April 30, 1975

47th Anniversary of the Reunification of Vietnam

“Nothing More Precious than Independence and Freedom; They Have Chosen Uncle Ho’s Path”

The Great Spring Victory that culminated in the fall of Saigon and American occupiers fleeing for their lives, achieved the reunification of Vietnam 47 years ago, on April 30, 1975. The reunification of Vietnam shines in the annals of the liberation struggles of the peoples of the world. The defeat of U.S. imperialist aggression lifted the spirit of the peoples of the world who were striving to put an end to colonialism and imperialism. Revolution was then in flow. The world has since changed greatly, going into a period of retrogression and retreat of revolution, yet today’s Socialist Republic of Vietnam continues to shine and inspire.

The Vietnamese people and their government, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, have given life to Ho Chi Minh’s unshakable conviction that not even the overwhelming military might of U.S. imperialism could deny the Vietnamese their sovereignty and independence: “Our mountains will always be, our rivers will always be, our people will always be. The American invaders defeated, we will rebuild our land ten times more.”

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam today is that beautiful poetic expression penned by Ho Chi Minh. Today’s Vietnam provides an inspiring alternative to the imperialist globalized world, in which a chosen few thrive at the expense of the vast majority. Globalization under the control of the financial oligarchy is a disaster, with surging poverty, homelessness, unemployment, ruination of nature and threats of world war increasing with each passing day. Vietnam however is living proof that it can be done – that even a small country can thrive, and maintain its dignity, sovereignty and independence.

Communist Party of Vietnam’s 13th Congress, February 2021

Vietnam’s successes all belong to the Vietnamese people and their socialist government, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam. It was that unity of the people around their Party and Ho Chi Minh’s leadership that succeeded in overthrowing both the French colonialists and Japanese militarists to gain independence. In 1945 Vietnam succeeded in ending 80 years of colonial rule. President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence of Vietnam at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi.

Within a matter of weeks after Vietnam became independent in September 1945, France returned with help from the U.S., and was for the second time soundly defeated nine years later in 1954. The imperialists and colonialists sought to rescue their situation by engineering a “temporary” partition of north and south in an effort to deny the existence of one Vietnam. The U.S. then intervened in 1955, waging one of the most brutal, bloody wars of aggression the world had ever seen. But it too was forced to withdraw in defeat 20 years later. Vietnam was gloriously reunited with the Great Spring Victory of April 30, 1975.

Vietnam’s successes then and now inspire and uplift all peoples striving for the New to emerge. Many Canadians celebrate what the Vietnamese people have accomplished. The Government of Canada should not persist in designating April 30 – Reunification Day in Vietnam – as so-called Journey to Freedom Day. It sows acrimony, insulting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by raising the yellow flag of the U.S.-backed militarist regime of former “south” Vietnam.

For the state to provide official possibilities for the dregs of that regime to spout hatred against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam lowers the dignity of Canada’s official relations with Vietnam. So does building a monument to the so-called victims of communist tyranny and maligning the Vietnamese community in Canada as “boat people” which ascribes motivations to them that are not true, except for a few who fled the revolution because of crimes they committed under the auspices of the U.S. aggressors. Such things are unacceptable.

The 47th Anniversary of the Reunification of Vietnam is a glorious day in the annals of the Vietnamese people’s struggle for sovereignty, independence and freedom.

Long Live the Socialist Republic of Vietnam!
Long Live the Friendship of the Vietnamese and Canadian Peoples!

Hanoi, Vietnam’s main hub for research and development

Long Hau Industrial Zone, south of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s financial centre

(Photos and graphics: Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Autumnruv, Luongviethoang.hcm)