It is unacceptable to distort history and the image of leaders in the name of "critical thinking" or "enlightenment."

Although disguised by the concepts of "academic freedom" and "liberal education," this is in reality a sophistry, a trick of manipulating documents, subjective interpretations and inferences, and the manipulation of concepts, gradually leading readers and listeners to erroneous conclusions, distorting national history, and insulting the life, career, and ideology of President Ho Chi Minh.

Distorting history, leaders

In his book and video series on social media platforms, Mr. Nam displays a mocking, distorted, and extremely dangerous propaganda of "revisionist historical" ideology. Using tactics such as "dialogue," "critique," "declassifying history," "reversing the truth," and "education through alternative means," he sows doubt about revolutionary history, President Ho Chi Minh, and the ideological foundation of the Party.

The book distorts the process of President Ho Chi Minh's journey to find a way to save the country, misrepresenting him as "Ho." Or the video of Mr. Nam lecturing to many students, describing President Ho Chi Minh's days in Pac Bo with mocking words when referring to his poem "Morning at the stream, evening in the cave"... Using sarcastic and mocking language to describe the arduous and sacrificial journey of the young Nguyen Tat Thanh is a serious insult to the historical value and respect for him; it is an act of distortion, degradation, and trivialization of the great ideals and the national liberation cause of President Ho Chi Minh.

Writing about the Ho Chi Minh Provisional Government and the Declaration of Independence after the successful August Revolution, the book distorts the truth by claiming, "That was a government lacking legitimacy, soon to be considered 'rebels'." Mocking the revolutionary forces and government as "rebels" to describe the Provisional Government headed by Ho Chi Minh is a serious act of defamation and distortion of history. Nguyen Thanh Nam also distorts the Geneva Accords, denies the arduous resistance struggle to liberate the South, and denies the victory achieved through the blood, sweat, and sacrifices of countless generations of ancestors and compatriots nationwide to achieve a unified and peaceful country...

History is the sacred memory of a nation. Every event, every figure, every stage of the country's development is the culmination of authentic values, verified by time, by documented sources, and by the understanding and evaluation of many generations. The manipulative tactics employed in the book and the videos and statements by Mr. Nam mentioned above constitute unacceptable misinterpretations and distortions of national history.

The terms "liberalization" and "academic freedom" cannot be used to distort the truth.

In the context of the information revolution, as the country promotes innovation and implements many breakthrough policies in education, training, science, and technology, we encourage multi-dimensional thinking and scientific criticism. However, criticism, enlightenment, or a "new perspective" cannot be used as an excuse to distort, slander, deny, or trivialize the sacrifices of our ancestors. The image of President Ho Chi Minh and the history of the nation are sacred; they cannot be used in the name of "enlightenment" to justify or manipulate them with false content, disrespectful language, and distorted views.

In society, scientific progress, critical thinking, and enlightenment are always considered important conditions for expanding horizons of understanding, promoting scientific development, and encouraging new approaches to achieving positive creativity and discovering scientific truth and the meaning of life. This helps people avoid prejudice and unscientific impositions, allowing the values ​​of life to spread. However, enlightenment is not about liberation from norms or the truth. In other words, enlightenment is not about individuals arbitrarily interpreting the past and history based on subjective feelings or drawing conclusions that distort history. Nguyen Thanh Nam's distorted and speculative arguments show that "critical thinking," "enlightenment," and "re-reading history" are being exploited under the guise of introducing a new approach, but in reality, they are personal arguments and discourses used to distort history in the name of a teacher.

The history of the Vietnamese nation is the foundation of national identity, the material that creates the soul, pride, confidence, self-reliance, and self-strength, and the spiritual resource for the country's development in the new era. In particular, the history of the struggle for national liberation and reunification is not a collection of disjointed stories that can be cut out, separated from context, and interpreted according to subjective will. It is the result of a long research process by many generations of historians, scientists, and scholars, based on rich documentation and recorded historical events.

Every new approach needs to be carefully and objectively researched, compared, analyzed, and evaluated. The value of a scientist or a work is determined by discovering the truth; in this case, clarifying the truth, historical and scientific value, and not by deliberately exploiting "freedom and enlightenment" or "following one's own path" to misinterpret and distort things that are already historical values ​​ingrained in the consciousness of every Vietnamese citizen.

The responsibilities of teachers and lessons on management and publishing.

On another level, for a teacher on the podium, the most important thing is not to create fleeting debates, but to contribute to clarifying historical lessons, fostering social trust, and spreading the nation's positive values. Only when creative freedom is always linked to responsibility towards history, culture, and the national community, will each research result, each work, and each lecture truly become a meaningful contribution to education, academia, and life, shaping a generation of people with intelligence, character, humanity, and a better life.

