Steven Seward Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

Hello User, I just had to respond to this one because this is an extremely little known area of World History. I'm no expert, but I have read a little about it. After the North Vietnamese took over the country in 1975. the wheels of Communist secrecy went into high gear. All Western journalists were expelled from the country and virtually the only news about Vietnam came from escapees to the West. In the first few months after the fall of Saigon, while Westerners were still escaping, the Communists managed a rather orderly takeover to dispel the fear that there would be a "bloodbath." Many, if not most people still think it never happened to this today.

However, shortly after the expulsion of Westerners, the summary executions started and a couple million people were put into "re-education camps." Typical of insulated Communist Regimes, such as Russia and China, the killing took place on a local level, out of the public eye, completely invisible to the Western World. We were still sorting out what happened in the Russian Gulags 50 - 70 years after they were in operation. Historians keep raising the death toll from Chinese starvation and executions higher all the time, 50 years after the death of Chairman Mao.

Information about the internal workings of Vietnam after 1975 is very difficult to come by. Just try an internet search. I found a few links that talk about the number of killings. Many of the deaths were simply due to the deplorable conditions in "re-education camps." An estimated quarter-million died just trying to flee the country. In the past I have heard estimates from as little as 50,000 Vietnamese killed by their government, up to more than one million killed.

This writer puts the total death toll from Communists in Indochina after the fall of Vietnam at 7.5 million. That is separated into, Cambodia - 3-4 million, Vietnam - 2.5 million, and Laos - 1.5 million. Cambodia is the most well known of these Genocides (or Demicide - the killing by a government of its own people), because somebody made a movie about it, and because the Cambodian Communists were so meticulous about keeping good records.

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/dickeymf/_Years_after_Fall_of_Saigon,_75_Million_Murdered.shtml

This article on Vietnamese executions is long so I will get right to the number. She estimates that 65,000 of the deaths were outright political executions, but she adds that this is probably a low estimate. http://jim.com/repression.htm

This last article from the U.K. Guardian is more anecdotal, written by a guy who was there during the Fall of Saigon, but relates stories that happened much later. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3063381/Saigon-Apocalypse-40-years-ago-week-COLIN-SMITH-witnessed-fall-Saigon-says-came-ways-horrifying-war-itself.html

user47602 Loc: ip 304.0.0.33.32

interesting information, thank you Steven... I did not know the whole story.

Steven Seward Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

I didn't know this either for many decades. Who knows what is actually going on inside of North Korea today? Wikipedia reports the deaths just from starvation alone are somewhere between 1/4 million to 3.5 million. We may not find out the real truth for years. It kind of makes our "news" reporting about someone's outrageous tweets seem trivial. I've heard you say before "First-World problems!"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine

Steven Seward Loc: Cleveland, Ohio

For some reason, this link will not paste correctly. You need to copy the entire length including the part that does not come up in blue print.

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/dickeymf/_Years_after_Fall_of_Saigon,_75_Million_Murdered.shtml

richosob Loc: Lambertville, MI

I take him much more seriously than the likes of people like you, just an angry old man who can't except defeat.

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

No problem. It's a great speech and he delivered it very well.

Unfortunately for Vietnam vets, he more or less framed his foreign policy in it and Johnson wanted to go further. I think we've all read where JFK was contemplating pulling out of southeast Asia. I guess we'll never know.

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/dickeymf/_Years_after_Fall_of_Saigon,_75_Million_Murdered.shtml

Looks like it works for me?

Twardlow Loc: Arkansas

I think you protect the 'angry old man who can accept defeat,' the one really showing anger, not me.

The entire nation has been 'accepting defeat' since 1945, right?

richosob Loc: Lambertville, MI

I was really thinking of asswipes like yourself. I'll bet you type in front of a mirror so you can watch yourself and smile.

Twardlow Loc: Arkansas

You lack the aura of sophistication and civilization, with serious deficiencies of vocabulary.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Which of our allies were we backing up when we went into Iraq? As far as leaving, they made it pretty clear they didn't want us there.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Only posting in the attic makes on a troll? How so? I've read a few troll definitions, but I missed that one.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

N Korea has never been in control. Where did you dig up "Iran is building nukes" from? Unfortunately lots of people are blowing up innocent children.

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

Maybe not a movie, but he is a good reason to have a drink, or 2, or--

nakkh Loc: San Mateo, Ca

"Where did you dig up "Iran is building nukes" from?"

Breitbart news or worse.