VAS Co-hosts Reception for Ambassador and Mrs. Peterson

"We can't change the past, but we can work for the future," irrefutably said Pete Peterson, the US Ambassador to Vietnam, at a reception held for him and his wife in Bethesda, Maryland, June 19.

Mr. Peterson made the comment in the overall context of US-Vietnamese relations, which, while cordial, are also still affected by the aftermath of the war. "We are working for Vietnamese-American reconciliation on all fronts," said Peterson, a former prisoner of war.

The reception took place at the lovely home of Professor Le Khoa, former Director for the Southeast Asia Resources Action Center (SEARAC). VAS President Thanh-Thuy Nguyen updated the fifty person gathering with VAS' accomplishments and plans. Ambassador Peterson mentioned that he regularly runs into current and former VAS members as he travels throughout the US and Vietnam.

Predicts Trade Accord in 1999 Peterson predicted that the US-Vietnam bilateral trade agreement, the eighth round of which concluded in Washington on June 18, would be finalized by the end of the year. The envoy paid tribute to Virginia Foote, formerly with the US-ASEAN Trade Council and present at the reception, as a person "without whom we might never have had a trade agreement."

Professor Khoa's Prisoner of Love Speech

From Prisoner of War to Prisoner of Love As Professor Khoa said in his introduction of Ambassador Peterson, "in Vietnam, first he was a prisoner of war, then he became a prisoner of love."

Mrs. Vi Peterson is a Vietnamese-born, Australian diplomat who met her husband in Hanoi where she is stationed with the Australian Embassy. Mrs. Peterson, who is in the process of becoming an American citizen, said that for people like her and her husband, "and you here tonight," who are interested in helping Vietnam, that means "helping Vietnamese all over the world, wherever they are."

Of the 80 million ethnic Vietnamese on the planet, the group Mrs. Peterson feels can help Vietnam "more than any other" are the Viet Kieu, or overseas Vietnamese. Viet Kieu, she said, know Vietnam and its people and are often in a position in other countries to do things they could not do in Vietnam. They have unique skills and perspectives.

Nam Viet catered while Counterpart International helped sponsor the reception. This event provided an opportunity for US diplomats, Professor Khoa's contacts in the Vietnamese American community, and VAS to mingle, exchange ideas, and compare visions.

-- Viet Cuong (wilson@yahoo.com), February 28, 2004

Answers

Cam on chu Viet cuong voi ban van tieng Meo, anh se thong dich ra tieng Viet de ba con ta doc choi : Buoi tiep don anh chi Peterson tai bang Maryland. Anh Peterson la dai -su My o VN hien nay da noi ro rang trong buoi tiep don anh tai tu gia cua anh LeKhoa-vien truong va giam doc trung tam Dong nam A. -"Chung ta khong the thay doi qua khu, nhung chung ta co the xay dung tuong lai ". Anh Peterson cung la 1pilot nam o HaNoi -Hilton mot thoi gian (Hoa lo).Anh la tu nhan chien tranh ngay xua. Chi Nguyen thanh Thuy (boss cua anh moderator forum nay !) cung co mat cung voi 50 khach Viet My Tau. anh dai su Peterson thu nhan : -Khi ve VN, thinh thoang anh cung gap mat cac nhan vien VAS (vietnamese American Society ) tai day, rat la bat ngo. Tien doan cho viec giao thuong buon ban giua VN va My, anh Peterson noi ro : -'Viec nay bat buoc phai xong vao cuoi nam 2004" Anh giam doc Le Khoa cung buoc len san khau , bay to cam tuong : - Anh Peterson la mot nguoi khon ngoan ,ngay xua anh la tu nhan chien tranh (POW) bi gio anh la tu nhan cua long thuong yeu (prisoner of love) Chi Vi- vo anh dai su tre tuoi dep giai cung noi them : -Chung toi se tim cach giup do tat ca moi nguoi VN , cho du o mat cu phuong troi nao va nhat la o VN" Ba con vo tay qua xa co- buoi tiec dien ra rat dac sac , cac mon pho, banh cuon duoc mang ra dai khach rat lich su va day tinh que huong cuoc hon cuoc tuy.

-- Chi bua (broeker@sbcglobal.net), August 30, 2004.

"Many Vietnamese-Americans are concerned about John Kerry becoming president," said Doan. "Based on his past actions they have reason to believe that he will support the regime in Vietnam based on his own emotions, not on America's national interest."

