension among Vietnamese Canadians, many of whom have put
the past behind them and now want cordial relations with Vietnam.
We hope Canadian Parliament will realize its mistake
and find out the measures to fix this and also abandon Ngo Thanh Hai from
politic activities./.
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All comments [ 15 ]
It's unacceptable!
the Bill S-219 or the so-called Journey to Freedom Day Act distorts Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation and reunification.
They don't understand anythings about Vietnam and Vietnamese people.
This is a step backward in the relationship between the two countries, adversely affecting the developing ties between Vietnam and Canada
They have interfered in our own business. Be careful Canadian politicians!
No no, it's not the right move of Canadian Government. They're acting on wrong direction.
This bill has nothing to do but hurt every Vietnamese all over the world, remind us of sorrow of the war.
It also hurt relationship between Vietnam and Canada
o sad for Canada, I don't understand what they were thinking to decide to pass this bill.
It's not the opinion of all Canadian, it just some politicians who had been told to do this by some bad people.
I cann't believe the Canadian Goverment passed the seriuos wrong bill that would surely be strongly opposed by not only the Vietnamese but also their people who have wanted the developing relationship between two countries.
Vietnam should have a stronger reaction to Canada Goverment's wrong doing
that's right, passing that Bill demonstrates Canada's politiacal intention
only due to satifying some oversea Vietnamese people who are traitors Canadian Goverment made a silly decision.
many Canadian people have also criticized their goverment of hurting Canada foreign policy as well as national prestige
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