Vietnamese regime is still struggling to cope with the 1979 memory - and is unclear when will it be talked directly

On 17 February 2022, VTC News, a state-controlled media outlet, like the rest of Vietnamese government-controlled media in the communist country, broadcasted a number of veterans about the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. These veterans were among the most vocal, having condemned China in this war and urged for the state to finally speak out toward this war and referring its enemy directly - China, again and again. They also warn the government to be careful about the northern neighbour.

But these narratives were just a recent development. Until 2014, these narratives were often unheard and there had been censorship, even political repercussions, toward people mentioning it. Seven years later, elaborative efforts finally gave the voices of the war to the light, but it is not sure when will it be talked directly - because it is related to one problem: the government.

The 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War was a war where China began launching invasions against Vietnam as a response to Vietnamese toppling of its ally Pol Pot in Cambodia. This war was a disaster for the Chinese, although succeeded in inflicting heavy casualties on the Vietnamese, but the very high ratio of deaths among the Chinese had really affected the country into moving toward liberalisation. Vietnam, meanwhile, would not go to liberalisation process until 1986, as she was preoccupied by Chinese threats and Khmer Rouge's activities.

However, once Vietnam embraced reforms, all of these issues fell into oblivion, which the regime censored and cracked down anyone mentioning, who masterminded the silence remain unknown. Even in education curriculum, war of 1979 was totally unheard.

State censorship only began to loosen in 2014 due to violent anti-Chinese unrest across the country over the oil drill China sent into Vietnamese coastal border, but state remains monopoly over what it wants, therefore the government, while started to accept the cause of war, continued to avoid mentioning China but just "foreign nation" or "northern power" as an euphemism.

Notwithstanding with the censorship however, younger Vietnamese generation is strangely the most important voice in term of bringing this war back to light. Indeed, with the advance of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the war becomes memorised and popularised, with YouTube and Facebook channels from Vietnam dedicating to this war, reminding the war openly despite censorship remaining.

The Vietnamese regime knows very well that the youth power is what it has to be afraid the most, as the current Communist Party leadership is governed by elders, led by Nguyễn Phú Trọng, a renowned autocrat who ordered the widespread crackdowns about the war's information in the past. Yet it can't disassociate itself from the memories, as it could weaken the regime's standing. Therefore, the ageing leadership of Vietnam has to make a pact - its official media will still commit to censorship, but some media with light control from the government will be permitted to name it directly. Therefore, in Vietnamese media today, you will not be surprised when regional press could name the war with state approval, while this won't be the case with the government-sanctioned media like VTV. This pact was also seen when less relevant media in Vietnam also commemorated the loss of South Vietnamese soldiers in 1974 skirmish against China, while official state media didn't.

There is also another problem with the party - the younger generation making inroad into the party that is oriented with the West more than the elders. As much as the regime tries to maintain the neutral, if not saying, appeasing China, this is losing favour of the upcoming young generation. While the current power of the elders are going to be sustained for at least a decade, they have been forced to change or to face a dilemma.

At least, we are seeing an improvement. However, the matter belongs to the same government. The people of Vietnam have refused to be silenced, and the war has been more renowned. But if the government continues only its half-baked approach, it will only frustrate its own population - and further undermines the regime's legitimacy it had built upon a series of wars in 20th century.