In the context of implementing Resolution 57 on the development of science, technology, and innovation, and Resolution 71 on the development of education and training of the Party, freedom of research and scholarship is a necessary condition for the development of society. However, in the case of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam, it is unacceptable to distort and misrepresent history and the leader in the name of freedom of research, scholarship, and enlightenment.

According to information from FPT Group, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam is a PhD in mathematics. He began his career as a programmer, analyst, and system designer at FPT Group, holding various positions before becoming Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT University. As an expert in mathematics and information technology, he has the right to explore and research history. However, as a university lecturer, teaching and imparting knowledge to many generations of students and young people, he must possess expertise and professional skills, especially in teaching history, the history of the Party, and Ho Chi Minh Thought, which require specialized research methods, professional knowledge, and pedagogical skills.

Higher education is not just about selecting individuals with professional competence, but also about building a training environment based on scientific principles, academic responsibility, and alignment with educational goals and the values ​​that a standard training program aims for. For teaching positions in subjects related to political theory, history, ideology, and culture, the evaluation and selection of teachers must be rigorous, transparent, and based on clear professional standards. Assigning a mathematics lecturer to teach, exchange academic knowledge, and impart political, ideological, and historical knowledge to students, and then writing history books for propaganda purposes, is not a sign of "versatility" but rather an arbitrary practice. Meanwhile, for fundamental sciences such as Ho Chi Minh Thought and History, considering the professional competence, political acumen, research experience, teaching methods, and skills of lecturers is crucial to ensuring the quality of education and the trust of students and learners.

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) – the anti-apartheid revolutionary, political activist, and the first black president of South Africa – when speaking about the role of education and teachers, affirmed:"Education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world."Or, as the Russian poet Rasul Gamzatov (1923-2003) reminded us of the importance of history:"Whoever shoots at the past with a pistol will be shot at by the future with a cannon.".

Education and training are not only a way to develop human resources for the country, but also an environment for disseminating and popularizing the Party's ideological foundation, socialist ideals, and the historical, cultural, and traditional values ​​of the nation. If we deviate from this noble goal, the younger generation will be politically confused, ignorant of history, alienated from the nation's cultural and traditional values, leading to deviant lifestyles and opposing ideologies, ready to oppose the revolutionary cause being carried out by our Party, State, and people.

Lessons on management and publishing.

Regarding the book "Stories with Thanh - A New Account of Light," on June 10, 2026, the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House officially issued a statement accepting responsibility and apologizing to readers for the shortcomings and deficiencies in the publishing and recall process of the book. On June 15, 2026, the Department of Publishing, Printing and Distribution issued a decision to fine the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House 100 million VND and suspend its operations for two months. In addition, the publishing house must destroy all recalled copies and return all illegally obtained profits from the distribution of this book.

On June 26, 2026, the Ministry of Education and Training requested higher education institutions to report on their invitations to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam to teach, give guest lectures, present specialized papers, participate in seminars, lectures, or other academic activities. As a consequence, legal responsibility was gradually implemented, the book was recalled, but the dozens of video clips circulating online containing his statements have had immeasurable impact. These events highlight lessons regarding current management, editing, and publishing practices.

For higher education institutions, the goal of educational management is not only to ensure the transmission of knowledge but also to build a rigorous academic environment in which instructors meet the requirements of professional qualifications, professional ethics, and social responsibility, contributing to helping students access history, thought, and culture on a scientific, objective, and responsible basis. To ensure this, the evaluation and supervision process for teaching staff must be carried out rigorously, and management must be strict and effective. Criteria regarding expertise, research, and academic responsibility must be fully and correctly applied according to regulations.

The incident involving the book "Stories with Thanh" and the aforementioned leaked clips not only raises questions about the responsibility and honor of the teacher but also concerns the publishing industry and the entire editing, review, and publishing process. A book, when it reaches the reader, is no longer the sole product of the author but the result of shared responsibility between the editor, the review board, and the publisher, especially for works related to history, culture, and the fundamental values ​​of the nation; every stage of censorship must be carried out with a scientific, objective, and extremely careful approach. Only when historical truth, academic standards, and social responsibility are prioritized can publishing truly fulfill its mission of opening up knowledge, fostering trust, and contributing to the preservation and promotion of the nation's enduring values.

History is not merely the recorded past, but also the spiritual foundation of society, the memory and identity of a nation. Therefore, every written word, speech, and lecture on history must be delivered with professional integrity, verified by scientific standards, and guided by a sense of responsibility towards the Fatherland, the People, and future generations.