Communist Review - National unity is the eternal rule for building and defending the country, the source of strength for all victories of the Vietnamese revolution, and the strategic policy of the Party and State of Vietnam. One of the focal points where hostile and reactionary forces have focused their strengths to resist and destroy in the cause of renewal is to divide and destroy the great bloc of national unity with many sophisticated plots and tricks. It is necessary to expose these so that each cadre, party member and individual will be on their guard and resolutely fight against them.

“Solidarity, solidarity, great solidarity/ Success, success, great success”. Such simple and concise statement of President Ho Chi Minh is totalized and generalized at a high level of the mind, stating a rule and affirming the thousand-year cultural tradition of Vietnam. Thanks to the great bloc of national unity, 54 ethnic groups have overcome many hardships, challenges and struggles to live in harmony in an average-sized country with average population and low economy development level. Together, they have successfully confronted natural disasters, defeated strong enemies to protect the beloved country and preserve national cultural identities and now they are working to build a more prosperous and beautiful country.

Every ethnic group has a tradition of solidarity for survival and development, but the Vietnamese tradition of solidarity has its own characteristics. It is the harmonious life of people living in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, who are always aware of sharing the values, and respecting the differences of each other. These are the constant struggles to cope with extremely harsh natural disasters and fiercely fight against all kinds of invading wars in order to take over the territory and enslave the people of Vietnam. It is also a process of self-awareness of cultural values belonging to the national identity of Vietnam, a nation with a closely-united community since its birth.

Only through an in-depth study of national unity can it clearly reveal the strategic importance and practical significance of Platform for national construction in the period of transition to socialism (supplemented and reviewed in 2011) which was summarized by the Party into the third lesson of the five great lessons of the Vietnamese revolution and of the development of our national history, such as: Constantly consolidating, strengthening the unity of the whole Party, and great bloc of unity among our nationals and our people as well as with the international communities. The Party's platform has indicated that the levels of unity have dialectical relations with each other, organically combining and forming a combination of forces to produce invincible power that cannot be broken. Due to such strengths, our righteous cause has always gained the final victory, regardless of any challenges or even temporary failures. Historical lessons has sharply refuted all reactionary allegations in order to distort or defame the national unity; firmly affirming that unity is a very precious and solid tradition, an extremely precious cultural and spiritual value, a long-term strategic line, and a survival and development law of the entire nation.

The summary in the Platform is completely derived from the history of Vietnamese revolution, but not based on any subjective evidence. In order to gain today's great victory, the struggle of the Vietnamese people has gone through a lot of difficulties, challenges, critical moments for several times and experienced the curves with inexperience, mistakes, and shortcomings. In some places, at several periods of time, some individuals for their own interests have created unnecessary gaps in the ethnic community. The dark sides of the market economy such as poor and rich gap, materialistic pragmatism have caused complex challenges that harm the great bloc of national unity and take time to overcome.

The Vietnamese people understand the value of unity better than anyone else and are determined to do all they can to consolidate the great bloc of national unity, resolutely and uncompromisingly fight against all plots and tricks to destroy, undermine or weaken such great bloc of national unity, because the history has given us a valuable lesson: “United we stand, divided we fall”. Today, a solid and stable domestic environment is a necessary premise to attract foreign investment, creating a position for the country in international integration, being considered as the inevitable path for Vietnam to survive and develop in the time of globalization. All hostile forces are always aimed at denying, distorting and undermining the great bloc of national unity of the Vietnamese people, because it is the original point, the most basic guarantee for the success of the Vietnamese revolution, the major driving force for the country's development today and in the future. Whenever the internal government is divided, the country will be declined, prone to be invaded by the enemy and its society will be in disorder and lagged behind. Being lagged behind in all aspects, especially economy, means losing the revolutionary achievements of our own people, leading to the loss of independence, freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Therefore, the struggle to firmly protect the great bloc of national unity is to basically defeat poisonous plots the hostile forces; it is also a life-and-death issue of the nation and the regime. It is the conscience and responsibility of every Vietnamese patriot, every true revolutionary.

The Vietnamese tradition of unity has been raised to new heights in the Ho Chi Minh era, crystallized into Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on great bloc of national unity. The fact of Vietnam's revolution over the past century has firmly demonstrated the strong vitality and great strength of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on great bloc of national unity. Especially, the Communist Party of Vietnam has been fully aware of such thoughts as a red thread throughout the Party's revolutionary way through all periods, from the Party's establishment to the present day.

