Removal of censer from statue of war hero riles Vietnamese

Public told to make religious offerings to fallen soldiers, ancestors at temples, not patriotic landmarks.

A woman places flowers at the base of a censer in Ho Chi Minh City that has been the subject of controversy on Feb. 16 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnam War. The censer was later removed by the authorities. (Photo courtesy of Vo Hong Ly/Facebook)

Ho Chi Minh City:  The Vietnamese government is taking flak for removing a censer from the statue of a national hero in Ho Chi Minh City, meaning the public can no longer make religious offerings there or use the site to worship ancestors.

Local activists have been offering incense and flowers at the statue of General Tran Hung Dao, who famously repelled three Mongol invasions, for decades to highlight the threat of future invasions by the Chinese. Bereaved families head there to honor fallen soldiers from past wars.

However, the censer has already been taken down and it will be placed at Tran Hung Dao Temple on Feb. 20, Tran Kim Yen, a local district secretary for the ruling Communist Party, announced on Feb. 18.

"The removal of the censer is a normal act that is supported by many people," she said, adding the district wants the 6-meter statue to become a tourist destination. It is located in Me Linh Square in the city's downtown.

Worship and offerings should be made at temples, not at sites dedicated to patriotic heroes, Yen said.

However, Yan's explanation provoked a public outcry on social media and in Vietnamese society in general.

A local human rights advocate questioned the government's motivation in removing the censer on Feb. 17, which marked the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnam border war.

"Their (authorities) actions could be aimed at preventing patriots and activists from gathering under the statue and offering incense and flowers to those who died fighting the Chinese invaders," she said.

She said it was a part of Vietnamese tradition to place censers at the feet of statues in public places. The censer in question rested in that spot for half a century prior to its recent relocation.

On Feb. 17 in 1979 about 600,000 Chinese troops crossed into Vietnam's six northern provinces in an attempt to invade the country. They waged a bloody war along the 1,400-kilometer shared border for several weeks.

During that time, tens of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians lost their lives.

Activists have criticized the government for glossing over the war in history textbooks for the last 40 years.

On this year's anniversary, many activists were detained and prevented from commemorating those who died.

The female human rights defender, who declined to give her name, accused the government of desecrating a national hero as well as traditional values by placing garbage bins and trucks around the statue.

Lawyer Le Cong Dinh said removing the censer was an act that desecrates people's ancestors and shows a lack of compassion for bereaved families who lost loved ones during the border war with China.

"We demand the local government replace the censer at the statue's foot to show respect," he said in a Facebook post, adding those who performed this "rude and immoral action" ought to be disciplined.

Source: UCAN
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