VietWill - Defending Vietnamese lives and borders in the South China Sea

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U.S. Commander visits Chinese Navy in South China Sea

I am not exactly sure what is the purpose of the visit by Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps, General James T. Conway to the Chinese naval fleet. But in the photos below, they look pretty friendly, and makes you wonder what is exactly the U.S.' intentions and policy in the South China Sea.

The news story on People's Daily Online reads as follows:

According to Xinhua Net, General James T. Conway, Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps, and his team were flown into Zhanjiang from Beijing by the Chinese navy on April 2; and started their 2-day visit to the South China Sea Fleet.

Gen. Conway was given an introduction to the fleet while he toured the operations room and cabs of the naval ships, as well as ship-based weapons, at the military port in Zhanjiang. He commended the Chinese military for its openness, transparency and modernization.

On April 3, Gen. Conway and his team will travel to the South China Sea Fleet's amphibious landing training grounds to watch the training exercises of China's Marine Corps and the anti-terrorism training exercises of China's Navy. They will also see the new amphibious armored vehicles of China's Marine Corps. Gen. Conway will also picnic with the Chinese marines and get a personal look at China's Marine Corps training, work and life.

conway visit 1

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I am going/not going to the protest because....

VietWill is organizing a protest against China's aggression in the South China Sea on April 9 when the Olympic torch arrives on its San Francisco stop. The purpose of this protest is several fold:

1) Protest China's politicization of the Olympics by using it to make claims on disputed islands that it seized from Vietnam (by including an enlarged and boxed off map of Paracel Islands on its torch route maps indicating it as Chinese territory).

2) Protest China's aggression in the South China Sea and demand that China give up its unjustified claims on the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

3) Protest China's navy shooting, capturing, and demanding ransom from Vietnamese fishermen who make a living on the sea in disputed waters around Paracel and Spratly Islands.

WILL YOU BE JOINING VIETWILL AT THIS PROTEST? IF YOU ARE, WHY? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT?

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Who are we for? Who are we against?

As a member of VietWill, there is one thing in my mind to which I have not found an answer to, and that is:

Who am I defending? Am I defending Vietnam against China and other Southeast Asian countries? Am I defending Vietnam against China only? Or am I defending Southeast Asia against China?

The only thing I am definite about is that China is the threat. But I can't decide how the other SEA countries figure into the equation.

I want Vietnam to have sovereignty over the Paracel Islands as well as the Spratly islands, as most Vietnamese believe that these two archipelagoes belong to Vietnam. However, if Vietnam takes on China by itself, then most likely, it won't win. On the other hand, if Vietnam unites with other SEA countries to fight against China, then Vietnam cannot make equivocal statements like "Paracel and Spratly islands belong to Vietnam." No SEA country is going to go for it. Why would they risk their relationship with China just for Vietnam's interests?

For the short term, I believe that VietWill and myself can be satisfied with the fact that we are AGAINST China's aggression in the South China Sea. But as this campaign moves forward, I believe that VietWill and other similar groups need to think more carefully about who it is that they are FOR? Coming to a decision on this issue will make a whole lot of difference on how activists design and implement their campaign for peace and stability in the South China Sea. In any decision, there will be things gained and lost.

I hope my "inner conflict" will receive some input from other VietWIll members as well as guests who come to this website, in order for those who are interested in the South China Sea dispute to craft an action plan that satisfies their hearts' longing, but also is able to attain the most results.

Tony Le

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Do sports and politics mix?

20 March 2008

Last week, the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held a press conference and declared that groups who decide to mix politics with the Olympics will never succeed, and would only end up losing their credibility. China has been repeating the same line time and again that politics and sports must not mix. Before that, Yang Lan, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, also said, "The Olympics shouldn't be used to solve problems that have nothing to do with the event. On the contrary, it is supposed to shun such problems (as politics).”

And apparently, many world leaders seem to agree with China. The European Union also opposed any call for boycotting the Olympics saying that it would be counterproductive to the improvement of human rights in China. Today it was reported that President George Bush would not change his mind about attending the Olympics in China because the president believed that politics is not a factor in the Olympics. Last month, in an interview with BBC, Bush declared, "I'm going to the Olympics. I view the Olympics as a sporting event." Bush said that he didn’t need to use the Olympics to bring up an issue with China, because he has been doing that all along.

So the concensus among political leaders is there will be no boycotting of the Olympics, despite Darfur, the crackdown in Tibet, and countless other vices committed by China within and beyond its borders.

The questions for us to discuss then are following:

Are the world leaders correct in opposing calls for boycotting the Olympics?

Even with the Olympics taking place as usual, do you believe that the Olympics should be used as a forum for bringing up political and human rights issues?

Do you believe that there is a "separation of sports and politics" when it comes to the Olympics?