After nearly 35 years of the renewal, the Party's resolutions have ceaselessly come into life and affirmed the right contents of national unity policy. It is to strengthen the great bloc of national unity on the basis of arousing and promoting the national strength to the highest level, putting the common interests of the nation and the people first, considering it as the starting point for building the Party’s guidelines as well as the State’s policies and laws in order to overcome poverty and backwardness; strengthen and expand international cooperation relations, take advantage of all external resources to build and protect the country.

Resolution No. 07-NQ/TW, dated November 17^th, 1993, of the 7th Politburo, “On great bloc of national unity and strengthening the united National Front”, outlined the views that best reflect the thought of great bloc of national unity and affirmed the basic contents of the policy in the period of renewal. It is “unite everyone in the great Vietnamese family, including all classes, walks of life, ethnic groups, religions, domestic people and overseas settlers”⁽¹⁾, for the common goals of maintaining independence, unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity; bringing Vietnam out of poverty, backwardness with rich people, a strong country, and a fair and civilized society; promoting the similarities while “accepting the differences, which are not contrary to the common interests of the nation to remove preconception, complex, and hatred; looking to the future and building a spirit of union, openness, and mutual trust”⁽²⁾. This is a new development that is of great significance to the cause of national unity construction according to Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, turning down claims that the Party and State of Vietnam are prejudiced, narrow-minded and discriminated against those who previously worked in the old regime.

It has been a common sense that after the South was liberated and reunified, many people in the old regime returned Vietnam to live. They are treated according to their ability and strengths, many of them have been trusted and elected as members of the National Assembly, People's Council or Vietnamese Father Front Committee at all levels. Nguyen Huu Co, former Lieutenant General in the Saigon Army, former Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Defense of the Saigon government, after many years of striving to integrate with the people and society, has become a member of the Central Vietnamese Father Front Committee. He shared: “Since the day when the country was truly independent and unified, there have been changes in various aspects. When I go out, people call me as elder brother or uncle. It results from the positive changes in localities, in the regime and within myself... I chose to stay in my home country with our people and I really feel happy...”⁽³⁾.

When Nguyen Cao Ky, the former Deputy President of Saigon government came back to visit his home country in 2004, in the meeting with the leaders of the Central Vietnamese Father Front Committee, he said: “I can see that the socio-economic situation is developing and the people’s life has been improved. People happily and peacefully welcome the Lunar New Year in the great bloc of national unity. Previously, due to the imposition of foreign countries, the Vietnamese Fatherland was like a body divided into segments, now you have achieved the unity again. Now I feel the vitality of the country and nothing could obstruct it from growing. We, who are in our seventies, remind ourselves to make a small contribution to the country. The glorious future of this country belongs to the current youth with the centralized leadership of the State of Vietnam and with the right policy of great block of national unity, we will develop in line with the general trend of world”⁽⁴⁾.

The above statements of those who held very high positions in the apparatus of Saigon government before 1975 contributed to strongly criticizing and refuting all allegations that distort the policy of great bloc of unity of the Party and State of Vietnam. No one can propagate and force them to think well of the regime. Only being called as elder brother or uncle when going out could they feel happy since they are always welcomed by compatriots. If they had lived in elsewhere, they could have been revenged and excluded from the society. The strength of the right policy of great bloc of national unity of the Party and State not only successfully gathered a large number of people, but also converted those who don’t wish to return.

Over the past years, allegations to distort the Party’s and State’s policies of great bloc of national unity have also aimed at dividing and undermining the close-blood relationship among 54 ethnic groups, dividing the Kinh and ethnic minorities, among ethnic minorities, denying the Party’s and State’s ethnic policies. Despite the fact that there are still many difficulties and challenges, the great changes in the lives of ethnic minorities in all regions of the country have proved the correctness of the policies showing the “equality, solidarity, mutual development” for the ethnic minorities. Such points of view of the Party and State of Vietnam is the basic principle of guidelines and policies to unite ethnic minorities, deriving from the revolutionary and scientific nature of Marxism-Leninism, from the great bloc of unity of President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, and from the tradition of unity of the Vietnamese people.

President Ho Chi Minh, in his Letter to the Meeting of Southern Ethnic Minorities on April 19, 1946, wrote: “The Kinh or Tho people, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or E De, Xe Dang or Ba Na and other ethnic minorities, all are the descendants of Vietnam, and are siblings. We live and die together, being happy or unhappy together, being rich or poor together... Today, Vietnam belongs to all of us... The country and Government belongs to us. Therefore, all people should closely unite to protect and develop our country”⁽⁵⁾. These words are the soul of the national policies of the Vietnamese State. Policies for developing economy, culture, education, health,... in ethnic minority areas have gradually expressed that spirit and brought about remarkable changes in the people’s life.

