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A string of Vietnamese celebrities are getting blasted online because social media users are digging up videos and photos of their past – not for their political views or gaffes, but for performing overseas at events where the South Vietnamese flag appeared in the background.
The yellow banner with the three red stripes flew over the anti-communist Republic of Vietnam until 1975 when it was defeated by the communist North, unifying the country under its red flag with a single yellow star.
But those who fled prior to the fall of Saigon – which was renamed Ho Chi Minh City for the revolutionary leader – and resettled in other countries continue to use the South's flag, including in ethnic Vietnamese communities in the United States. Government bodies in the U.S. have even introduced legislation that would have the yellow flag legally recognized, much to Hanoi's chagrin.
In Vietnam today, the flag is seen as expressing hostility – even treasonous – towards the communist government.
The anti-yellow flag campaign began in late July after a television station in Ho Chi Minh City edited out segments of a popular game show because they featured singer Myra Tran, who was recently revealed to have in 2019 performed in the United States at the funeral of Ly Tong, who had been a soldier in the South Vietnamese army.
On Aug. 15, Tran posted an apology letter on her Facebook page, explaining that due to a lack of knowledge, she had taken part in some “inappropriate events” in the past, and that she did not intend to “oppose or undermine national security.” She pledged to be more cautious in the future and said that she had learned her lesson.
Following this case, pro-government groups on Facebook began digging into other celebrities, “outing” Pham Khanh Hung, Phan Dinh Tung, Toc Tien, and Viet Huong for performing in the United States in places where the yellow flag of South Vietnam can be seen in the background.
Viet Huong, who is the lead actress in the film “Ma Da,” currently being screened across Vietnam, apologized for appearing on stage next to a banner displaying the U.S. flag alongside the yellow flag. She said she would take full responsibility for past incidents and “actively work with relevant authorities to admit her responsibility and implement their decisions.”
Emotionally significant
Musician Truc Ho, who has organized many large-scale music programs in the United States to advocate human rights in Vietnam, told RFA that the yellow flag holds deep emotional significance among Vietnamese communities who fled communism, and flying the flag is viewed as completely normal.
“They shouldn’t have to apologize. I don’t know why they had to apologize,” he said. “Flying yellow flags at the performances for overseas Vietnamese here is a matter of course.”
It was sad that nearly 50 years after the Vietnam War ended, artists were still being attacked and publicly shamed for “such ridiculous reasons,” Ho said.
“It's like taking a step backward in time,” he said. “I feel sorry for the people who are still being treated this way.”
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Singer Nguyen Khang, who lives in California, told RFA that the Vietnamese Communist Party has always encouraged overseas Vietnamese to return and contribute to the country’s development, reconciliation and harmony, but Hanoi’s antagonism toward the flag gives him pause.
“Is it necessary to allow embargoes and attacks on the artists who used to live in the U.S. but recently decided to return to Vietnam to live?” said Khang.
“If performing on an overseas stage in front of the (South Vietnamese) flag is an offense, I’m sure that up to two-thirds of Vietnamese artists would be guilty, as this flag represents the overseas Vietnamese community,” he said.
He said he felt sorry for his colleagues for the backlash they are receiving for just standing under the yellow flag.
Celebrity education?
Despite offering up apologies, some celebrities are still feeling the heat.
On Aug. 24, the Vietnamese Police newspaper published an article titled " Behind an Apology," which continued criticism of Tran, saying that a lack of knowledge is no excuse for having performed at the funeral.
It said that even if she had no chance to do research beforehand, she should have immediately refused to perform after seeing unusual flags and uniforms.
The Great Solidarity online newspaper, meanwhile, said that more than apologies, celebrities had the responsibility to "improve their knowledge, understand what they can and cannot do, and learn to distinguish the national flag from other symbols before aspiring to fame."
An independent journalist in Vietnam, speaking to RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons, noted that if the state media suggests that artists should raise their awareness and act more wisely, the same should apply to Vietnamese businesses.
He pointed out that VinFast car advertisements often appear alongside the yellow flag in overseas publications and that Vietnamese exports like rice and fish sauce are sold in overseas Vietnamese supermarkets where the South Vietnamese flag flies.
The journalist said that Vietnamese society seems to be undergoing a vigorous and comprehensive socialist purification on the surface. However, the more intensive the process is, the more harm it may cause to the Vietnamese government, he said.
“Society is controlled not by the rule of law but by waves of cruel and savage words,” the journalist said. “Without appropriate government oversight, such a chaotic society – a version of the Chinese Communist model — would be viewed unfavorably by civilized partners and countries having diplomatic relationships with Vietnam."
According to the journalist, the online campaign over the flag issue suggests the involvement of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s Propaganda and Education Commission, which wants to “turn Vietnam completely red,” before the 50th anniversary of Saigon’s fall on April 30, 2025.
The journalist predicted that in the coming months, artists with ties to overseas Vietnamese communities would be constantly targeted by similar campaigns, and that anyone going to the United States to perform should be cautious.
The journalist also said that he had inside knowledge and could confirm that members of the diaspora would likely not be allowed to perform in Vietnam in the near future without making significant changes in their lives.
“A police officer told me that it would be nearly impossible for any more overseas Vietnamese artists to be allowed to return and perform in Vietnam unless they pledge to cut off the ties with the overseas Vietnamese community they currently live among.”
Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.