Doing Something or Not

DOING SOMETHING OR NOT

Dear a concerned but cautious friend:

I am glad that you spoke up and spelled out your hesitation to have your name in connection with a declaration which, in your opinion, could be nothing more than a venting of steam. I respect the right of choice and difference of opinions. I am not self-righteous and hold a holier-than-thou attitude. What interests me is the consistency in one’s behavior, especially one’s words and actions. Anyway, please allow me to clarify the rationale behind the words used in the draft proposed by me.

I didn’t advance specific recommendations in the draft as to what the regime in Hanoi should do regarding China’s encroachment on Vietnam’s territory because I didn’t want us, mere individuals of concern, to come across as dictating the terms to a government. I agree with you that Hanoi is already “doing something” with the issue, but their feeble actions have been ineffective and failed to stop the Chinese aggression. Precisely because of the ineffectiveness of Hanoi’s protests, I remind them of the looming dangers of losing both legitimacy to rule at home and respect abroad.

I recognize the acute dangers of having a real naval confrontation between Vietnam and China in the East Sea in a time when Vietnam has no allies behind her to back her up. Thus, the purposes of drafting the declaration as such are as follows:

1. To publicize to the world China’s bullying and territorial ambitions.
2. To show to our fellow countrymen that we are concerned and we care.
3. To ask Hanoi for more forceful and effective measures against China without going to war. For example, Hanoi could give a tacit approval for a countrywide boycott of all Chinese products and daily demonstrations against China’s acts of bullying.

Like you, I have no illusion of what I can do, nor do I take myself seriously, not too seriously anyway (unjustified self-importance is always laughable). But I do know this, deep in my heart: I feel I have to do something regarding the existential threat Vietnam is facing. I don’t just talk to make myself feel good. I know the risks of drafting the document and having been vocal recently against the ineptitude, greed, and lack of legitimacy of the Hanoi regime. I am no starry-eyed dreamer. But I feel I am compelled to live a life squarely with my conscience like my ancestors did, and yours, too, when they--- in full recognition of the dangers involved---rose up and fought, despite the odds, against the Chinese and the French, against oppression and slavery. To me and to me alone (I cannot speak for anybody else), silence is tantamount to selfishness and cowardice. For that reason, I am willing to have my signature in any declaration that calls for the protection of Vietnam’s territorial integrity, whether or not I am impressed with the co-signers. The issue is the declaration itself, not the co-signers. As I have said ad nauseam, we don’t know what we are made of until we are tested. And other people don’t know about us either until we are tested. Talk is cheap. To do is to be. We define ourselves and tell the world who we are more by our deeds and actions than by our words of platitude. In that spirit, I salute and deeply respect anh HC’s spear-heading actions. As for Vietnam, post tenebras spero lucem.

Long live Vietnam!

Wissai
July 11, 2009
_______________________________________________________________________