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#vietcong

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Ms. Que Banh

Nguyễn Thị Bình is a granddaughter of the Nationalist leader Phan Chu Trinh. She grew up in a land that had been under French rule since 1858. The country’s resources were plundered, & the people exploited as cheap labour & reduced to grinding poverty. So determined were the French to maintain their colonial hold at any cost, they collaborated in power-sharing with Japanese #fascist #occupiers who brought horror & starvation from 1940-1945.

Despite this, led by the #VietMinh Front, people of Vietnam triumphed in the #AugustRevolution of 1945 & the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (DRV) was declared on September 2nd. Democratic elections took place in January 1946 but French troops, with the open support of the US & Britain, attacked the new Viet Minh administration in the south of the country & the #WarOfResistance against #France began.

Binh studied French at Lycée Sisowath in Cambodia & worked as a teacher during the #French #colonisation of Vietnam. She joined #VietnamCommunistParty in 1948. Upon joining, she immediately began work as a #grassroots #AntiColonial organiser. From 1945-1951, she took part in intellectual protest movements against French #colonists. She was arrested & jailed between 1951-1953 in #Saigon by the French #colonial authority in Vietnam. She was repeatedly interrogated under torture & sentenced to death but was reprieved & released in very poor health in 1954.

Upon release from prison, Binh went north to work in #Hanoi for the National #WomensUnion. Her job took her to many localities where she witnessed first-hand the impact of #colonialism & the French War on ordinary people & especially women & children.

1954 was a year of victory for the Vietnamese army. The defeated French were forced to sign the #GenevaAccords recognising the independence, sovereignty & unity of Vietnam. The country was temporarily split in two at the 17th parallel, with the French moving to the south from which they would withdraw, while the Viet Minh went to the north. A general election for the government of a united country was to follow within 2 years.

But it never happened. The #USA came centre stage to ensure that the Accords were never implemented. Driven by strategic interests in the region, it made sure that Vietnam stayed divided – preventing an election that would have swept Ho Chi Minh to power with 80% support, while bankrolling & controlling the reactionary #regime of Diem-Nhu south of the 17th parallel. This regime violently suppressed all opposition, executing of thousands of Viet Minh supporters & condemning hundreds of thousands to concentration camps and prisons.

In response, the NLF (for liberation of South Vietnam & unification) was formed in 1960. Nguyen Thi Chau Sa was assigned to the Foreign Affairs Section of its Re-unification Committee & given the name Nguyen Thi Binh (Peace). From 1962 onwards, her high-profile diplomatic work, took her across the world. She represented the aspirations of the people of Vietnam in every country & forum she visited, while the world’s strongest #imperialist power made all-out war on her small country.

During the #VietnamWar, she became a member of the #Vietcong Central Committee and a vice-chairperson of the South Vietnamese #WomensLiberation Association. In 1969 she was appointed foreign minister of the Provisional #Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. A fluent French speaker, Bình played a major role in the #ParisPeaceAccords - an agreement that was supposed to end the war & restore peace in Vietnam.

She was expected to be replaced by a male Vietcong representative after preliminary talks, but became one of the group's most visible international public figures. During this time, she was famous for representing Vietnamese women with her elegant & gracious style, and was referred to by the media as "Madame Bình". She was also referred to as the "Viet Cong Queen" by Western media.

After the war, she was appointed Minister of Education of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from 1982-1986; the first female minister ever in the history of Vietnam. Binh was a member of the Central Committee of Vietnam's Communist Party from 1987-1992. She was the Deputy Chair of the Party's Central Foreign Affairs Commission & Chair of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee. The National Assembly elected her twice to position of Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the terms 1992–1997 & 1997–2002.

Bình has authored several op-eds, including a one on the state newspaper Nhân Dân in which she voiced concerns that the current personnel policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam have allowed some "incompetent and opportunistic" individuals to enter the party's apparatus. She also criticized the Party's focus on increasing membership at the expense of "quality."

From March 2009-2014, she served as a member of the support committee of #RussellTribunal on #Palestine.

Madame Bình became a source of inspiration & namesake for Madame Binh Graphics Collective, a #RadicalLeft all-women poster, printmaking, & street art collective based in NYC from 1970s-1980s.
Many Americans in the #AntiWar movement were proud to wear T-shirts printed with the portrait of "Madame Binh". By then, she had become a symbol for female soldiers of the legitimacy of Vietnam's efforts.