Ya Duk, from Co Ho ethnic group, Lam Dong province, was the former leader of the FULRO force. After many years living in the forest to fight against the government, he soon realized the correct policies of the State, returned to the people and actively participated in building the homeland, and then was elected as the Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Fatherland Front Committee, and a deputy of the National Assembly. On the occasion of studying the resolutions of the Seventh Meeting of the 10^th Executive Committee ⁽⁶⁾, Ya Đuk wrote: “Thank you, the Communist Party of Vietnam, thank you, the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for giving ethnic minorities the right to be a citizen of an independent and democratic country, and bringing them a happy and progressive life. These great changes had been the dreams of the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands for many generations”; “Up to now, there are still a few ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands, who have been exploited, provoked, divided, incited, and bribed by bad guys. They often gather and challenge social order. This is an act aimed to cause political insecurity, social disorder and to divide the great bloc of national unity, as well as distort the national policy of the Party and State.”⁽⁷⁾.

These expressions are the voices of insiders, who are living witnesses of the policy of great bloc of national unity of the Party and State of Vietnam. These have also firmly refuted all false accusations against the policy, which is welcomed and supported by ethnic minorities with their concrete and practical actions.

In addition, hostile forces have also actively opposed the policy of freedom of belief and religion, dividing the great bloc of unity between religious people and non-religious people, and among different regions as well, in order to weaken our great bloc of national unity. Taking advantage of the complexity of the religion issue and exaggerating several mistakes and defects in the perception and practice of some officials, hostile forces constantly slander the Party and State of Vietnam to discriminate against religious people, strangle freedom of belief, religion, and violate human rights…etc. The real situation of religion freedom in Vietnam has completely rejected such false claims. The policy of belief and religion freedom is a consistent policy of the Party and State of Vietnam.

In the first meeting of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh made a solemn declaration of the Government's policy of belief freedom and religious unity. This policy has entered into life, gathering people from different religion in the great bloc of national unity, accompanying the nation and greatly contributing to the overall victory of the long, hard but heroic struggle of Vietnamese people

In the process of comprehensive renewal, the religion policy has been continuously improved and increasingly corresponded to the reality. Religion is the spiritual need of a part of the population that is and will exist in the process of socialism building in Vietnam; religious people are part of the great bloc of national unity; ethics of religions are in line with the social construction requirements. The Party and State of Vietnam’s policies are to advocate the consistent implementation of religion unity, religious and non-religious people unity, preserving and promoting the positive values of ancestral worship traditions, honoring those who make great contributions to the Fatherland and the people, but prohibiting discrimination against citizens due to beliefs and religions.

In Vietnamese society, all believers have the right to practice their religion in lawful worship establishments. State-recognized religion organizations operate in accordance with the law and are protected by law. They are allowed to open training facilities for religion professionals and religion publications, to build, repair and maintain worship establishments according to the applicable laws.  Old worship buildings were embellished, region-level religion projects were newly constructed, and many international conferences and seminars on religion have been successfully held in Vietnam.

Religions are protected by the constitution and applicable laws. Operating in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable law, they are to maintain political security and social order and safety, create a stable environment for legal and sound religious practices. It should be affirmed that there is no country in the world, which does not have requirements for maintaining a stable environment to ensure the peaceful life of its people, including religious followers. Since the Middle Age, the states of the Middle Near East and Europe had also enacted laws to force religious followers to obey. Therefore, strictly punishing troublemakers, even if they are religious followers, is an undesirable thing to do, but it is also a must in order to control the country. It is impossible to consider punishing individual believers who violate the law, break the social order, and trouble the peaceful life of the people, as “religion suppression”, “violation of human rights”. If we allow bad guys to make use of religion freedom to carry out aggressive and disruptive actions that harm the community, including religion followers, to divide the great bloc of national unity, what will happen? At that time, not only are the national interests threatened, but the directly concerning interests of religion followers - a close part of the nation, are also not guaranteed.

In the autumn of 1843, in the works namely On Jewish matters, C. Marx wrote: “In a country where political liberation is completed, religion not only exists but also shows its vitality and strength. This proves that the existence of religion is not contradictory to the state's perfectionism”⁽⁸⁾. V.I Lenin also criticized the discrimination between religious and non-religious believers.  According to Ho Chi Minh's thoughts, for religious followers, religious faith and patriotism do not conflict. President Ho Chi Minh also set a fine example in uniting fellow believers with all his sincere heart and passion.

