Message to Vietnam forum
A Democratic Socialist Party forum in Sydney on June 6 celebrated the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and discussed the lessons of the struggle against it. The following greetings to the forum were presented by Mr Nguyen Huy Thang, first secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy.
It is my great pleasure to be with you tonight, on behalf of our Ambassador and all our staff at the Vietnam Embassy in Canberra, in commemoration of the victory won by the Vietnamese people. Let me convey to all of you the best wishes from our Ambassador, who is unfortunately unable to join you because of other urgent business.
The victory of the Vietnamese people is the victory of the right to self determination over foreign force of arms, of patriotism over aggression. We had not fought for glory but for our national independence. It is not only our victory; it is your victory as well. I am filled with emotions, looking at you all around the hall, remembering all the contributions you made during your younger days to the just cause of our people. Some of you had run through a lot of trouble with the establishment when you "took to the streets", demonstrating against the war whose mastermind has just confessed as being a serious mistake. This mistake has taken two million Vietnamese lives, injured millions of others physically, mentally and psychologically, let alone the unjustified casualties on the other side.
I am not digging up old scores, just mentioning it to show that this victory was won with blood, sweat and tears on our part. Twenty years have gone by since the end of the war. We are now trying to close the past, looking to the bright future for our people. We are easy to forgive, but never can we forget the feelings you had reserved for our people, the shares you have made in that great victory.
I wish to conclude my speech by saying that you are our friends in needs, trustful friends in time of war as well as in time of peace, to which we are forever grateful.
Thank you very much.