The Fall of the Republic of Viet-Nam There can be no doubt that the republic form of government, in any style, is a foreign concept to the nation of Vietnam, and in fact, the Far East as a whole. It was the Imperial system that always acted in the best interests of the people of Viet-Nam. It was Emperor Bao Dai who took the lead in establishing a democratic alternative to the Communist dictator Ho Chi Minh. His Prime Minister, HIH Prince Buu Loc demanded full independence from France at the Geneva Convention of 1954 and worked to form a Vietnamese National Assembly that would reflect the will of the people When France put off pledging a specific date for giving independence it was Emperor Bao Dai who stood up to the colonial regime and demanded their solemn pledge, in public view, to honor the promise of total freedom for Indochina. He gave power to his next Prime Minister, Ngo Dinh Diem, to improve working-class conditions and stop corruption among the Saigon politicians. However, when Ngo Dinh Diem began using his power to terrorize the public, his political enemies, and the Buddhist population, the Emperor, sacred guardian of Viet-Nam, took action to protect his people. On April 28, 1955 Emperor Bao Dai took control of the military away from Diem and summoned him to France. Despite his oath of loyalty, Diem refused to obey. The Emperor entrusted military power to Inspector-General of the Army Nguyen Van Vy and sent General Hinh to work to unify the armed forces with the United Front to stop the spread of Communism. On October 6, 1955 the Ministry of the Interior announced that a referendum would be held to depose Bao Dai in favor of Ngo Dinh Diem and replace the Vietnamese monarchy, which had existed for thousands of years, with a republic. The Emperor denounced this decision, and said such on the 13th in a note to the French government and the Paris embassies of Britain, the United States, Russia and India. On the 18th Emperor Bao Dai announced the dissmissal of Ngo Dinh Diem as Prime Minister and the revocation of all powers he had previously granted him. The next day he told the Vietnamese people he did this because, "police methods and personal dictatorship must be brought to an end, and I can no longer continue to lend my name and my authority to a man who will drag you into ruin, famine and war". When the referendum was held Diem used every under-handed method to ensure his victory. His troops guarded the polls and those who attempted to vote for their Emperor were assaulted. The fraud was obvious. In Saigon for example, Diem claimed more votes than there were registered voters in the entire area. Bao Dai was forced to abdicate rather than divide the country further and issued one last appeal for the country to unite under a democratic government. Sadly, this was not to be. Diem had achieved power through dishonesty and his regime was autocratic and unpopular. Ultimately, he was overthrown and assassinated by those around him, even with help from the Americans who had aided him in taking power. With the Emperor gone, and a republic set up, it seemed as though the spirit had left the nation. No government in Saigon was able to truly unite the people and inspire a patriotic loyalty. Many in the government were Communist agents and even American troops fighting to preserve the Republic of Vietnam were disgusted by the government and stated dejectedly that they were fighting on the wrong side. In 1975, after the American retreat from Indochina, the Saigon government quickly collapsed and the Communists gained control of all of Viet-Nam, bringing oppression to the free people of the Great South. Just as Emperor Bao Dai had predicted, Ngo Dinh Diem had taken the country in war, which brought ruin and the Communist victory that brought famine, a famine of freedom. Now the nation is called the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and it resembles more the Soviet Union or the People's Republic of China than an independent Viet Nam. It is a shame that the brave soldiers who fought for the freedom of their country against Communist domination did not have a government worthy of their courage. Even President Diem himself admitted that the Communists would be victorious, not because of their strength, but because of Saigon's weakness. These injustices and crimes can only be corrected by a restoration of the Great Nguyen Dynasty in a constitutional monarchy which will provide the democracy Viet Nam has so long been without, gurantee human rights, and provide a traditional Head of State to unite the people, who have never lost respect for their ancient heritage and culture. Viet Nam has prospered as a monarchy, all of the periods when Viet Nam was strongest was when an Emperor reigned over the nation. Ever since the rise of the republic in Vietnam, Communist in particular, the nation and the people have only suffered. Many people, during the long years of war, stated that they joined the forces of North Vietnam only to fight for freedom, not for any ideology. In light of Hanoi selling out to their Communist masters in Beijing however, we can see clearly that the independence of Viet Nam is only a shadow. Only when the country returns to its roots, allows the people the liberty that has traditionally been theirs, and stands up for its national honor will Viet Nam ever be truly free and independent. |
