Uncle Ho and his darling nephew, Saigon: Cu Chi Coup!

11th July 2006, Day 114

Saigon! (Vietnam, as if you didn't know)

I know very few people who know nothing about the 'Vietnam war' or 'the Resistance War Against the Americans' as it is known in Vietnam. The latter is the more accurate title of the two since Vietnam has fought wars to overthrow the French, against Western 'intervention' and then Chinese imperialism in the twentieth century. British people learn a small amount about the American-lead war at school or by watching the Hollywood films about the conflict or by reference and contrast to current Western foreign policy in the middle east.

As we were not involved in sending troops to Vietnam during the 60's/70's, the war is nowhere near as engrained in the British public's mind as it is in the US or Australia. My understanding of the war was mainly that it was a strategic war against communist spread through South-East Asia via China presumably egged and that invasion was spurred by residual McCarthist paranoia. Also, so I understood, it was unjust, ill-concieved (in terms of American intervention) and that as it persisted worsening methods of warfare displayed contempt for human life in the face of achieving international objectives. I formed this nebulous notion mainly from watching Hollywood flicks Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket and the Deer Hunter. The main issues are still sketchy in my mind as I try to read up on the subject, and I still think along the same lines about the war. I'm not going to put forward a strong opinion on the subject, because my visit has highlighted my own ignorance. All I will say is that it is doubtful that a divided North/South Vietnam, nor Ho Chi Minh's Vitenamese Republic are probably what the majority of people want. They might have suffered a hell of a lot less if France had honoured it's agreement to recognise Vietnam after WWII or if the American's had not backed Diem's regime in the South, propping up a dictator to strategically thwart communisms' hold in Vietnam. It should be noted that the North Vietnamese area, under the control of Ho Chi Minh failed to hold elections agreed in the Geneva Accords scheduled for 1956. I've certainly benefitted from hearing the still-vital fury of the Vietnamese, not an objective insight but one from the people as well as the state.

In truth Vietnam only existed as it appears today in the late 1700's, when final unification came under Nguyen Anh, a member of the Nguyen noble family who fought for 25 years against the Tay Son and conquered the entire country in 1802. However, the country first gained indepedence around the 11th century. 200 years as a static state is a long time, but in the context of other nations it is even younger than the US. Perhaps it did not have a strong unifying bond in the way other countries have, especially considering that much of that time was under French colonial control. Now doubt the citizens were pleased when a republic was declared after WWII instead of a return to being ruled by the French, but it is likely the Ho Chi Minh would not have turned out to be a benevolent dictator, either then or when the French were finally kicked out in 1954, had he been content to rule North Vietnam. Indeed the emergence of boat people directly after the reunification is partly testament to this. 'Uncle Ho', as he is now known, was certainly not happy to see his nation divided and desperately wanted Saigon back under home rule.

26 years have now passed since the Vietnamese 'kicked Chinese ass' (in our tour guide's words) out of their northern territory in 1980, and direct military conflict ceased. There is plenty more to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) than a hastily reconstructed, mentally-scarred city.

Left: View from Le Duan from Reunification Palace. A typically French tree lined boulevard.

Below left: Uncle Ho surveys activity in the GPO below him. 'Big Uncle' rather than brother.











So what is it like today? We've been in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) for three days now and I've packed in as much as possible including watching the World Cup final until 5 o'clock in the morning yesterday night. This is the first time I've visited a strictly non-western society, having spent time in Thailand (where there is something approaching a democracy, despite the present polictical deadlock) and Cambodia (where there is lip-service to it). As you will know, the Vietnamese version of perestroika means that at first glance there's little different in HCMC from the neighbouring cities on the Malay peninsula (bar those in Burma no doubt), but it is still, if only in name, Communist. There are hammer and sickle flags along all major streets, but despite the average wage being lower than Thailand, it is higher than Cambodia. Familiar shops, bars, laundries, but above all low-powered motorbikes fill the streets.

We followed the Lonely Planet walking tour around the city which took us two days in order to have more than a token glance around the museums. As you might expect the Lonely Planet descriptions of the US-lead invasion and conflict are a source of contention here, along with much else the book describes. This along with the red-raw fury attached to commentary in the War Remnants museum and Reunification Palace (former base of the Southern Republic) remind you of state opinion, but the public's as well and the emotional and physical abyss which the US/South Vietnamese war created for the surviving Republic and people. I had my eyes opened during these visits (and our subsequent visit to the VC's underground tunnel system at Cu Chi) to American war atrocities which are still played down in the West despite the impact of many thousands of books, films and articles on the war. The use of Agent Orange is once such atrocity. Horrendous stuff; it's alledgedly killed or maimed a generation here. It was a herbicide used to deforest areas which were hideouts and strongholds of the VC and to deny them food. In total 24,000 square kilometres were sprayed with the toxin. Scores of high-profile lawsuits have followed.

