A: Welcome to VOV’s regular Wednesday feature, Letter Box. This week, we’d like to begin with a frequent listener to the English program, Fumito Hokamura of Japan. In every letter, Fumito poses many questions about Vietnam that he says will help him understand our nation. We’re very grateful to Fumito as he makes us understand that what we are doing every day helps listeners like him know and appreciate Vietnam better.
B: This time, Fumito wants to know about Vietnam’s August Revolution which the entire nation celebrated last Sunday. The August Revolution, also called the August General Uprising was a rebellion in Vietnam.
A: On August 19, 1945, the Viet Minh, the short name of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Independence League, under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh launched a rebellion against French colonial rule in Vietnam. Beginning that day, demonstrations and uprisings against French rule broke out throughout the country.
B: With the victory of this revolution, the Vietnamese people threw off the yoke of Japanese fascists and French colonialists and ended centuries of feudal regimes, carrying the country to a new era of development, national independence, and socialism.
A: That’s a quick overview of Vietnam’s August Revolution. Dear Fumito, regarding your question about Vietnamese rice dishes, we would like to tell you that for Vietnamese people, rice is not just a dish but the soul of a meal. No matter how delicious other dishes are, a meal cannot be perfect without good rice.
B: In different regions, Vietnamese people use different cooking methods and have originated various rice dishes. Some typical specialties are chicken rice in Hoi An, baby clam rice in Hue, green crab rice in Phu Quoc, burned rice in Ninh Binh, ‘Lam’ or Bamboo rice, and Ni rice of the Cham ethnic people.
A: Mentioning rice to any Vietnamese, particularly ones who live far from their homeland, stirs feelings of nostalgia and familiarity. The familiarity originates from the inclusion of rice in daily meals, especially lunch and dinner, when it is served, boiled or steamed, with meat, fish or other sources of protein. ‘Com nam’ – rice pressed into round balls to take less space in luggage has been a faithful traveling companion to Vietnamese for a long time, so, Fumito, rice is as much a symbol of Vietnam as sushi if of Japan.
B: In response to a question about Vietnam’s summer, which will come to an end this month, it’s a time of relaxation for many Vietnamese students and pupils, who have 3 months off school to pursue extracurricular activities they’re too busy for during the academic year.
A: Summer is a time when students and pupils can visit their grandparents in rural areas or enjoy a long vacation with the family. Summer is also the time of university entrance examinations – a major milestone in the life of every young person. The entrance exams often put enormous pressure on the candidates.
A: You’re listening to VOV’s Letter Box, broadcast every Wednesday. The song you just heard was in praise of the soldiers of the National Defense Army during the war against the French colonialists. Now here’s a letter from Tony Bernhoffer of Ohio, the US, who wants more information about donations for Agent Orange Dioxin victims. Toxic chemicals dropped on Vietnam by the US army between 1961 and 1971 had a devastating, long-term effect on people’s health and the environment. More than 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to Agent Orange/ Dioxin and many of them are still suffering physical and mental agonies. August 10th has been designated a Day for Vietnamese Agent Orange/ Dioxin Victims.
B: Since the war ended, the Vietnamese Party and Government have given much attention to AO/ Dioxin victims. The National Assembly issued an ordinance giving people exposed to the defoliant a monthly allowance of approximately 100 USD and their children preferential treatment in employment, scholarship money, and exemptions from school fees. Social organizations and individuals have also supported AO victims. The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/ Dioxin (VAVA) has raised 8 million USD for victims so far.
A: Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, VAVA’s President, says there have been a number of international campaigns to assist AO/Dioxin victims “Since 2011, we have received donations in cash and kind worth millions of USD, which is much higher than in previous years. International organizations have donated a lot. The Britain – Vietnam Friendship Society has asked the British Prime Minister and members of Parliament to auction autographed books to raise money for Vietnamese AO/ Dioxin victims.”
B: Agent Orange has not only devastated the lives of some generations of Vietnamese people, but also contaminated the soil in Vietnam. Dioxin herbicides were sprayed over about 5 million acres of upland and mangrove forests and about 500,000 acres of crops -- an area the size of Massachusetts, and about 24% of southern Vietnam.
A: But the figures are nothing compared to the horrible reality that anyone with eyes can see. Recently, the National Steering Committee for Overcoming the Consequences of Toxic Chemicals used by the US during the War in Vietnam and the UN Development Program (UNDP) cleaned up a toxic site where dioxin contaminated soil had been dumped. A ceremony officially removed Phu Cat airbase in Binh Dinh province from the list of dioxin hotspots in Vietnam. More than 7,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil from the Phu Cat airfield were safely buried as part of a 5 million USD project funded by UNDP and the Global Environment Fund. Doctor Le Ke Son, Director of the National Steering Committee, told us “This project is smaller than the project to decontaminate the Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports, but it’s important because we are eliminating the impact of Agent Orange/dioxin on the environment. This has been the first project to involve the participation of major international organizations and many domestic and foreign scientists.”
B: This is obviously a positive step signaling the hope that more and more international organizations will join the effort.
A: This week, we’re happy to welcome back Hannu Muller of Finland. Hannu has long been a familiar name in our list of regular listeners. But it might be a year since you last sent us a letter or email. We guess you may have been too busy or was there another reason? We hope you’ll keep in touch with us from now on, and listen to VOV programs as regularly as you used.
B: On every Letter Box show, we mention that we are doing our best to deliver our frequency list to every listener, but in case you still haven’t received yours, try visiting our website at www.vovworld.vn. I’m sure you’ll find what you need.
A: That’s it for today’s Letter Box. If your name wasn’t mentioned this week, don’t feel bad. We’ll try to acknowledge you next time. Please keep in touch with us. We look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions. Our contact address is: The English Program, Overseas Service, Radio Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
B: Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. And in case you miss any of our programs, you can always catch up by logging onto our website at www.vovworld.vn, where you can hear either live or recorded programs. Good bye.