Local residents crowd North Vietnamese tanks taking position near the presidential palace in Saigon (now HCM City) after the palace had fallen into the control of the liberation army on April 30, 1975. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Hồng

Trần Quang Vinh

HÀ NỘI — April 30, 1975, started a new era in Việt Nam – one of independence and socialism for the whole country with the liberation of the south and the reunification of the nation. 

Forty-seven years since that day, the Party and State have been working hard with policies on national reconciliation and concord, eliminating remaining war-time prejudices and discrimination, and developing a spirit of openness, respect, sympathy, and mutual trust, heading to the future together.

The policy was designed on the basis of the core interests of the nation and country – national independence, unification, prosperity, territorial integrity, people’s mastery and solidarity between the 98 million people inside the country and the more than five million abroad.

In January 1994, the mid-term national conference of the seventh Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV)’s Central Committee underlined the orientation of strengthening the great national solidarity bloc, bringing into play all the creativeness of workers, farmers and intellectuals, as well as people from all walks of life, all classes and religions, including the overseas Vietnamese community.

The significance of the national great solidarity and contributions of Vietnamese people both inside and outside the country continued to be affirmed through the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th National Party Congresses.

For national independence, solidarity and peace for the people, Việt Nam had to fight two long wars and suffered great losses. More than 1.14 million soldiers and over 4 million civilians were killed or maimed for life during the wars.

Remembering the history and losses caused by the war, Vietnamese people do not aim to deepen the prejudice and discrimination, but to treasure the peace and achievements made so far.

Việt Nam recognises the attitude and goodwill for reconciliation and concord as well as contributions to the national construction by those who once turned their backs on the nation's core interests of independence, unification and territorial integrity.

However, while the majority of Vietnamese people have shown goodwill, some have still clung to their hatred and destructive actions. Nearly half a century after the national reunification, some with ties to the now-defunct Republic of Việt Nam (South Vietnam) still call April 30 “the national day of hatred” or “black April”. National reconciliation and concord are not an excuse for those people to make unreasonable demands on the country, distort the great historical significance of the National Liberation Day or turn a blind eye to socio-economic achievements Việt Nam has reaped through the past 47 years, especially through nearly 36 years of “đổi mới” (Renewal).

The reality has proved that a large number of Vietnamese people abroad welcome the country’s renewal cause and great national solidarity policy of the Party and State, and expect the country’s prosperity and development to match that of other countries in the region and in the world. Many have visited their families and hometowns while engaging in investment and business, scientific and technological, education, culture, art, sports cooperation as well as humanitarian and charity activities at home.

Widely opening their arms to all Vietnamese people living away from the Fatherland, the Party and State have always created optimal conditions for them to return to their roots, visit their relatives, worship their ancestors and make contributions to the homeland. Many policies have been rolled out to specify and complete regulations on entry, exit, residence and travel of overseas Vietnamese in the direction of openness, convenience and simplicity of procedures. At the same time, efforts have been exerted to deal with remaining problems so as to make it easier for them in house purchase, inheritance, marriage, and child adoption. Humanitarian issues left by history have been settled with love and reason on the basis of Vietnamese morality, in order to realise the policy of great national solidarity.

Still, a handful of Vietnamese people abroad who have yet to return to the homeland to see with their own eyes the achievements of the country's development, or have kept their prejudice and refused to properly understand the situation of the country, are deliberately running against the common interests of the nation, and trying to harm the cooperative relationship between their host countries and Việt Nam.

The acts of deliberate opposition against the policy of national reconciliation, taking advantage of the policy of concord to undermine the great national solidarity bloc, running against the common interests of the nation and trying to harm the country, will not be eligible for any tolerance. Being lost in the nation’s move forward, those small "grudge stones" are likely to deeply sink to the bottom of the river. — VNS