HAWAII

-- Một mặt trận mới về Việt Nam đang bùng nổ ra tại Hawaii, một thiên đàng hạ giới của Hoa Kỳ.

Báo Hawaii Reporter tường trình rằng hai dự luật HCR 65 và HCR 69 đang được thảo luận kể từ ngày 11-3-2005 trên nghị viện tiểu bang Hawaii

-- vấn đề chỉ là, 2 dự luật kêu gọi “thiết lập quan hệ huynh đệ cấp tiểu bang và tỉnh giữa tiểu bang Hawaii của Hoa Kỳ và tỉnh Thừa Thiên - Huế của CSVN.”

Cuộc tranh luận gay cấn nhất đã bùng nổ trên trang báo này ngày 11-3, với các lập trường ủng hộ và chống đều được đưa ra thảo luận.

Bài viết của Joseph Hallabay kêu gọi Hawaii đừng “kết nghĩa chị em” với Thừa Thiên -Huế vì VN vẫn là 1 nước cộng sản, hệt như Bắc Hàn -- nơi chỉ có Đảng CSVN có tiếng nói và không ai khác có quyền nói.

Hallabay là người Mỹ gốc Việt, ngụ tại Hawaii, giải thích thêm rằng VN nổi tiếng về buôn trẻ em (đặc biệt là thiếu nữ đấu giá trên eBay, bán gái sang Đài Loan...); đàn áp người Thượng, tịch thu đất của dân thiểu số; cướp tài sản công dân...

Ông cũng viết rằng CSVN chỉ chơi luật rừng, không thích nghi cho doanh gia Hawaii sang kinh doanh và hiển nhiên không thích nghi cho Hawaii kết nghĩa chị em.

Một bài viết khác cũng trên báo này, ký tên Hung Pham, một cư dân San Diego, Calif., lại kêu gọi Hawaii nên làm hòa với CSVN.

Ông Pham nhìn nhận VN vẫn là 1 nước CS nhưng đang có nền kinh tế thị trường bùng nổ, với tốc độ tăng trưởng chỉ thua Hoa Lục.

Ông thêm rằng VN đã mở cửa cho thế giới, và còn nhiều tài nguyên kinh tế chưa khai thác hết, cũng như nhiều khu du lịch tuyệt đẹp, và dân chúng thân thiện.

Ông nói, chuyện “đấu giá gái Việt trên eBay” thực ra là các cô bạn của vợ 1 ông Đài Loan -- được ông này đưa ảnh lên eBay để kiếm chồng tử tế cho bạn vợ mình. Rồi eBay đã gỡ bỏ trang đấu giá đó, nhưng anh này vô tội.

Ông Pham viết là 30 năm quá đủ, và Huế -Thừa Thiên là nơi có trong di sản văn hóa thế giới UNESCO... Tiểu bang và dân Hawaii sẽ hưởng lợi nhờ 2 bên kết nghĩa, chứ không mất gì.

Đọc chỗ này, một nhà quan sát Quận Cam nhận xét: 30 năm quá đủ, sao CSVN còn kềm kẹp, giam tù và quản chế nhiều nhà sư, linh mục và mục sư? Mà thực ra, họ có tội gì với quá khứ 30 năm trước đâu.

Đặc biệt, còn có bài viết ký tên Nina Nguyen, giám đốc tổ chức A Voice for Vietnamese in America, cũng trên trang web www.hawaiireporter.com, đã kêu gọi Hawaii đừng kết nghĩa với Huế, vì chính CSVN đã giết hơn 5,000 đàn ông, đàn bà và trẻ em nơi đây trong trận Mậu Thân 1968 -- bắt trói, dâãn nhóm thường dân này ra lòng sông khô và đã giết nhiều ngàn người nói trên bằng súng, dao găm và gậy. Theo cô Nina, một số người bị giết trong khi tay còn bị trói.

Cô Nina kêu gọi phải xây một Tượng Đài Thảm Sát Thừa Thiên - Huế cho 5,000 nạn nhân trên, trước khi tiểu bang Hawaii kết nghĩa chị em với tỉnh Thưa Thiên - Huế.

 

No Benefit to Hawaii to Be Sister City to Communist Vietnam
By Nina Nguyen, 3/10/2005 7:37:25 AM

I am opposed to HCR 65 and HCR 69, which establishes state-province relations between the state of Hawaii and the province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The reasons for opposing these resolutions deal with events of the past and present.

During the 1968 Tet Offensive in the ancient city of Hue, South Vietnam, the most barbarious massacre in our history occurred.

