06-12-2018, 10:14 PM
*** 13-Jun-18 World View -- Vietnam government surprised by widespread anti-China and anti-government protests
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Vietnam government surprised by widespread anti-China and anti-government protests
****
![[Image: g180612b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180612b.jpg)
Anti-China protests in Vietnam. 'Haiyang 981' is the name of the Chinese oil rig in Vietnam's territorial waters (AP)
Protests erupted in cities across Vietnam on Sunday, triggered by a
government proposed bill to implement new special economic zones (SEZs)
that would allow land to be leased to foreign investors for a 99-year
periods. Although the bill did not mention China, the protesters
claimed that the bill would allow Chinese enclaves within Vietnam.
Tens of thousands of protesters had occupied buildings in Hanoi, the
capital city, and in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), with large rallies in
other cities, including solidarity protests held abroad in Paris and
Tokyo.
There's a growing animosity towards China in Vietnam because of
China's belligerent actions in the South China Sea. These actions
include China's deployment of an oil rig in Vietnam's own territorial
waters, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and then China's use of
its vast military power to block Vietnam from exploring for oil in its
own territorial waters.
China's actions were declared illegal in 2016 by the United Nations
Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled that all of China's activities in the South China Sea are illegal and in violation of international law.
But China has ignored international law, and has been doing what the
Nazis did -- using military force to annex regions belonging to other
countries.
China deployed its oil rig in Vietnamese waters in 2014, and beginning
May 11 of that year, Vietnam erupted in anti-China protests, resulting
in Chinese businesses and factories being attacked and damaged. The
protests were fed by video in the Vietnamese media showing Chinese
coast guard ships and Naval vessels attacking Vietnamese fishing
vessels in Vietnam's own territorial waters.
With China seizing Vietnamese areas in the South China Sea, the idea
that China would have control of Vietnamese land as well has struck a
nerve in many Vietnamese people, triggering the protests on Sunday.
The dictatorial Communist government of Vietnam is not normally
responsive to public opinion, but in this case were caught by surprise
by how widespread the protests on Sunday were. If they had occurred
only in Hanoi, the government would have controlled them, but the
government was unprepared to try to control protests across the
country.
The Communist government is reacting by demanding the social
networking systems like Facebook, Twitter and Google provide
user identification to the government when demanded. This
has provoked additional protests.
China's government is warning Chinese citizens in Vietnam to take
safety precautions. Vietnam Express and South China Morning Post (7-Jun) and Diplomat (12-May-2015) and Australian Broadcasting
****
**** Anti-government protests grow in Vietnam along with anti-China protests
****
As I described in 2014 in my Generational History of Vietnam,
Vietnam has historically fought
many wars against the Chinese. The most important was the Tay-Son
rebellion, 1771-1790, the most celebrated military event in Vietnamese
history. In its explosive climax in 1789, the Vietnamese troops
repelled a much larger Chinese army in a brilliant battle that united
the country for the first time.
Although the Tay-Son rebellion united the country at the time, Vietnam
is basically two different countries, with two different ethnic
origins, where North Vietnam (Vietnamese Kingdom) was originally
populated by ethnic Chinese, while South Vietnam (Champa Kingdom) was
populated by Polynesian settlers from Indonesia and Malaysia. These
ethnic differences resulted in one ethnic crisis civil war after
another, the most recent one being America's "Vietnam War" that ended
in 1974. From the point of view of Vietnam's history, America was
almost completely irrelevant in that war, as it was really a civil war
between two different ethnic cultures.
Although Vietnam's civil war ended in 1975, the enmity between the
North and South Vietnamese has not disappeared. This was particularly
apparent in 2006, when President George Bush visited Vietnam.
As his limousine traveled through the
streets of Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam, young people
lined the streets cheering wildly. Although the Communist government
has renamed the city Ho Chi Minh city, many of the residents refuse to
use that name and call it by its historic name, Saigon.
Sunday's protests were not just anti-China; they were also
anti-government protests demanding greater democracy. Some protestors
carried banners reading “Returning Autonomy For [the] People.” Another
placard stated the protest was against the National Assembly’s
violation of the Constitution. The weekend protests may raise more
awareness about land rights issues, especially the confiscation of
land by the government. There's also a general suspicion that the
Communist government in Hanoi is making deals with China's government
in Beijing for its own benefit. Asia Times and Radio Free Asia and BBC (2-Jun)
Related Articles:
KEYS:
Generational Dynamics, Vietnam, China, South China Sea,
Haiyang 981, Hanoi, Saigon, Ho Chi Minh city,
United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague,
Tay-Son rebellion, Vietnamese Kingdom,
Champa Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Vietnam government surprised by widespread anti-China and anti-government protests
- Anti-government protests grow in Vietnam along with anti-China protests
****
**** Vietnam government surprised by widespread anti-China and anti-government protests
****
Anti-China protests in Vietnam. 'Haiyang 981' is the name of the Chinese oil rig in Vietnam's territorial waters (AP)
Protests erupted in cities across Vietnam on Sunday, triggered by a
government proposed bill to implement new special economic zones (SEZs)
that would allow land to be leased to foreign investors for a 99-year
periods. Although the bill did not mention China, the protesters
claimed that the bill would allow Chinese enclaves within Vietnam.
