thumbnail of Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 1982
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You you have been. Formed in the Western media to have asked them to have put forward to me. That question. What happened. In Vietnam. And what was going on. Because you have. Had. Kid. Did you meet him. Did he seem to you. Because for. Nearly two decades. No one here. What happened in Ghana. But. What I had to say is very important to me. And for nearly 20 years I have not had much opportunity to practice my English. So. From time to time I prefer to refer to something we do. First of all I wish to ask you. Have you will not know.
That strange doom. On the. Way. Have you not noticed. That. President Carter for instance. I mean do. You. Feel that. U.S. President. And do you not know this or so. That. Those. Politicians are very bright. Very And. Who believe that they could see nothing. Seventy five of them. Leave get numb. Behind your back. They believe that they could say that. To the American people forget. In. Spite of them do you. In spite of the you did that. Who had that faith.
So it is something strange. That you now would create. Trap. Such doom for those who believe they Bible is by my country. And in. The Americas. I am not the first. The first instance was members of parliament. Of France. He had such name political backer. That no one understands why I don't sign him. The division of Vietnam. I suggested that. He wanted to really get to get nothing to back. That. Back. For him. So now. I I think. For. Him.
That. Do. That with the division of Vietnam. Why. Because. Colonial times at that time. Couldnt have transmitted. The country in its entirety. To its legitimate power. But instead. Took advantage. Of. It lost the battle. Why it has not lost that toward the advantage. But you are the backbone. To divide the country in concert with the company and to put the Vietnamese people in front of an accomplishment. This was the first victory. Now I play in. The first treason to work the legitimate legitimate power. Now explain why did the
chicken How is so important. Because a way for the way you know very well it means that the importance of legitimate power. But. You do behave you have to excuse me when I see you. But that means general way. But really the way to behave as if we felt well we have no sense of legitimate power. That follows. Me for any good. In fact. We must have the same head if one wishes. The Holy Spirit. To express it. We. Do it with saying hey what do we mean that the power has to be legitime. Can mean. You really. That means that that power must accept peaceful
confrontation with the one which preceded it. And all those who accept. To have people's votes. Without resorting. To violence. Mean. In Vietnam How do have forfeited those conditions. Well the government of President when he in because he was the only one to accept to accept a peaceful confrontation with a guy who preceded him. And. After him. No one has knocked up his mother no one dared. To accept. Peace with confrontation with the one who had been elected. In his place. In case of his disappearance.
According to the constitution of Republic of Vietnam founded by him. So what does he mean. By what this means. He obtained this auction because most guys don't. Four years after to challenge him. So. The only legitimate power of Vietnam was the one assumed by President and it was precisely that one. That. The. U.S.. Was precisely that was. Who was behind. By. The. Way. So. Now. I think that you can begin to understand why. Those. That do on this stay. On its head. As.
To. What it has been done yet. Now I must explain why. That was the beheading. I'm sorry to do. No I need not have been beheaded. Oh. Yes. No but I wouldn't I mean because I can see that the
legitimate power of Vietnam is the head. And if you betray if you you know you could make it didn't exactly as you have beheaded Vietnam. Yes. Yes. That is a human being. No one can say it is illegitimate power is in its head and went to betray you to attack it. I see you have beheaded it. Now explain why there was nothing. And. In fact it was only. That after the Bay of Pigs. World War. II the Cuban Cuban missiles. After. This. Blunder. The U.S. government believed that it had to recoup.
Some prestige. With my country. Fighting the Cuban Cuban misuse that people make me be amazed because it has always been presented in a pool of. But in fact I don't think so. I think that even for the U.S. government understood that it was not a point. Because. I believe that the U.S. government. Wasn't received by the Soviets have been capable of defending Cuba. Now. That the to that. That aggression on the item in exchange of the withdrawal. Of Mr..
