Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Since 01-28-06

The "yellow star on red background" flag of communist Vietnam called the Social Republic of Vietnam (SRV) first made its official appearance in September 1945, when Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam. As the SRV is now recognized by the United Nations and many nations in the world including the Unites States, its flag is questioned by all free Vietnamese around the world, including Vietnamese Americans.

Firstly, it is the symbol of a party imposed on the Vietnamese since August 1945. It was the official flag of the Indochinese Communist Party (1930-1945).

Secondly, it is an international flag, not a national flag. each point of the yellow star represents one of the five protectorates of the Union of French Indochina: Tonkin, Annam, Cochinchina, Cambodia, and Laos. By maintaining this flag, communist Vietnam on the one hand, harks back to a period of French colonialism, while on the other hand, keeping alive the imperialist ambition of an Indochinese Federation under Hanoi's thumb.

Thirdly, it is a communist flag. The blood red color of the background refers to the violence of class struggle and the ultimate victory of the proletariat revolution throughout the world, as proclaimed by international communists. But international communist is dead with the downfall of Soviet Union in 1991. In brief, the Vietnamese communist flag symbolizes an antithesis to the very idea of freedom and peace that Vietnamese Americans and free Vietnamese around the world want to foster in our community and in generations of younger Vietnamese.