The Socialist State creates basic conditions for the success of religious policy. In nature, socialism aims to build a society without any kind exploitation, repression and injustice; everyone enjoys free and equal life where they always love and help each other. This aim coincides with the religion founders’ ideas. There is no doubt that the false claims that put socialism against religion, slandering our State for religion suppression are completely alien to our country’s religious views and policies.

During the meetings and discussions with the Committee of Vietnamese Fatherland Front at all levels, many religious dignitaries have expressed their respect, belief and consensus with Vietnam’s religion policies. For example, Protestant pastor Vu Hung Cuong expressed: Thanks to the correct religion policies of the State, which are in accordance with the people’s aspirations, everyone is free to follow or not follow any religion and equal to the applicable laws. I think these policies bear both the national and international features of a beautiful and civilized society. Nguyen Cao Ky also said: “I was free to visit and play without any problems when coming back to Vietnam. Everyone has a stable job and peaceful life, religion followers who I met at temples or churches also enjoy their religious practice.”⁽⁹⁾.

Father Peter Nguyen Cong Danh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Catholic Unity Committee when alive always affirmed: All religions in Vietnam in general and Catholicism in particular express their trust and respect for, being ready to cooperate with the State in social programs, which are beneficial to the country and people in accordance with the motto set by the Catholic Church: “Gospelly live in the heart of the people”, for the happiness of all people.

Hostile forces cannot divide the great bloc of national unity, including fellow religion-followers. Uniting different religion followers is the same with each religion’s principles and purposes, such as “Dharma - the nation and socialism” of Buddhism, “Gospelly live in the heart of the people” of Catholicism, “Gospelly live to serve the God, the Fatherland and the nation” of Protestantism, “Glorious country, bright religion” of Caodaism, “Make the religion prevail, having a strong attachment to the nation, complying with the State’s policies and laws, contributing to build and protect the country” of Hoahaoism,... they are also in line with the tradition of patriotism in the religion community of Vietnam.

In the struggle against the allegations that divides the great bloc of national unity, it is also necessary to criticize the false claims that distort the policies of the Party and the State towards overseas compatriots. The Party and State of Vietnam always consider people residing abroad to be an integral part and a resource of the Vietnamese ethnic community, consistently carrying out the policy of providing them information about the country's situation, protecting their legitimate rights, improving their patriotism, civic responsibility, sense of community, sense of national pride, preserving Vietnamese cultural identity and fine traditions. The Vietnamese State has constantly renewed policies, creating more and more favorable conditions for expatriates to visit their homeland and make a practical contribution to the national construction. Thanks to the correct policy of great bloc of national unity, Vietnamese expatriates have a stronger attachment to the homeland. The majority of overseas compatriots are turning to the country; many of them have visited and made investment to develop the country. The number of people returning home is increasing, including those holding high positions in the Saigon government apparatus before 1975. That fact refutes the allegations that the State of Vietnam discriminates against overseas compatriots.

The country’s achievements of nearly 35 years of renewal have been significantly contributed by expatriates, through their annual investments of billions of dollar in such fields of production, services, education, health, society, culture, science - technology...etc. The Fatherland and the homeland, with the tradition of attaching much importance to great national cause, always open their arms to welcome the return of their children. Although there is a small part of overseas compatriots who are still self-opinionated and show signs against national reconciliation and harmony, it can be believed that with the right guideline for great national unity, such rifts and gaps will be removed in the near future./.

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(1), (2) Communist Party documents, National Politics Publisher, Hanoi, 2007, vol. 53, p. 74 - 75

(3) Front magazine, edition 2 (11-2001), p. 19

(4) Central Theory Council: Our reasons, National Politics Truth Publisher, Hanoi, 2004, p. 147

(5) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, National Politics Truth Publisher, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 4, p. 249

(6) Resolution No.23-NQ/TW on promoting the strength of great national unity for a rich people, a strong country, a fair society, democracy and civilization; Resolution No.24-NQ/TW on ethnic affairs; Resolution No.25-NQ/TW on religious work.

(7) Central Theory Council: Our reasons, p. 149

(8) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: Complete works, National Politics Publisher, Hanoi 1995, vol. 1, p. 524

(9) Central Theory Council: Our reasons, p. 147

Source: Communist Review No 938 (3-2020)