To. Do. So I consider. That. US. Government. Of the time was. Received by the Soviets. Because they were absolutely incapable to defend and Cuba. And in exchange of the door a few missiles one go. No one knows if they are made of steel or not because of that for the. So. One can say that they did it with a very high price. The fact of non-aggression. So I think that because of all these failures does the U.S. government of the time we see that when. You do us do tend
to use the only winning call we get now to speak of getting out of the week winning club. Surely people are amazed that because we have always been presented as something lost. Was the message that this is the very proof. That it was winning. Was it the fact that the U.S. John didn't want to be there to intervene. So I don't. Know what can be that materialistic. I'd.
Be I'm not going to bulldoze things to come in place to place. But for the poor for the American government was the fact. That we have fight the whole South. We started a comic book and in spite of that feeling that they had lost. The gorilla it was to come that not escalate and they're not making their way but they have no fear of. Our ally the U.S. so they consider all the factors of a sure victory. Well they have to be taken if only that means and my husband would be replaced by people who would accept American domination because we didn't want that engine.
So they they had to be killed. And then in order to do that to commit treason. To Western media in the way that in the wake of the U.S. will try. To present a dictator. Must we do. Because really it is very important for me. We weren't prepared even even now day. Yes. We have never infringed the opposite direction which was more democratic than the US one. And more Coptic. That the French and British won. And. What we. Really need to have the right given by in
1962 constitutional amendment to probably give any time in a recession. Is bad and then it can executives. Be. Fired. You have no rights like in France and England. To put an end time to the legislature like they have to go back. To their respective homes the people cannot be summoned because they do kind of get along. We find that too few people die. And you go there. So the movie's dad of course. The amendment came in 1962 but who had said who formed the ball to that we are to do it
right. Of course we didn't have much time to do at all. I meant that if it was there it is absolutely dishonest to prefer to present as what we had never an institution. There is no inkling of any wrongdoing. What a constitution. But to give something creative to do when. The press the media or the Western media at the time Kodos been made of all the stuff there to present the not only but rejected by them the majority of people
that you know why they use that team just because we feel the truth is we never denounce them. Because according to what did they believe. No action no reaction. So what. Yeah. It would never go out and publicly denounce anyone. So using. It to get the actual knocked me out of the pool. On the other side of the know that the way it is just dangerous fanaticism. Fanaticism is generally conceived of as something to be typical to imagine two people are
meant to live in the developed. Countries. So it doesn't have to explain anything to justify that so because of just two reasons because of the belief to get I to fall for that lie to do to give credit when they accuse us of being unpopular. But it was enough for us. To arrest. A few of you did. And. Just. Asking the United Nations to send investigation. And the bodies. Went flat. Because of that. The U.S. government conceded that it has lost
the faith. And. Decided. To. Finish. With. The legitimate power. Yet with the which. In which the president would give me my husband what you need. Now I go to the second treason the second treason. Came in January on January 27 1973 Paris 12 nations among them the highest the greatest powers of the board. So yes China. Of course you first Soviets China France England. So. I gather there is a pretty hairy time to guarantee warranty the right of the Vietnamese people to
choose the illegitimate power under international control. In spite of that treaty treaty has never been spanked. Why all those scientists behave as if. You were going to surrender in 1975. To the community at present. Yet not since you present he has a. The. Skills. But it is absolutely hypocritical. Because. I mean he said and those who had been complicit with us in the beheading of.
They are oh. I think you have no hope for the love of the whole. Nothing is right to cover the international economic power the first women cannot get an alibi for no reason and please don't take it. Gentlemen I am going to keep working not do. Nothing. He didn't come by the show gets complex. Given the complex allowed new look to be question and the company looked to be questioned but in fact. By. Making the show complete the U.S. pretends to be halted in front of
those looking over poor working complex web site. The book not only helps to cover up the crime and to give them the nation. The consequences. Of getting Pan-Africanism. In the fight when be went off. One of the golden boy of the doing went to we can blame Bono and other things do. Not. Go after that he was convinced that it needed. Just because I'm going to be treated. Like. This when. You get. Know. That. The U.S. Embassy in Saigon. Have. You. Asked. The center. For. Civil War and the Gulf War
Against again if not. To destabilize the country including the mother of the. Excuse me. I don't know what. What was done. In. But consider that the world. Not. To. Cover. The glamour of the world would be unjust for them. To. Do. To have their lives in danger. That. That's why. I. Think. That is. What I hear. Now. The. Lovely. Little game live. Again. Once. Again. That means that the embassy can look like you get. Back to. Me. But. Do not to.