Madame Bình has been awarded many prestigious awards & honours, including the Order of Ho Chi Minh & Resistance Order (First Class). In 2021, President of Vietnam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc awarded her the 75-year Party Membership Commemorative Medal.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the Government of Vietnam commissioned the official portraits for 12 former foreign ministers from 1945-2020. Nguyễn Thị Bình was included among them as the only South Vietnamese foreign minister & the only woman.

Ref: Nguyen Thi Binh". Northeastern Dictionary of Women's Biography (3rd ed.). Boston: Northeastern University Press. 1999. ISBN 978-1-55553-421-9

Ref: Triantafillou, Eric (3 May 2012). "Graphic Uprising". The Brooklyn Rail. 

Ref: russelltribunalonpalestine.com

Ref: Hy V. Luong (2003), Postwar Vietnam: dynamics of a transforming society, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0847698653

Signature of Madame Bình on her capacity as Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam in a diplomatic document co-signed by Nguyễn Duy Trinh, her counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)
Black and white photo of Nguyễn Thị Bình (centre-left) with Nguyễn Thị Định alongside other "Long-Haired Army" leaders (Viet Cong women).
3 black-and-white photographs set against a light beige background. The left image presents a close-up of Madame Binh in traditional clothing with soft lighting emphasizing her features. The center photograph features a group of three people, with Binh & a female comrade, prominently displayed; they are positioned outside a building with decorative architecture. The right image shows Binh speaking at a press conference, surrounded by multiple microphones, with additional artistic elements and a map of Vietnam visible in the background.
#AsianMastodon#Vietnam#VietnameseRevolutionaries
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Ms. Que Banh

Nguyễn Thị Bình (born 26 May 1927), also known as Madame Bình & Mother of Vietnam, is a South #Vietnamese #revolutionary leader, #diplomat & #politician. She became internationally known for her role as the #VietCong (NLF)'s chief diplomat & leading its delegation to the Paris Peace Conference. She later served in the government of reunified Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon & became the country's Vice President in 1992. She is the first woman in Vietnamese history to be appointed a cabinet minister.

Nguyen Thi Binh was the only woman to sign the Paris Agreement on Ending the War & Restoring Peace in Vietnam on 27th January 1973. South Viet Nam was liberated on 30th April 1975 & the two parts of Vietnam were finally brought together in 1976 as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In her memoirs, she said: “My own life, in concert with the life of our nation, has helped me understand that seizing political power and demanding independence were extremely difficult, particularly when opposing colonialists and imperialists. However, maintaining political power and building a nation…is much more difficult.”

At Hanoi Peace Conference in November 2022, she stated:

“Having suffered numerous sacrifices, pain and loss during decades of struggle against foreign aggression and for peace, independence and freedom, the people of Vietnam deeply appreciate the value of peace,” she told those gathered. Warning that the danger of wars, including a nuclear catastrophe, is greater than ever before, she stressed the vital importance of “rallying and uniting peace forces and movements” to halt aggression and build a world of peace and justice for all.

Ref: Nguyen Thi Binh. Northeastern Dictionary of Women's Biography (3rd ed.). Boston: Northeastern University Press. 1999. ISBN 978-1-55553-421-9.

Ref: Brigham, Robert K. (2011). "Nguyen Thi Binh". The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History (2nd ed.). ISBN 978-1-85109-961-0

Ref: Hy V. Luong (2003), Postwar Vietnam: dynamics of a transforming society, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0847698653

Nguyen Thi Binh smiling brightly while holding a microphone, with a blurred background showing several men partially visible. The composition highlights her positive expression and engagement with journalists. Text in the image indicates the date and context of the event as part of the Vietnam Peace Talks in Paris, July 1, 1971. The image has a slightly grainy texture typical of press photographs from that era. Black and white photo.
High-contrast black-and-white photograph capturing a rally in an urban square, densely populated with people. The composition centers on Nguyen Thi Binh, prominently positioned in the foreground, waving and smiling while holding a bouquet of flowers. She wears a dark sweater and a patterned scarf. Surrounding her, numerous photographers point their cameras, emphasizing the moment's significance. Behind the crowd, historical buildings are visible, with large banners demanding an end to the Vietnam War, enhancing the rally's political context. The image conveys a sense of activism and public engagement.
A group of political leaders is gathered in a formal setting, with Nguyen Thi Binh, in a traditional ao dai, signing peace accord at the table. The table displays a nameplate reading "GOUVERNEMENT RÉVOLUTIONNAIRE PROVISOIRE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU SUD-VIETNAM." Surrounding them are various men, some in formal clothing, looking on attentively, while others stand in the background, creating a serious atmosphere.
3 grayscale portraits of Nguyen Thi Binh, arranged in layers. The foreground image shows her smiling and raising her right hand, capturing a moment of greeting or celebration. The middle background image features her in profile, with a solemn expression, while the top background shows her looking upwards, wearing glasses. The overall texture of the image has a light beige backdrop with faint artistic floral illustrations at the bottom, enhancing the emotional tone of the piece.
#AsianMastodon#Vietnam#VietnameseRevolutionaries
Public
Ms. Que Banh

Nguyen Huu Tho (July 10, 1910 - Dec. 24, 1996) was the chairman of the National Liberation Front #NLF - the South Vietnamese political organization formed in 1960 in opposition to the U.S. backed Saigon government.