Tens of thousands of protesters had occupied buildings in Hanoi, the
capital city, and in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), with large rallies in
other cities, including solidarity protests held abroad in Paris and
Tokyo.
There's a growing animosity towards China in Vietnam because of
China's belligerent actions in the South China Sea. These actions
include China's deployment of an oil rig in Vietnam's own territorial
waters, in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and then China's use of
its vast military power to block Vietnam from exploring for oil in its
own territorial waters.
China's actions were declared illegal in 2016 by the United Nations
Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled that all of China's activities in the South China Sea are illegal and in violation of international law.
But China has ignored international law, and has been doing what the
Nazis did -- using military force to annex regions belonging to other
countries.
China deployed its oil rig in Vietnamese waters in 2014, and beginning
May 11 of that year, Vietnam erupted in anti-China protests, resulting
in Chinese businesses and factories being attacked and damaged. The
protests were fed by video in the Vietnamese media showing Chinese
coast guard ships and Naval vessels attacking Vietnamese fishing
vessels in Vietnam's own territorial waters.
With China seizing Vietnamese areas in the South China Sea, the idea
that China would have control of Vietnamese land as well has struck a
nerve in many Vietnamese people, triggering the protests on Sunday.
The dictatorial Communist government of Vietnam is not normally
responsive to public opinion, but in this case were caught by surprise
by how widespread the protests on Sunday were. If they had occurred
only in Hanoi, the government would have controlled them, but the
government was unprepared to try to control protests across the
country.
The Communist government is reacting by demanding the social
networking systems like Facebook, Twitter and Google provide
user identification to the government when demanded. This
has provoked additional protests.
China's government is warning Chinese citizens in Vietnam to take
safety precautions. Vietnam Express and South China Morning Post (7-Jun) and Diplomat (12-May-2015) and Australian Broadcasting
****
**** Anti-government protests grow in Vietnam along with anti-China protests
****
As I described in 2014 in my Generational History of Vietnam,
Vietnam has historically fought
many wars against the Chinese. The most important was the Tay-Son
rebellion, 1771-1790, the most celebrated military event in Vietnamese
history. In its explosive climax in 1789, the Vietnamese troops
repelled a much larger Chinese army in a brilliant battle that united
the country for the first time.
Although the Tay-Son rebellion united the country at the time, Vietnam
is basically two different countries, with two different ethnic
origins, where North Vietnam (Vietnamese Kingdom) was originally
populated by ethnic Chinese, while South Vietnam (Champa Kingdom) was
populated by Polynesian settlers from Indonesia and Malaysia. These
ethnic differences resulted in one ethnic crisis civil war after
another, the most recent one being America's "Vietnam War" that ended
in 1974. From the point of view of Vietnam's history, America was
almost completely irrelevant in that war, as it was really a civil war
between two different ethnic cultures.
Although Vietnam's civil war ended in 1975, the enmity between the
North and South Vietnamese has not disappeared. This was particularly
apparent in 2006, when President George Bush visited Vietnam.
As his limousine traveled through the
streets of Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam, young people
lined the streets cheering wildly. Although the Communist government
has renamed the city Ho Chi Minh city, many of the residents refuse to
use that name and call it by its historic name, Saigon.
Sunday's protests were not just anti-China; they were also
anti-government protests demanding greater democracy. Some protestors
carried banners reading “Returning Autonomy For [the] People.” Another
placard stated the protest was against the National Assembly’s
violation of the Constitution. The weekend protests may raise more
awareness about land rights issues, especially the confiscation of
land by the government. There's also a general suspicion that the
Communist government in Hanoi is making deals with China's government
in Beijing for its own benefit. Asia Times and Radio Free Asia and BBC (2-Jun)
Related Articles:
- China evacuates 3,000 citizens from Vietnam, fearing more violence (18-May-2014)
- South Vietnamese warmly welcome George Bush, goading the Communists in Hanoi (21-Nov-2006)
- Japanese warships visit Vietnam, as China moves warplanes into South China Sea (14-Apr-2016)
- Philippines humiliates China in harsh Hague Tribunal ruling over South China Sea (13-Jul-2016)
- As other Asian nations back down, India and Vietnam become allies confronting China (01-Sep-2017)
- Antiwar Democrats are freaking out over Bush's Vietnam - Iraq war comparison. (24-Aug-2007)
KEYS:
Generational Dynamics, Vietnam, China, South China Sea,
Haiyang 981, Hanoi, Saigon, Ho Chi Minh city,
United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague,
Tay-Son rebellion, Vietnamese Kingdom,
Champa Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