Think that they can change by with a good. Swift. And Co. Because then we can wait a second whoa whoa because. Whoever can do that. Embassy. For all. Of us but not a. Big. Secret that you don't have. To go. To. So soon. I with that. We need to think the consequences. So I. Can put up the question. The.
Changed. He. Have to hide him. I can see that he. He. Was just the man. Just like in the Bible. That mean he he. Always who wanted to make a mean immediately. And that's why it was a crime. To wish. To have condemned him to cure him without giving him the opportunity to even speak because at that time do you the thing. He. Wants Rome. What would you. Like me to do. And you know what I said to him.
The first ambassador. Ambassador noting. What this means in the in an important way. Because he did not go along. With the methods of the US Embassy at the time he was replaced by another one. One. Other question of President Putin asking. But. What must I say. They do. Nothing just to keep quiet. Don't say anything. All it does is mount the place that made the media leave us. We should arrange it. And just for him to keep quiet and to be matched up to be stuck in the back without. Getting. Your. Impressions of American. TV.
I was. Very happy to see your name when I had the best to put up prejudices for them. I can see that they are genuine people. And before we can get the wrong well there is no problem. But. Yes I must say that I don't know him very well. I don't know him very well. I met him. A few times. But. I think that really for the president President Bush didn't make much. I met the Americans and genuinely He liked them. He conceded that he could get along with them. For us. We didn't have many opportunities to see them but I believe the there. Now he's a
was a good friend of many. And do. You like him. Ambassador noting also but to those who are well our friends once we. All. Know that this is too complicated and. If it would make Borjas. Think of how I was caught by the skin of the neck like a kitten and thrown in that arena or not you. I guess. It was. My role.
No it is too difficult to define that I can I can't just say that I was taken by the skin of the neck by my God. And like a little kitten thrown in an arena. And with the Lions. But I believe that it is just because I was under the height of the lion that God believed that I could get along with them. But in fact. To do this story. To speak of it I had really read them at least of keyboard volumes about it. So I prefer to be selfish. I believe that one thing called me like this. It is just that because they see that. I look to feel
if I did this to. My husband. He was very unhappy. With all on one side that he's brought up the other side. His wife. Both of us babe in the woods. Hole. Absolutely. How did we. Say. That we have no no since we are ready to jump in the fray and do you don't do don't have the impression that I think of the be. And he said all the time that his brother to be a monk and you tell me you should stay home and be quiet. How. That or.
If I'm left to myself Surely I will follow the advice of my husband just to return home to me. So do. You think. It is really the only things I like in life. When I was in my country people went to me and asked me did you do that. And I said either way if I didn't do those things no nobody would do it. That's why I had organized everything in such a way that I can pass over to them immediately because I did I and. I did not want. I did not like the life I lead at that time. And then they called me dragon lady because the seed that they saw that I was absolutely determined that nothing would stop me. When the only thing they can if they want to stop me they must
explain to me in what way I was wrong. If they cannot explain it. I didn't care. And because of that they thought that I was afraid of nothing. And do you see why. I'm calling for calling. They invited me to pray invite me to go. I thought they. Knew the news. No news good news. They must leave the country. So they invited me to go to explain my position on the them. Us platforms we see. With the. Place. When I went to my country. Hopley I arrived in Baghdad at the time. It was like to me that the State Department.
That I should go to to go to come to the states because they would not the government guarantee my safety. So they invited me me to leave the country but as soon as I leave my country they. Don't come. I said no I have left my country just to go there. And. Do the U.S. which we showed to the world. If they are not to defend a weak weak woman on their territory. And. Yes exactly. All the stuff. That they are mad at me and how I left my country they told me that. Of course that was the delusion. This illusion this illusion.