He was born in the same Chinatown district (Cho Lon in Saigon) that my patriarch family lived & where we had our large incense factory.

The son of a rubber-plantation manager who was later killed during the First #Indochina War (1946–54), Nguyen Huu Tho studied law in Paris in the 1930s. Returning to #Saigon, he set up practice, remaining politically inactive until 1949, when he led student demonstrations against the French; he also organized protests in 1950 against the patrolling of the southern Vietnamese coast by U.S. warships. He was imprisoned & won popular acclaim for his prolonged hunger strike in protest of the war.

After the Geneva Agreements divided Vietnam into northern & southern zones in 1954, Tho cooperated with the southern regime of Ngo Dinh Diem until he was arrested for advocating nationwide elections on reunification. Except for a short period in 1958, Tho remained in prison from 1954-1961, when he escaped with aid of some of his anti-Diem followers. These men, who had recently formed the NLF, made Tho, a noncommunist, provisional & then full-time chairman of the NLF.

In 1965, he delivered an anti-imperialist speech, a booklet was later published in English, entitled SPEECH. His title was given as: President of the Presidium of the Consultative Council of the South Viet Nam National Front for Liberation on the 5th founding anniversary of the NFL.

Tho served as a figurehead leader. Real power in the NLF was held by its military arm, the #VietCong & by veteran communists who reported directly to the North Vietnamese leadership. Tho helped attract a wide spectrum of South Vietnamese supporters to the NLF. In June 1969, the NLF established a Provisional Revolutionary Government with Huynh Tan Phat as president & Nguyen Huu Tho as chairman of its advisory council. The PRG became the government of South Vietnam in April 1975, when Saigon government’s troops surrendered to the North Vietnamese & PRG forces. Tho was made a vice president of Vietnam in 1976, a post he held until 1980, when he became acting president. In 1981, Tho was made vice president of the Council of State & chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

Thọ was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize (1983–84).

Between 1988 & 1994, he was chairman of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front (Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam), an umbrella organization for mass organizations in the country.

Ref: Jacques Dalloz : Dictionnaire de la Guerre d'Indochine, Paris, 2006, S. 171
Christopher E. Goscha : Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945–1954), Kopenhagen, 2011, S. 323

Ref: Kiernan, Ben. How Pol Pot Came to Power. London: Verso, 1985. pp. 170-71.

Ref: Nghia M. Vo - Saigon: A History (2011)

Nguyễn Hữu Thọ and the Phú Yên Province guerrillas prior to the formation of the Viet Cong. Black and white photo.
Nguyễn Hữu Thọ in 1932. Black and white portrait photo.
Nguyễn Hữu Thọ in his senior years. Black and white portrait photo.
#AsianMastodon#Vietnam#VietnameseRevolutionaries
Continued thread
Public
Ms. Que Banh

10 January 1973, negotiations broke down when #Kissinger demanded the release of all #AmericanPOWs in North Vietnam once a peace agreement was signed, but offered no guarantees about #VietCong prisoners being held in South Vietnam.

Thọ stated: "I cannot accept your proposal. I completely reject it".
Thọ wanted the release of all prisoners once a peace agreement was signed, which led Kissinger to say this was an unreasonable demand. Thọ, who had been tortured as a young man by the French colonial police for advocating Vietnamese independence, shouted:
"You have never been a prisoner. You don't understand suffering. It's unfair".

Kissinger finally offered that the United States would use "maximum influence" to pressure the South Vietnamese government to release all Viet Cong prisoners within sixty days of a peace agreement being signed. On 23 January 1973, at 12:45 pm, Kissinger and Thọ signed the peace agreement.

#AsianMastodon#Vietnam#VietnameseRevolutionaries
Continued thread
Public
Ms. Que Banh

#French #colonial authorities imprisoned him from 1930-1936 & again from 1939-1944. The French imprisoned him a "tiger cage" cells in the prison on Poulo Condore (Côn Sơn Island) in the South China Sea. Poulo Condore was the harshest prison in all of French #Indochina. During his time in the "tiger cage", Thọ suffered from hunger, heat, torture & humiliation. He was a teenager & these prison experiences hardened him.