He cited Kerry's actions in 2001, as well as his earlier antiwar activism.

Doan said members of the Vietnamese community in Australia paid close attention to developments in Vietnam and to Western governments' dealings with Hanoi.

"If you look at Vietnamese newspapers [here], human rights issues are often on the front page or quite prominent. Lately there have been quite a few big demonstrations, and they relate in one way or another to repression by the regime."

Of particular concern in recent years has been the treatment of religious groups not recognized by the state. Members of the Protestant Hmong minority have been ordered to renounce their faith, and the mainly Christian Montagnard (mountain people) of the central highlands were subjected to a violent crackdown last Easter.

Democracy activists have been jailed or placed under house arrest, often punished for using the Internet to press for respect for human rights.

One of them, Pham Hong Son was sentenced to 13 years in jail for posting a translated essay on democracy - which he originally found on a U.S. Embassy website - on the Internet.

Another, Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, was recently jailed for 30 months for "abusing democratic freedoms" by posting on the Internet writings critical of government censorship.

Vietnamese living abroad often felt helpless to influence their governments' foreign policy, but they did what they can to make their voices heard, Doan said.

Near Sydney last weekend, some 5,000 marched to protest a celebratory function organized by a local city council which has a sister city relationship with the Vietnamese city of Vung Tau.

Last October, about 20,000 Vietnamese protested in Australia's two largest cities after a government-funded television station aimed at ethnic communities began to air Vietnamese communist news programs. The broadcaster backed down and apologized.

While Vietnamese-Australians are obviously most concerned about Canberra's dealings with Hanoi, what happens in the U.S. is seen of particular importance, and most would have heard about the Vietnam Human Rights Act in the U.S. Congress, Doan said.

"I think most people in my community feel it would be a good development for that law to be passed, because we understand very well that the Hanoi regime will not respect human rights unless it is forced to do so. It doesn't do it of its own volition."

-- Nong bi dai' (vietnamcongsans@yahoo.com), August 31, 2004.

"We can't change the past, but we can work for the future"

Câu này đúng hay sai ? tôi chẳng thấy ai chịu trả lời hết ,buồn quá . tất cả cái ǵ đă qua và được ghi lại gọi là lịch sử ,như vậy lịch sử phải là sự thật ,chính sác và không thiên vị .Ngày xưa nhiều khi người viết sử phải trốn tránh ,phải kín đáo .

Nếu lịch sử được viết bởi người thiên vị chúng ta có nên chấp nhận không ? Đời vua Gia Long sử gọi nhà Tây Sơn là Ngụy ,khi nhà Nguyễn mất ,sử lại ghi lại là nhà Tây Sơn và chúng ta vinh danh nhà Tây Sơn .

Lịch sử Việt Nam cận đại đă không được ghi đúng ,Tây ,Bảo Đại ,VC ,VNCH ,Mỹ điều ghi khác nhau ,không trung thực .Do đó một ngày rất gần chúng ta viết lại lịch sủ .

Sau khi VC chiếm MNVN ,chiến tranh Đông Dương chưa kết thúc ,hăy chờ xem .

-- thich du thu (toollovers@comcast.net), September 05, 2004.

BIeN Di˜

Tiền môn là nghĩa cái mồm

Hậu môn lỗ đít hạ môn cái đồ

Đồ không truyền bá đạo nho

Đồ đi đồ lại đồ tô kiếm tiền

Đời xưa lắm thánh nhiều tiên

Nay dẫu thấy hiền cũng lộn quỉ ma

Đồ nho thông thạo tiếng hoa

Đồ nay ú-ớ ậm-à tiếng anh

Đồ mà thất đức lưu manh

Là đồ biến dị đấu tranh sinh tồn

Như đồ mấy ả bán trôn

Dung thân nuôi miệng con buôn thịt người

Là đồ buôn bán thịt tươi

Đưa người cửa trước rước người cửa sau

-- Nong bi''Dai"" (vietnamcongsans@yahoo.com), September 05, 2004.

Tra loi em Thich-du-thu , co chu ve doi ve voi cau : -We can't change the past, but we can work for the future will be replace by : - We couldn't suck dick, but we can eat pussy !

-- Chi bua (broeker@sbcglobal.net), September 05, 2004.

Bọn sán lải và Chí Bựa couldn't suck dick, but Bọn sán lải và Chí Bựa can eat pussy !

-- thich du thu (toollovers@comcast.net), September 06, 2004.