More than five thousand (5,000) men, women and children were murdered by the North Vietnamese Army, on orders from infamous "war hero" General Vo Nguyen Giap, rounded up and marched the civilians to a dry river bed and summarily executed them with bullets, bayonets and clubs.

Some were buried alive with their hands tied behind their backs. General Frederick Weyand, former Chief of Staff of U.S. Army, describes first hand that "the skulls all have been crushed -- not shot ... they were clubbed on beaten or even stabbed to death. Most of them were children, women, teachers, Budhhist monks, Catholic priests."

This occurred during a 4-day ceasefire agreed upon by both sides (North and South Vietnam).

Presently, the human rights on my people are being constantly violated with emphasis on the arrest, detention and interrogation of religious leaders.

Second, Vietnamese women and children are being sold as slaves to Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau for sexual exploitation and forced marriages, some as young as 7 years.

Third, communist members are promoting drug trafficking of opium in Thua Thien-Hue and other remote sectors of Vietnam. Drug abuses are uncontrollable in most cities.

Fourth, corruption among government officials is rampant in Vietnam with under-the-table payoffs prevelant in all levels and escalating since 1999.

Fifth, between the United States and Vietnam, there is a U.S. trade deficit of negative $4, 112.4 billion with the state of Hawaii having nothing to trade with the province Thua Thien-Hue.

I was fortunate to leave Vietnam before my country fell into the claws of Vietnamese Communist Party in 1975 and become a U.S. citizen and a resident of the state of Hawaii.

The past and present actions of the present government in Vietnam support my position that Vietnamese Communist cannot be trusted and that, unless human rights violations upon my people come to an end.

Culturally, a Thua Thien-Hue Massacre Memorial has to be built before the State of Hawaii enters into a sister relationship with the province of Thua Thien-Hue.

This would end the silent tears for 5,000 deaths caused by Vietnamese Communist terrorist acts.

There is no beneficial results for the people of the state of Hawaii from such a relationship.

Nina Nguyen, the director for A Voice for Vietnamese in America, can be reached via email at mailto:VNtv@hotmail.com

HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to: mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com

Hawaii Lawmakers Should Not Form Friendship with Vietnam Communist Party
Bad for Foreign Relations, Bad for Business
By Joseph Hallabay, 3/8/2005 10:39:57 PM


Editor's note: HCR 65 & HCR 69 will be heard on March 11, 2005, at the Hawaii State Capitol at 415 S. Beretania Street, Room 329, at 8:30 a.m.

Honolulu is a beautiful city in the Paradise state of Hawaii. Its primary business with all of the outside world is the "tourism industry" and Honolulu has had with good intentions many "Sister Relationships" with beautiful cities across the world.

I truly believe in supporting one another in "Win-Win" and mutually benefited relationships.

However, HCR 65 and HCR 69 call for "State-province relations of the State of Hawaii and the province of Thua Thien-Hue of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".

I can see some good resulting from this arrangement such as exchanging cultural, educational, and musical information.

But when it comes to business, I am opposing to both HCR 65 and HCR 69 due to the following reasons:

Vietnam is a communist country – it is just like North Korea, PRC … Testimony such as this one would never be allowed in that kind of regime. The law of the land (I call it Jungle Law) belongs the Vietnamese Communist Party and the people have no say whatsoever. The Vietnamese Communist Party owns and controls all major businesses. Sure, corruption exists everywhere in the world to different degrees (and that includes Hawaii), but in Vietnam, the percentage number runs very high.

Vietnam is now well known for: Child trafficking (girls being auctioned on Ebay, girls being sold to other countries such as Taiwan); and drug trafficking (see Internet articles from Reuters and World Vision Action News).

Since the fall of Saigon to the communists in 1975, Vietnam for the last 30 years or so has been known to dare to "Expropriate" properties, wealth and land from Montagnards, local citizens, local businesses as well as foreign businesses.

Of course, Vietnam, with such a reputation in the international business arena (as most big businesses are state owned and run), has been trying to improve matters but, because of the "jungle law" that the Vietnamese Communist Party operates, it is still a very deceptive place for foreigners to do business there, or for any decent state such as Hawaii to be friends with.

Lawmakers considering the passage of this resolution should ask themselves :

What is the role of the State of Hawaii when it comes to "foreign investment" in Vietnam? Are the opportunities open to all Hawaii residents and businesses? Who can invest in Vietnam? Are there any restrictions?

