Ky is a soccer ball, he likes to be that way
- From: Việt Nam Canh Tân Cách Mạng Đảng <DangBoVIETTAN@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 05:29:47 -0700
Fwd: http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=43f70cf0b4492de852b631d50c8d5e94
The War is Over
Vu-Duc Vuong, Jul 13, 2007
This month, two former generals from two Southeast Asian countries
each demonstrated in his own way that the war in Southeast Asia from a
generation ago has really ended.
Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, General Vang Pao commanded his loyal Hmong
tribesmen and assisted the Americans in their covert war in Laos. The
CIA had recruited them, provided them with arms, cash and supplies,
and even helped create a written format for the Hmong language using
the Roman alphabet. In return, the Hmong rescued American pilots shot
down in the jungle, harassed the North Vietnamese troops and supplies
coming down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and generally created an
independent army within the kingdom of Laos.
In Vietnam, Air Marshall Nguyen Cao Ky, the flamboyant commander of
the Air Force, conspired with his fellow officers in a series of coups
and countercoups and became Prime Minister in 1965. He would have run
president had the Americans allowed it. Instead, he played second
fiddle to Nguyen Van Thieu in a shotgun marriage enforced by the
United States.
Both generals were charismatic in their own ways and commanded their
own followings. Yet both were pawns in the larger chess game called
the Cold War. Both were manipulated by the CIA, the Pentagon and the
White House, for purposes that had little to do with either the
Laotian or the Vietnamese people.
When the North Vietnamese won the war in 1975, the Americans abandoned
hundreds of thousands of their trusted allies in the chaotic escape.
General Ky piloted his own helicopter to a Navy battleship stationed
off the coast of Vietnam. General Vang Pao and his men made their way
to the United States via Thailand. Both generals eventually ended up
in Southern California.
Fast forward 30 years: General Ky, now a businessman and an avid
golfer, returned to Vietnam in 2005. The government welcomed him back,
but many of his former comrades in the United States branded him a
traitor.
General Vang Pao is still raising money from his people and still
promises them their return to power after the overthrow of the
communist regime in Laos. On June 4, the FBI arrested him and ten of
his co-conspirators and charged them with conspiracy to buy weapons to
overthrow a regime that is not at war with the United States, thus
violating the Neutrality Act. They all are being held without bail.
A few weeks ago, as General Pao was transferred from the Sacramento
county jail to a hospital for his irregular heartbeat, Nguyen Cao Ky
flew back from Vietnam to welcome the current president of Vietnam,
Nguyen Minh Triet, in the first trip by a Vietnamese head of state to
the United States since the war.
In his welcoming remarks to Triet at the reception, Ky told his former
comrades-in-arms that "the animosity has ended."
For the second generation of Hmong and Vietnamese, perhaps the
contrasting approaches by the two iconic generals from the war would
convince them, once and for all, that indeed the war is over.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vu-Duc Vuong (vuduc.vuong@xxxxxxxxx) is a teacher and writer in the
Bay Area.
http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=43f70cf0b4492de852b631d50c8d5e94
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vu-Duc Vuong (vuduc.vuong@xxxxxxxxx) is a teacher and writer in the
Bay Area.
Nguyet Ly Jul 17, 2007 11:41:35
Mr. Ky is just like a soccer ball.
Regards.
Koua Jul 14, 2007 15:55:57
The vietnam war is long over, but the new war is not over until the
laos government admit that the war is over and stop killing the hmong
in the deep jungle of laos.
Dej Zag Jul 14, 2007 15:40:50
Asian Week,
I think it is unfair and injustice to compare and contrast Gen. Nguyen
Cao Ky to Gen. Vang Pao. Is Gen. Nguyen from minority ethnic in
Vietnam? I hope he is. Is Gen. Nguyen fought a different war in
Vietnam? I don't think there were two wars in Vietnam. Were the N.
Vietnamese still hunting S. Vietnamese minority like animals in the
jungle of Vietnam? I saw that there weren't any jungle left in
Vietnam. How could you compare these two men!
T Vang Jul 14, 2007 11:49:58
The Vietnamese government welcome General Ky back, but the Lao
government is still planing to kill General Vang Pao. Vang Pao's
people, both Hmong and Lao, who are hidding in the jungle are still
being hunted and killed. The Lao military with the help of Vietnamese
military still fight a war in Laos against the Hmong. The Hmong will
continue to push the world to bring an end to the genocide in Laos.
All Indo-Chineses must work together to bring an end to the human
right violation and the genocide in Indo-China.
Danang Jul 14, 2007 09:37:35
What is difference between those two generals? One believes that if he
cannot change it, then joint it. The other one believes strongly in
his democratic principle, save his people from prosecution, and he
continues his moral conviction until the last day of his life.
Only a few of us believe "to die in a meanful death than to live in a
meaningless life" and that is GVP chooses. History will judge him.
Dai Thao Jul 13, 2007 23:05:19
the vietnamese general trade in his freedom for security, the hmong
general give up his security so that his people could be free.
the only common interest both general share is they were both
courageous and they were both used by the americans.
Thomas Jul 13, 2007 20:33:24
The battles were over, however the war has no end.
I heard that the Hmong is raising money for a law suit against the U.
S. Government for their sufferings after the arrest of General Vang
Pao. If this is true, the battles will be in the court house, and the
friends will become fows.
Have a nice day,
Frank Eng Jul 13, 2007 20:19:05
Mr. Vuong is clear and authentic, and whereas ALL the generals appear
to be singing the same song now, I have two questions/observations:
1: Americans foolishly, follily?, followed the French, apparently for
no purpose other than political cant, and, in the process,
precipitated the deaths of a million Viet Cong PLUS 2 million
civilians? And not forgetting "our" dead of 55,000-plus, ironically
memorialized, and beautifully at that, by an "Asian" artist who was
roundly vilified by "patriots"?
2: The same CIA who enlisted the Hmong (and Mien?) in that selfsame
lack of cause, TODAY are footsies with their former "enemies" AGAINST
their former "allies," airlifted to the free and fulsome airs of
"America"?
Frank Eng Jul 13, 2007 16:54:51
Genlepeople of the "Asian" persuasion:
Would you let your daughter marry a CIA man? Or one from the FBI? Even
a "missionary"?
And check out "our" record in the Philippines, especially the recist
military.
chi you Jul 13, 2007 15:24:13
All the men who have balls should go help the poor Hmong in the jungle
of Laos. I can't even watch the genicide video on youtube. Please
spread the word!
ChiYou
Mai Hlee Xiong Jul 13, 2007 12:12:17
You are wrong. Thanks again for being the ignorant media that you all
are. The war is not over. Our Hmong people are still being persecuted
in Laos. Of course you wouldn't know that because you're sitting at
your computer typing away. Get the real facts before you decide to
write a misleading title!
mabdao vang Jul 13, 2007 10:37:11
It's over in Vietnam. How about in the jungles of Laos?
pheej Jul 13, 2007 10:17:07
The war may be over for the Vietnamese. But in Laos, as long as there
is genicide wage against the Hmong by the government of laos. The our
second generation will continued to help each and our people.The war
will never end until the LPDR go under or stop the genicide. Go to
Fact finding.org and look at genicide for yourself.
Jesse Moua Jul 13, 2007 09:51:30
To clarify your statement you've made. It's not the CIA that help the
Hmong with their written language. It's the missionaries from
churches.
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