BEBEU

WHO WAS THE REAL PAWN?

By Sokha Ou-Uun

During the cold war era, North Vietnam (NV) and South Vietnam (SV) were thought to be pawns to the super powers from the East and from the West. However, Ho Chi Minh (NV leader) had a different take. He was using both the East and West blocks to achieve his century-old plan, which is to be the master of Indochina and to be strong enough to stand up against China. During Vietnam war Uncle Ho did not care about what was being perceived, and he did everything including lying, signing treaties with China recognizing the South China sea as Chinese territories. By the end of the war, both brotherly countries (NV and SV) were united and became one country with lots of military equipment left behind, enough for the new Vietnam to be able to bully and secretly take over its neighbors, Laos and Cambodia.

President Barak Obama Visiting Vietnam in May 2016

The notion of Vietnam being a pawn to a foreign country was not clear then, and it is still muddy now. The US is courting Vietnam to stop China's influences in the area. At the same time, I wonder who is the real benefactor. Will this be a repeat of what happened in the past? Are we, the US, being used by Vietnam to fight its war against China?

Vietnamese leaders are very clever, nationalist and patriotic. They will use all means to achieve their goal. 

I remember as I was growing up during Vietnam war era, North Vietnam bribed the little prince of Cambodia and his generals with WOMEN, BOOZES, MONEY, AND PROMISES to return some of the territories back to Cambodia after the war in order for the North Vietnamese soldiers to continue using Cambodia's territories as safe heaven and base where they can launch military operation against the US.

After the victory in 1975, North Vietnamese leaders ignored the little prince, and instead of keeping the promise of returning the territories, they expanded the areas where they had already occupied and used to base their troops during the war. At one point, Vietnamese leader even returned a whining letter from the little prince un-open.

WARNING: Approach with CAUTION when it comes to dealing with Vietnam.