Re: Việt Weekly



You probably heard about the protesting against Việt Weekly. It was a big story and is still going on with people talking about the incident. The magazine creator had to sell their magazines on the street for a cheap price since Vietnamese community in California ran them out of business. Apparently Viet Weekly was seemed to have flavor communism and communist in Vietnam.



The reason I’m writing something about this because I keep coming across articles about allegations and accusations about the matter. As you know Trinh Hoi was in trouble again with the community by “writing an op-ed piece to the BBC to denounce the hypocrisy of those opposing Viet Weekly” (VSB, VW 5-25). I don’t want to say too much on how I feel about the whole thing. I just feel that a person like Trinh Hoi who have done so much and fighting for refuges is seen as a traitor. Some people feel sad for him and some said that he knows well enough what would come of his “bad” decision. What kind of a bad decision was it? To have the courage to speak out to one’s own believe against the majority? I admire him for not being afraid and suppressing to the threatening of others and mostly importantly not becoming a follower as many are today.



As much as I want to write a long post about the whole story surrounding Viet Weekly, I don’t feel like it. The last two stories I wrote one about Trinh Hoi and Ky Duyen and Tommy Ngo's "LOVE" belt were enough for me. I’m getting tired of the Vietnamese community constantly protesting and being sensitive about everything, calling people out here and there. How about starting to build a strong Vietnamese community overseas instead of devoting time and effort into quarrelling. What are your thoughts?

Comments

Anonymous said…
well said! I completely agreed with you. Instead of fighting and demonstrating against each other, we should work together and support one another.
Anonymous said…
We all wish for working constructively together to build community. But there are issues being aired that are natural conflicts given VietNam's tortuous history and contemporaneous governance. While normalization is driven by time, politics and trade, there remain deep-set issues that separate present-day VietNam from the legacy that caused over 2 million Vietnamese to leave their native land, risking life and limb in the hope of dignity and liberty. The controversy also stems from recent VN government policy to aggressively subsidize overseas enterprises, from media to entertainment etc. In VN government's view--to link arms with overseas cousins of the larger Vietnamese family. In the view of those who experienced communist treatment (which even after several decades the memory remains fresh), there is here export of VN government corruptive and unfair practices. I hope this gives young bloggers an opportunity to see the issue in a balanced light.

Keep up the good work posting.
Anonymous said…
i know this is a little late, but i completely agree with your last comments. granted there are going to be a lot of issues to go over between the two, but i would love to see us support each other. the fighting makes me tired too.
Dark-lover said…
Dear Karly,

I've read your two blogs (May and September 2007) about anh Trinh Hoi and am just soooo sad for him. He's always done what is right for our community, and in return, we just ignore all his fabulous efforts, just for a bunch of overreaction stuffs!
What a shame, really!
Just like the scandal with anh Tommy Ngo's belt. Well, I do understand, the reasons of their wounds, but can't help thinking that anh Trinh Hoi doesn't really deserve it!!! Honestly!!!

Anyway, thanks for the blog, it's awesome!
http://nguyenvietkieu.blogspot.com/2006/12/nha-trang.html