Friend of Duong Trong Lam's father speaks out

Webmaster's note: Vu Van Loc is a well known community activist and frequent commentator on Vietnamese-language media. He lives in San Jose, California and knew the family of Duong Trong Lam, a journalist murdered in July 1981 and whose case is featured in “Terror in Little Saigon.”

Excerpted Transcript [8:30-17:30]

Vu Van Loc, Founder of the Immigrant Resettlement & Cultural Center:

"The reporter who made this film, this poorly made film, does have one talent: he was able to convince the television channels to broadcast his work, and he will even show it at the “Newseum,” a museum for news and journalism in Washington, DC. Regardless, I don’t have to say much. If the audience watches it, they will understand. It’s like having a elephant head on a mouse’s body. It’s nonsense. It is just people talking back and forth about a few anecdotes. Of course, when you ask the family and friends of those who were killed, they will always be grieving for the person who has been murdered by an unknown killer.

I have an understanding and reasonable confidence that of the five assassination stories presented, the journalist only shared a few perspectives. The case that I know most surely is that of the man killed in San Francisco, Duong Trong Lam. Those who live here, around San Jose or in northern California, around that time know the story as follows. Simply, Duong Trong Lam was a young man, quite headstrong, who single-mindedly supported the Communist side. And we can be sympathetic in this way: particularly among the international students or supporters of Communism, following the Communist victory in 1975, they were ardently in love with the Communists. They were anti-war activists and loved the Communists. No matter where they went, they saw that their country had heroically fought for so many years and repelled the Chinese, defeated the French, and later defeated the Japanese. These victories against foreign powers could make a person’s heart fall for the achievements of the Communist Party in Hanoi at the time. With this youthful, enthusiastic spirit this young man published a newspaper and disseminated his pro-Communist views publicly everywhere.

At that time we were what you might call “refugees” of Communism, so we had an anti-Communist sentiment. So every time we went up to San Francisco to demonstrate against Communism, we would also be demonstrating against the young man Duong Trong Lam. However, I should mention that my friend, Duong Van Lang, an army Lieutenant Colonel in my military unit, was a very decent man. And he had this son that was pro-Communist, so what was he to do? His son insisted on publicly following the Communist Party, and it broke his heart. And in the various discussions, there were many different opinions on the situation. Well, I did mention to Mr. Lang, “Your son really is too hard-headed. It might be dangerous for him.” And then one day there was news that his son Lam had been killed. At that time, to be honest, during the period that we were “in the people’s struggle” I never heard anyone talking about a resistance front. People only began to speak of “The Front” one or two years after this, but in this case no one said anything about the Front.

There is another point that I will state publicly, that the FBI and CIA did come to IRCC and asked me about it. They asked, “Sir, since you often protest and demonstrate, do you have any idea who did it?” And I told them that I could not possibly know. It could have been anyone. It could have been revenge. There could have been many possible motives. Not to mention, even during that period of the struggle, it could have been anyone, including even the Communists. The Party had been known to kill its members before. Nobody could know who did it. It could have also been a number of young people who were completely unaffiliated. People often criticized us for being old men who only discussed theoretical matters, with no action. We do not know what we do not know.

In the end, it became part of the past. But there is another important point, which is that Lam was actually buried in the Vietnamese cemetery here, a cemetery that was established by me and a number of other people. We did not make any decisions about allowing or disallowing it, because relatives who wanted to have family members buried there simply needed to speak to the management, who would then arrange it. There were a few groups of staunchly anti-Communist individuals who said, “you cannot bury Lam here. He’s a Communist and he’s not welcome. His body should be taken elsewhere.”

I told them, “No. Death is the end of the story, we don’t have to take him anywhere else.” Additionally, Duong Van Lang is my friend, so where else would they take his son’s body? This is a very normal story. A very human story. A true story. Later on, his family did bring him to another place, because they were afraid of others disturbing him.

However, now my primary point is that I don’t know how anyone else died but in this case--really anyone could have killed him.

Additionally, I need to add that Mr. Lang has also passed. My friend, Lam’s father, has died. Nonetheless, I keep thinking that if he were still alive, he might have the same thought as me. That is, the way that these reporters have brought this story out again is like killing Lam all over. This story has nothing that can be called glory nor anything that can be called shame. This story has passed for 35 years now. A young man for one reason or another, believing in the achievements of the Communist regime, was perhaps killed by another young person who disagreed with his perspective. Because the rest of this story was unsolved, the legal system could not bring charges. Let him rest in peace.

I would like to say this to Mr. Lang: “Oh Lang, you have already passed and you do not know, but these reporters have brought your son’s story out and killed Lam Lam all over again.” What is the purpose of uncovering this story? That is why I must urge the audience that they understand, once they have seen the film, they must have an open mind, to understand that in our South-North, Democratic-Communist war, there were many bitter instances like this, even between father and son. When Mr. Lang was alive did not condemn any individual for killing his son. Then comes this American journalist, he lays out this story, so that he can -- according to the film -- bring justice to the families. What justice to the families? He is doing it for himself. Who else is he producing this for, and why this instead of countless other stories? One might make a film or rush to the battlefield to gather information for the people, but foremost they do it for themselves. When a journalist goes to the front lines, with arrows and bullets flying around, he says it is for the people and for justice, to bring back news for the people, etc., but foremost it is for himself.

He liked this story so he produced it. If he gets special footage or takes good photographs, he will be the one to win worldwide fame. We have to be clear about that. If he gains acclaim from talking about this story, that is something that cannot happen.

Here is the main point I want to make. This is a lousy film that opens a wound once more. Now, 35 years later, with so many changes in the world who knows how many injustices we do not speak of, yet we only talk about things that cause our community to be divided and destroyed. After so many obstacles, our community has finally reached a point where we are continuing a peaceful struggle, the struggle for human rights, for freedom and democracy in Vietnam. This documentary reminds me how everything about it is unacceptable. To speak of history is to learn a lesson for the future, not to demonize people in this way. That is why I think you should watch, while understanding the context of what life was like in the 70s through the 80s. You cannot demonize those who had such viewpoints, to hold these beliefs and attitudes. That is why I say that while they have chosen to remember the past by bringing out these old stories, I choose to respect the past by praying for those the living and dead of the 80’s whose hearts were committed to improving and returning to Vietnam."

#politics #terrorinlittlesaigon