And them. Because of that everybody said. Consider me as a break on the media. I just checked into them. He he was everything. He he organized the country. When the president was away. And when the president was done everything was there to greet and done. Without him the president. Would be. I don't think that would be easy for him. To. Do. The country to govern the country. That's why when it was it was requested he was requested to do so. The way. He. She said it was
absolutely a demand. Because he knew very well that my husband can do without him but he could not do without my husband. But my husband is now. I believe that he was too much ahead of his time of his people. Some of the people we understand. Now I cannot explain here like. The. This. Oh but I had to comment about what
they. Did. I had to do it several times. And. The only thing I can say that everybody. If they are confronted with things like that. They finally had to go to do the same solution that meets with people a man of your false glory who accepted to be drugged and to be better today for all rights. Which have never been contested by anyone. And. What to do. To stop them accepting to be molded. By the pope. The only thing I could do at that time is to ridicule them. Because as long as it was and beside as something
Absolutely. Of a praise will be always people marked for me would accept it. I have to do that to contemplate. I believe that at first it was the communist. End. But it would never be able to inflate that proportion. Without the have. Without the aid of the Americans. Of the media with the media. So after it has become absolutely an American affair. And after the mother of the it went off of hand. They had wanted.
In 1963. I had to leave the country leave the country. It was for me because as I told you I have always organized everything in order for people to do without me. So for my own occupations for my women's movement I believe. It was organized in that way. And I have a mission. Which was. To prevent them. And would not
prevent them to commit the crime. My mission was. To in such a way that that crime could not be perfect. So I had to go to. Say. Things. Like this. So. If it happens after we know that it is all premeditated. In fact I believe that the U.S. government. At the time. It has not committed so many blunders. So many errors. Of. Beeks. War Cuban missiles it would
not. It would never do that. But. After three mistakes. Like the ones I had just did it had to do something in Vietnam. Do you see seek to get now. And before then all the factors of success will that they can see that that would not lead to us but what they have done wasn't exactly to rob the poor. That's why he's on them now. You have made so many investigations. Books and books and that means the U.S. has done that and did fine. That means
to me the thing just to do those investigations really to be fun because we really do want to know who is responsible. I don't want to accuse Oh I. I want to go into the details but the evidence is there. It was the Kennedy government and is the murder of chief of state. And. Of his brother. Will be the beheading of Vietnam could not be done without the president himself giving
the green light. To even if he thinks that. The responsibility is absolutely on President Kennedy. But the fact I don't know the truth I don't know. I would like to know. Yes they have a lot of things against my husband. They even say that he was duped by all those things. And you see. Who can say anything against me. I don't
care. But I know my husband and hearing all those things against him. I really can't bear it. I cannot bear because I know him. He has. Such a great sense of responsibility. And. He's so so aware that he was not understood. The perfect confidence. Which is. Which is based on the faith in God and in himself. Why. Can Feed a man. Because he was confronted. To the United States. But such a faith. What does it mean. A human Paul. But nobody understood. So a lot of things good for you and you're.