Who really are going to benefit when these HCRs are completely passed? Is it the Vietnamese Communist Party or some private investors in Hawaii? Is it the people of Vietnam or the people of Hawaii? Hawaii residents should be aware that if the HCRs are passed, Hawaii is going to engage in doing business with Vietnam’s Vietnamese Communist Party.

How much do the lawmakers and other people of Hawaii really know about communism?

Those who have not lived within the walls of communism, who have not talked to family victims who got tricked into losing their teenager girls to the sex slave trade, who lost their businesses, homes and all that they own, don't understand the dangers of such a proposal.

Also an important question, are lawmakers going to use public funds to help out the Vietnamese Communist Party to do business in Hawaii?

Should the HCRs pass the Legislature, other sister cities may be offended because Hawaii now is supporting and making friends with such a highly corrupted Communist Government that has no credit in the international arena, with many Human rights deprivations, child trafficking, drug trafficking, and the common practice of expropriation of private property.

How about tourists from Japan and other parts of the world? What happens if they are offended and as a result do not visit Hawaii thereby hurting the tourism agency? How about other types of imports and exports? If the future outcome of Hawaii's economy is negatively affected by lawmakers' decisions, then who is going to be accountable for that?

Joseph Hallabay, BSEE, MBA is a Vietnamese American and Concerned Resident of Hawaii. He can be reached via email at mailto:winwindeals4all@yahoo.com

HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com

 

  Hawaii Should Make Peace With Communist Vietnam
By Hung Pham, 3/10/2005 7:37:46 AM

The March 8, 2005, article entitled "Hawaii Lawmakers Should Not Form Friendship with Vietnam Communist Party" by Joseph Hallabay has left a bad taste in my mouth. It is unimaginable that almost 30 years after the end of the Vietnam war, Mr. Hallabay still manages to be in such "combat" mode toward the government of Vietnam to throw out nonsenses in his smear campaign found throughout his article.

Yes, Vietnam is still a communist country, but one with a booming free-market economy, like China. Its healthy annual economy growth is only second to China in the world nowaday. Vietnam's export to the U.S. hit $5 billion mark in 2004 and both countries are benefiting from the ever growing trades since the two signed the Bilateral Trade Agreement in July of 2000. Many big American corporations - Ford, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, to name afew - are already happily doing businesses in Vietnam. And a direct flight between the 2 countries was christened in December of 2004 by United Airlines, opening the way for American Airlines and Continental Airlines afterward. The state of Hawaii has much to gain from trading and investing in Vietnam as California has learned. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is already a sister city of San Francisco.

Vietnam has opened its door to the world. It has tried hard to erase the image of a war that was so long attached to its name despite the lingering effect of the war on its people to the present day(land mines, toxic from Agent Orange, for example). Vietnam is now well known for its coffee, seafood, textiles exports as much as its beautiful resorts and friendly people. Unlike Mr. Hallabay's claims of "child trafficking and drug trafficking", Vietnam has the one of the toughest laws on drug trafficking. (Possessing, trading or trafficking 600 grams of heroin or 20 kilograms of opium are punishably by death). And the story of "girls being auctioned on Ebay" is one of the tales that has often been used in the smearing war against the Vietnam's government. The "girls" turned out to be friends of the wife of the Taiwanese man who placed the Ebay listing. This man simply wanted to find husbands for these young adult women and found Ebay to be the place to put the ad for his dating service. After being alerted by consumers, Ebay had taken the listing off its website for fear of human trafficking but since had learned that the man's innocent intention was simply misunderstood.

Tourists from Japan will not have anything against Hawaii's trade with Vietnam since Japan has always been one of the Vietnam's largest donors and investors. Travel to Vietnam by Japanese tourists is ever increasing as for the past few years, Vietnam has become the favorite destination for young Japanese teenagers and there still is a trend in Japan called "Vietnam Fever" that continues to raise the interest about Vietnam and its people in Japanese people. To think that somehow tourists from Japan will stop coming to Hawaii because of the state's relationship with Vietnam is so laughable!

Thirty years is a long time. It is time to let bygones be bygones. Hue-Thua Thien is the site of a Unesco's World Heritage and is as much a well known tourist destination as Hawaii. The state and the people of Hawaii have so much to gain and nothing to lose by trading with and investing in Vietnam. This will for sure open up the understanding between the two peoples so mistakes of the past will never be allowed to happen again. This world will be a better one afterall.

Hung Pham, a resident of San Diego, CA, can be reached via email at mailto:phamviethung2001@yahoo.com