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| Sunday, 21 March 2004 |
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Continued from last week At the end of the forty minutes we checked in at the Hano Boi Hotel. A majestic building of French Architecture, blending with Vietnamese interior decoration. The modern Restaurant still retains its old name 'Le splendour.' The three-storey building houses nearly 100 rooms.
It was signed at the Vietnam Union Friendship Association Centre amongst a distinguished gathering. Among those present were the ambassador for Sri Lanka Mahatheer Mustafa, Secretary, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Associations. (VUFA). The agreement provides for the publication of literary works of significance, exchange of delegations representing various classes of society and different walks of life, the promotion of investment opportunities, and also trade and tourism between the two countries. On this occasion, two books published in Sri Lanka both in Sinhala and English on the biography of the late President - Ho Chi Minh also were presented. The Sinhala book was written by Mr. S. Sudasinghe Secretary of the Vietnam-Sri Lanka Solidarity Association.
The association also influence the Sri Lankan Government to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at State level in 1970. On the arrival of former President of US Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton at the ceremony there were a few celebrations. The first lady was met a group of children and wanted to shake hands with them. She was shocked - there were tears in her eyes. These beautiful Vietnamese children had only stumps for hands, this was due to the genetic effects of all the chemicals the Americans sprayed in Vietnam during the war. The ferocity of the effect was that the people who came directly in contact with the chemicals nor their children were affected. It affected the third generation. Of course, it was mentioned that Bill Clinton was the one who opposed the American action in Vietnam in 1966. The President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Association has suffered many after effects. Everytime he heard an airplane he used to run for safety even as an undergraduate in the Soviet Union. He had a friend in Vietnam he said who was not very bright in his studies. The speaker used to visit him in the evenings to give him a helping hand. One day he had just finished his task and had walked a few yards when a bomb fell on the house, he had narrowly escaped, but his friend was inside the house. The parents were away at the fields. On hearing the blast they had returned to see their house ablaze. They had put the parts of the body of their son together, for funeral rites, but sadly they could not find his head. After three days the head fell from a tree. But the beauty of the Vietnamese people is that they have left the past behind. They now move with a new purpose. The heroism they showed at war is now used in building a new nation for a modern Vietnam. They have invited both the French and the Americans, their imperialists to assist in building a new Vietnam. They have many joint ventures in the Industrial sector. Yet they do not want to be under a new kind of imperialism, "the dollar imperialism." In getting aid, they keep this in mind. So Vietnam treads slowly and steadily, as a model for the New Millennium. by Padma Basnayake, Sri Lanka-Vietnam Friendship Association, Matale Branch. |
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After drinks and a quick lunch and a short rest we dressed up for our
first and major task of signing the agreement between the Sri
Lanka-Vietnam Solidarity Association and the Vietnam Friendship
Association.
The history of the Sri Lankan - Vietnam Solidarity Association which
was founded way back in 1966 was mentioned. The main objective of the
formation of the Association was to express solidarity with the people of
Vietnam in the fight against US imperialism to protect their country and
eventually end their struggle for national liberation by way of
re-unification of the North and the South.