Visiting the Cu Chi tunnel system, it highlighted that the North/South war was one of the first wars to be fought in a new style guerilla fashion, sounding the death toll (appropriately) for the direct troop conflict of the two great wars. Western military equipment and tactics had been developed to fight the old-style wars and they weren't able to wipe out the combination of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong in the guerillas in the south, who used an infrastructure of underground tunnels constructed and used to fight the French ten years previously. Miles upon miles of tunnels and the many camouflaged trap doors gave the VC the ability to pop-up anywhere amongst American troops and lay traps or start fighting, and disappear into thin air as quickly as they had arrived. Tunnels were also a supply route for food and equipment to the 'insurgents'. Tunnels were so developed that after a time they contained communications rooms, dormitories, kitchens and munitions factories. I am not normally claustrophobic but travelling through the tunnels myself (enlarged and sured-up for tourists), was disconcerting. I felt trapped in a way I never have before and my heart sped up and my mouth dried. This structure's advantage over the Americans/French came at a personal cost. The conditions underground were by turns hot, cold, damp, unhygienic and dangerous. The tunnels were actually preserved by the napalm dropped by US Vietnamese forces, which destroyed the vegetation above ground but hardened the soil beneath. As Wikipedia has it, 'Throughout the course of the war, the tunnels in and around Cu Chi proved to be a source of frustration for the U.S. military in Saigon. The NLF (VC) had been so well entrenched in the area by 1965 that they were in the unique position of locally being able to control where and when battles would take place, thus frustrating the Americans' overall military superiority. By helping to covertly move supplies and house troops, the tunnels of Cu Chi allowed guerrilla fighters in their area of South Vietnam to survive and help prolong the war and increase American costs and casualties until their eventual withdrawal in 1972.'

Stocks of American bombs used in the Vietnam conflict. There are still 6 million unexploded allied bombs left in Vietnam. There are tonnes of barrels of herbicide left around the countryside as well.

The Reunification Palace. This former Presidential Palace of the South Vietnamese republic is where the North Vienamese Army and Viet Cong finally gained control of Saigon. This bunker shows where the South Vietnamese Republic ongoing war effort was partially co-ordinated. It looks pretty grim down here, and I suspect that even the most senior officers wondered what the hell they were fighting for after the initial phase of the North/South conflict

Whilst we watched the locals put on their best togs for a romantic Sunday nights' scooter dash around Dhoi Kong and Pham Ngu Lao, a young woman approached James and I for some research towards her degree thesis. This turned out to be a relaxed interview in a cafe about our reasons for choosing HCMC as a tourist destination. It was a pleasant talk, but I didn't intend to pull any punches about authoritarianism in Vietnam even if it did cause her some mild discomfort. She smiled as I talked about what I disliked about western democracy and neo-liberalism, but she looked slightly anxious (or shy?) when I mentioned the loss of liberty accompanying a one-party state. Perhaps I am naive, but she wanted my opinion. I made sure no one was eavesdropping on our chat for her peace of mind. Most of the discussion was all very innocent concerning our favourite part of HCMC or food and I did say that I felt there was a distinct air of purpose and optimism around HCMC, which I honestly believe. I think I learnt something simply from her watching her attitude and reactions. It is such a shame that such an intelligent young woman (she could speak fluent Chinese, Japanese and English) may well have a shallow roof capping her potential.

Buddism is mixed with Tao here in a similar way to Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan. The pagodas and temples here are the most pungent and packed that I've visited in South East Asia. That's really saying something in a region in which religion plays a prominent role in many aspects of dailly life. It is an apropriate diversion from the death and misery which has plagued this country, I imagine. The Jade Emerald Pagoda (left) was once such place, and featured a josstick smoke filled side-room of hellish wooden carvings depicting guilty souls awaiting punishment. Retribution is not something I'd associate with Buddhism, but there is a lot of left-over anger in this country. Fortunately there were plenty of docile terrapins to look at in the pond outside when it became too much for me. I think Ho Chi Minh City is a place of surprises and intensity.