Newsgroups: soc.culture.vietnamese
Date:         Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:09:14 -0800
              USENET." <VIETNET@USCVM.BITNET>
From:         "Thinh N. Nguyen" <groucho!thinh@UU.PSI.COM>
Subject:      [SOC/POL] Re: Prime ../Children

In his posting, Married With Children wrote:

> In article <C07Dy5.KCE@news.iastate.edu> you write:
>>
>>      Did anyone see "Prime Time Live" on Thursday, December 31, 1992?
>>There was a story about an Irish woman who is spending her time in Vietnam to
>>help the needy people, especially the orphan children and those children who
>>are born defected (without arms and legs). The story was very touching and I
>>feel that those children do not deserve this kind of tragedy. The government
 of
>>Vietnam is very insensitive to these children, and they apparently ignore this
>>problem. Does the government of Vietnam feel ashamed of themselves? I do not
>>think that they care.

> I feel that WE also ignore the problem.  Many of us feel that by helping
> these poor kids, we help strengthen the communist government.  As a result
> these poor kids go hungry.

BINGO!!

I could not agree with you more. We can blame the Communist government all
we want, but these kids were there in SVN before 1975 too. The current
government with its bankcrupt economy simply cannot take care of them.

Due to the political situation in the US, many overseas Vietnamese do
not or can not help these people in VN directly. The orphans on the streets
or the poor peasants are not political prisoners and very likely don't have
the connection, money and courage to become refugees thus remain out of the
short reach of many charity efforts of overseas Vietnamese.

While I am fully support the efforts to help the prisoners and refugees, we
must remember that there are 70 millions of Vietnamese that are desperate
for help the most. Don't let anyone tells you that if you help the VNese
in Vietnam, you are being used by the communist government. Many of them
are also being used by many special interest groups that would do anything
to get back the power their have lost in 1975. Just stay out of the politic
and focus on the humantarian side and you cannot go wrong. I believe most
of us are smart enough to tell the different between helping the poors and
supporting the communist government.

The presentation of good, decent overseas Vietnamese can only help bring down
an oppresive government. Let's put ourself in the position of the Vietnamese
and think for a second. If all we do is talking about fighting and killing,
they would figure that a democratic system can only turn out soldiers and
fighters. With all due respects, history proved that the VC can produce
better fighters so why change the system. Only when we show them that a
democratic society can produce compassionate, reasonable and intelligent
people that we can convince them that our system is better.

My friend, who went back to Vietnam for two months with "Operation SMILE" to
do constructive surgery for deformed children in VN, told me that most
Vietnamese were very happy to see 2 overseas VNese came back in the group
to help their people and were surprised that they didn't see more.

If you don't believe on any of the groups you see, do as another friend of
mine did. After giving to various organization, he decided to take the
medicines and money and his dentistry equipments by himself this time on
Jan-14 to give help to the people he sees fit in Vietnam.

If we keep ignoring these hapless mass of Vietnamese who are not our relatives
or openly anti-communists then our effort is not so charitable any more. The
majority of the VNese are very resentfull of the overseas VNese with good
reasons. Let me share with you a new "ca dao" that my friends heard in Vietnam:

        "Vie^.t gian, Vie^.t co^.ng, Vie^.t kie^`u,
        Ba Vie^.t ho+.p la.i tie^u ddie^`u Vie^.t Nam."

It's sad that the under-privilege Vietnamese have been suffered for many years
under many different regimes while the fortunate, better educated VNese are
always busy fighting each others at their expenses. These over-suffering VNese
must always rely on the kindness of foreigners for help. It's time the
 Vietnamese
who HAVE start to help the HAVE NOT for a change.

To those who want to fight the VC until the end. Please, ease off a little
on those Vietnamese who want peace and a chance to help Vietnamese regardless
of their religion, class or nationalities. Don't harass, attack or call them
VC because they won't fight with you. Fight all you want but you must know
who are your enemies and who you fight for. Spare those of us who would like
to build a better Vietnam through humantarian efforts. We are not your
enemies, just convenient targets.

sincerely,
Thi.nh ngo.c Nguye^~n