National sovereignty above all

Reaction and behaviors by a Vietnamese billiard player on violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty have been applauded by the public, once again affirming that national sovereignty is solemn and always in the heart of each Vietnamese person.

Vietnamese navy patrols in the nation’s waters. Source: Cand

The thing happened on September 23 when Vietnamese billiard player Tran Quyet Chien was invited by the Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) – the world governing body for carom billiard games, to play in China to advertise three-cushion carom in the country in the partnership of the China Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA).

Chien immediately refused to play when the game was live broadcast with the nine-dash line map which covers Vietnam’s territorial waters in the East Sea (referring to as the South China Sea). The famous player informed the head coach of the Ho Chi Minh City Billiard Team Nguyen Viet Hoa who was at home for an unexpected thing and he quit the tournament and returned to the country on the same day.

UMB President Farouk Barki expected Vietnam to give a “nice” reason to explain to the public. However, Tran Quyet Chien made a frank answer: “There can be no other excuse for this distortion of Vietnam’s sovereignty.”

The sovereignty of the motherland is a fundamental value for Vietnam. Therefore, in the hearts and minds of all Vietnamese citizens, we always recognize that it has been acquired through the sacrifices of millions of people throughout the ages.

Tran Quyet Chien’s behavior is reminiscent of the story of Envoy Giang Van Minh when he went to China as an ambassador in the 17th century. Chinese king Ming read a couplet to insult the Dai Viet envoy, referring to Ma Vien’s suppression of Hai Ba Trung’s rebellion, and then buried a bronze pillar with a curse: “If the bronze pillar cracks, Giao Chi will die.”

In the face of this arrogance, Giang Van Minh responded courageously with the phrase “Bach Dang River has always been red since ancient times”. On the contrary, it is meant to remind us that the Vietnamese had triumphed on the river three times against the Chinese invasion.

Angry at being humiliated, King Ming, disregarding dignity and relationship rules, killed and disemboweled him to see “how bold the An Nam envoy was.” This incident happened on June 2, 1639. Following his death, Giang Van Minh was posthumously granted a high position at Thang Long Citadel, and King Le Than Tong and Lord Trinh Trang paid respect to his coffin and declared: “The envoy did not humiliate the king’s orders and is worthy of being the national hero.”

Retelling historical tales to gain a deeper understanding of how Vietnamese people have behaved recently in response to China’s nine-dash line plot. November 2019, exactly four years ago, at the Polyphony: Southeast Asia exhibition at the Art Museum of Nanjing University of Art. With the participation of numerous gifted artists from ASEAN nations, it was the first significant contemporary art exhibition featuring Southeast Asian artists in China.

The organizers used a nine-dash map to stylize and illustrate the Southeast Asian region on the exhibition poster. Vietnamese artist Tran Luong immediately issued a boycott call to prominent ASEAN artists should the organizers permit the poster to feature the image of the prohibited map.

Southeast Asian artists enthusiastically responded to artist Tran Luong’s call. In addition, he stipulated to the Chinese side that the Vietnamese delegation would not take part if the map remained on the posters and other exhibition materials. The homeowner then promptly had the posters and other documents redesigned in time for the exhibition’s opening.

When Miss Lan Khue included a map of Vietnam featuring the two archipelagos of Truong Sa and Hoang Sa in the contest’s promotional video at the end of 2015, she was subjected to unfair treatment during the Miss World pageant in China. “Why do you have to hesitate when it’s your homeland, the Fatherland?” Lan Khue asked in response to her admirers, stating that she “didn’t have any hesitation” when doing it.

Stories of China’s infringement on Vietnam’s sovereignty, involving the nine-dash line map and the decisive actions of powerful individuals (sportsmen, artists, and beauty queens), serve as a constant reminder to all Vietnamese citizens of their right to sovereignty. Additionally, it exposes the schemes, aspirations, and real pilots of those who hope to make Vietnam’s East Sea their “home pond.”

An Du – Linh Pham