The best. My husband. I could accept that. But the beating of his personality that I cannot bear. But now. Revenge is coming. Revenge is coming. Or those with him. Once said or do things. When did we know. What he has. And what he's really mad. We'll be people with people she. Will be machine like. This why or they say because we show how. The. War. What happened to that man. The. Hour. Is. Coming. Up. In fact. As I
have explained. We we want the world. If we have not wanted the war. Never the US government would jump. In Vietnam. We won the war. The comedy does not escape. They have only one opportunity. They have only one of them. It's clear that are not up me with you. So they sent the people to us. Because my husband has found a solution against a busted war. That's a for me. To live with the war against the war. In. This part. Of the war. And because of that the commanders couldn't do anything. So rather. Than if the donor is asking them what did you do they send the people. To talk with my husband. Down over against my husband. I think he made the first step
not the. Why. Doesn't. He. At that time. He just you know. We just started to talk with them. To know what would you propose. And do they are right. You know that they arrived and you know don't look to lose because we do everything we do everything at that time. To make things easy for them. So they other night and they just asked. What. Conditions. Are you open on. Program. That means that it was translated open arms program but in fact do you hope to return. The return of the prodigal brother. So we said to them we shall. Q Do you see God that means that the. Father of a portable brother no son
view. How do you call that the fact that we told him we should keep the faith. And I think that you got. That and so. On. And they believed that they would do that. Maybe that explains why they did what they. Did. Why what you. Want. For. That. Is. How do you see. Africanness. Comes from Africa. The U.S. was. Faced. With. False. And was. Full of contempt.
For. The two men. It was too hard to understand and that I cannot even. Then be beat to beat up again then because I must say that even our own people do not understand anything. A lot of people don't understand anything the majority. Of the day they can see that my husband was absolutely nothing to do. Despite all the material just trying to cling to. But it was just a misunderstanding on one side and a. Kind of lack of good intentions. The. Other side. Because I believe that it was but for our own people to believe that it was just the lack of intelligence. He went to Egypt. Yes. My. Last.
Message really I want to. I want to. To. The American people is just you. Don't. Don't ask what people. Do To Me. Flying Trapeze performances. Without giving them a name. That is to say. Don't try. To regain prestige lost. Since Vietnam. We do build up. Of pride to me. In. This way. While knowing God. And his Christ. Teaching. So. The US must really. Accept that the truth.
About. Nam. And make up. Means
Series
Vietnam: A Television History
Raw Footage
Interview with Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 1982
Contributing Organization
WGBH (Boston, Massachusetts)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/15-gh9b56d91m
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Description
Episode Description
As the sister-in-law of President Diem, Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu was considered the first lady of South Vietnam in the late 1950s through the early 1960s. Here she argues that the Diem government was the only legitimate government in South Vietnam, that they were undermined by the United States and that the United States, therefore, paid a price. She discusses the Buddhist Crisis of 1963 and the results of the Paris Peace Accords. She reflects on Ngo Dinh Nhu and President Diem's characters and her own reputation as the "Dragon Lady" of Vietnam. Finally, she describes the diplomatic efforts of Ngo Dinh Nhu towards North Vietnam and the arrogance of the United States in intervening.
Date
1982-02-11
Date
1982-02-11
Asset type
Raw Footage
Topics
Global Affairs
War and Conflict
Subjects
United States--Politics and government; Christianity and politics; United States--Foreign relations--1945-1989; Buddhism and politics; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Mass media and the war; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Influence; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, Vietnamese; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Public opinion; Vietnam (Republic)--History--Coup d'etat, 1963; Decolonization; Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam (Democratic Republic); Vietnam--History--1945-1975; Vietnam--Politics and government
Rights
Rights Note:1) No materials may be re-used without references to appearance releases and WGBH/UMass Boston contract. 2) It is the liability of a production to investigate and re-clear all rights before re-use in any project.,Rights:,Rights Credit:WGBH Educational Foundation,Rights Type:,Rights Coverage:,Rights Holder:WGBH Educational Foundation
Media type
Moving Image
Duration
00:54:21
Embed Code
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Credits
Publisher: WGBH Educational Foundation
Writer: Ngo, Dinh Nhu, Mme.
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WGBH
Identifier: f1b35fec863beb654d0e20ddde0bc4f11c1a3f8e (ArtesiaDAM UOI_ID)
Format: video/quicktime
Color: Color
Duration: 00:54:17:26
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Citations
Chicago: “Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 1982,” 1982-02-11, WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed December 12, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-gh9b56d91m.
MLA: “Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 1982.” 1982-02-11. WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. December 12, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-gh9b56d91m>.
APA: Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with Madame Ngo Dinh Nhu, 1982. Boston, MA: WGBH, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-15-gh9b56d91m