After his second release he returned to Hanoi in 1945 to help lead the #VietMinh, the #VietnameseIndependence organization, as well as a revived communist party called the #VietnamWorkersParty. He was senior Viet Minh official in southern Vietnam until the #GenevaAccords of 1954. From 1955 he was a member of the Politburo of the Vietnam Workers’ Party, or the Communist Party of Vietnam(renamed in 1976). During the Vietnam War (1955–75) Tho oversaw the #VietCong insurgency that began against the South Vietnamese government in the late 1950s. He carried out most of his duties during the war while in hiding in South Vietnam.

“The Nobel Committee made a big mistake,” he said in an interview with UPI a decade later. “This is a prize for peace. The thing here is, who is the one that has created peace? The ones who fought against the U.S. and established peace for the country are us, not the U.S. However, the Nobel Committee has put the invader and the invaded as equal – that is something I cannot accept, and that is the reason why I declined the prize.” When asked if he’d accept the prize now that the country is free, he replied, “Yes, but only if the prize is awarded to me only.”
tienphong.vn/uy-ban-giai-nobel

Lê Đức Thọ's "insolence" towards Western politics helped to gain his country control over Saigon, Vientiane & ousted a pro-Western government in Phnom Penh. Within Vietnam, Lê Đức Thọ is remembered as a revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in the country’s struggle for independence & reunification. He is honored as a key figure in Vietnam’s history.

Despite his involvement in peace negotiations, Lê Đức Thọ remains a controversial figure, among those who view him as a symbol of the repressive communist regime in Vietnam. The communist government’s human rights abuses & suppression of dissent have led to criticism of his role in the post-war government.

Henry Kissinger (right) shaking hands with Le Duc Tho in Paris after their agreement on the cease-fire terms of the Vietnam War, 1973.
Tho waves his hand while addressing reporters during a press event. He is wearing glasses and a dark outfit, surrounded by various people, including other officials and journalists, who are holding microphones and recording devices. Black and white photo.
#AsianMastodon#Vietnam#VietnameseRevolutionaries
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Steve

10TH ANNIVERSARY

Viet Cong - Viet Cong (2015)
Favourite Track: March of Progress

10 years ago I saw Preoccupations (then known as Viet Cong) at the wonderful @ramsgatemusichall (a small but perfectly formed venue in Kent that you should visit at least once in your life) and was blown away by their sweeping, engulfing wall of noise. I met the band afterwards, we discussed their imminent name change, I bought the album and they signed if for me.

#VietCong#Preoccupations
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Don Trueten :antifa:

#OtD vor 70 Jahren: Schlacht um Điện Biên Phủ. #Vietcong rulez.

Die Schlacht um Điện Biên Phủ gilt als die entscheidende Schlacht des Französischen #Indochinakrieg​es zwischen den Streitkräften Frankreichs einschließlich der #Fremdenlegion und den Truppen der vietnamesischen #Unabhängigkeitsbewegung #ViệtMinh. Der Kampf um die französische Festung im Kreis Điện Biện nahe der damaligen Kreisstadt Điện Biên Phủ begann am 13. März 1954 und endete am 8. Mai mit der Niederlage der #Franzosen, die das Ende des französischen #Kolonialreich​es in Indochina besiegelte (ehemals Französisch-Indochina, heute #Vietnam, #Laos und #Kambodscha). Den Việt Minh gelang es vor allem durch menschliche Arbeitskraft, die notwendige Logistik für eine #Artillerieüberlegenheit gegenüber den aus der Luft versorgten Franzosen herzustellen. Dadurch konnten sie die Franzosen, die mit einer solchen Leistung ihrer Gegner nicht gerechnet hatten, größtenteils von der #Luftversorgung abschneiden und nach wenigen Monaten die Befestigungen um Điện Biên Phủ einnehmen. Ein großer Teil der in Gefangenschaft geratenen #Soldaten starb in Gewahrsam der Việt Minh.

Der Ausgang der Schlacht führte in Frankreich zum Sturz der Regierung Joseph #Laniel und bahnte den Weg zur #Verhandlungslösung des Konflikts, der Teilung Vietnams und dem Ende von Französisch-#Indochina auf der #Indochinakonferenz.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht

Die vietnamesische Fahne weht über dem französischen Befehlsbunker von Điện Biên Phủ
#Frankreich#Imperialismus#Kolonialismus
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