Mentioning Gac Ma to aim for the desire for peace

Editor of the new History program - Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Tung - Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Sciences, Hanoi National University - shared about the changes in the general education program for History.

Need "historical distance"

- Professor Pham Hong Tung, why after 30 years, is the Gac Ma incident expected to appear in textbooks and the new History program?

- Like all other historical events of Vietnam and the world, we need time to research, even need a certain "historical distance" to collect and verify documents; contemplate and correctly evaluate the nature, role and position of the event in the historical process of the nation, region and the world.

Gac Ma is also such an event, which must be studied very carefully. Moreover, the publication of research results will affect the historical awareness process of the whole society. The fact that we are only planning to include the Gac Ma incident in textbooks and teach it in the new general education program after 30 years requires even more caution.

A researcher can publish his results with doubts, and have different opinions to exchange and discuss, but the knowledge that has been introduced into high school must reach a relatively complete and stable level of awareness. Because this knowledge, with its educational nature, will contribute to shaping the youth's awareness of the past and the future.

- Gac Ma in particular and other wars against foreign invaders of our nation will be taught according to which principles in the new curriculum, sir?

- The Gac Ma incident, like all other historical events, must ensure objectivity and honesty. That is the basic principle that must be absolutely followed for any historical research or teaching.

When we teach about Gac Ma or An Duong Vuong's war against Trieu Da's army, the resistance against the Yuan-Mongol, against the Ming invaders, then the Manchu army..., the Hoang Sa naval battle in 1974, the border wars in 1979, the Vi Xuyen and Gac Ma events in 1988, we must respect objective historical truth. Avoid writing incorrectly, later when students find the truth, they will think we lied and lose faith in history.

At the same time, placing history in the past affects the present and the future, especially when talking about wars and conflicts that have caused loss.

Therefore, the principle that we absolutely adhere to is: Science, humanity, progress. That is the ethical principle of historians and history educators. Researching and teaching about historical events to close the past, resolve hatred, resolve conflicts, and move towards a future of harmony, peace, cooperation, and friendship for mutual development.

All wars are pain and loss for humanity. We need to direct humanity to the desire to love peace, to avoid future conflicts, to find solutions other than war, to resolve conflicts and disagreements between nations, if any.

We must educate future generations towards historical reconciliation. The people and young generations of Vietnam and China desire nothing more than a future of sustainable development in peace, friendship and cooperation.

- Specifically, how is the Gac Ma battle expected to appear in the new curriculum textbooks?

- With historical events that have gone far away and reached a relatively stable level of awareness, we can introduce them to students in a simple way through historical stories, right from grades 4 and 5. However, Gac Ma is an event that still has points that need to be further studied, and is expected to be included in 3 places of the new general history program.

The first is the historical component of the History and Geography subject at the secondary level. This course will help students learn about the general history of Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region. The Gac Ma incident is expected to be included in the history of Vietnam and Southeast Asia from 1986 to the present. This event will be placed in the context of national history, regional history, and world history for consideration and presentation.

We must educate future generations towards historical reconciliation. The people and young generations of Vietnam and China desire nothing more than a future of sustainable development in peace, friendship and cooperation.

Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Tung

Second, the secondary school level has an integrated subject, tentatively named Vietnam's Sea and Islands, with contents such as Natural Geography, Marine Economy, Marine Resources, History of Vietnam's Sea and Island Sovereignty, including the history of the process of affirming and implementing Vietnam's sovereignty over the East Sea, including the Gac Ma incident in 1988, the Truong Sa naval battle in 1988 and the current situation.

This is to say that we affirm that Truong Sa and Hoang Sa belong to Vietnam with truly convincing historical and international legal evidence, such as the resolution of the San Francisco Peace Conference.

Thus, the struggle to protect and exercise Vietnam's national sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa is just. Therefore, China's use of force to occupy Hoang Sa from Vietnam in 1974, especially the use of force to massacre 64 soldiers on Gac Ma Island in 1988, is an act contrary to common justice, contrary to international conventions and law, trampling on obvious historical and legal bases.

At the same time, we must reject some of China's arguments that it has controlled the South China Sea since the Western Han Dynasty.

This should be understood as follows: Very early, even before the Western Han Dynasty (2nd century BC), there may have been Han people coming to the East Sea, including Truong Sa, but compared to Southeast Asians (indigenous) and Indian traders, the presence and influence of Han people was extremely faint.

Indians came to trade and spread their civilization in Southeast Asia. They interacted deeply with the indigenous people here and left behind a cultural and civilizational mark that was far more profound and superior to the influence of the Han people. Yet, who considered it a trace for Indians to claim their “sovereignty” in the East Sea and Southeast Asia?

In the third part, Gac Ma is expected to be taught in high school with two topics: History of wars to liberate the Fatherland and the topic of Vietnam's Sea and Islands.

At this level, students will learn about the Gac Ma incident in 1988 in the perspective of the nation's heroic fighting tradition to protect every inch of the Fatherland, drawing lessons throughout history.

- According to you, Professor, what educational lessons will the historical event of Gac Ma bring to the youth?

- Our country is not large in land, not populous, and not economically strong, but it is constantly facing aggressive foreign invaders. Therefore, we must protect the Fatherland with the strength of the entire people's solidarity, the combination of national strength with the strength of the times.

Students today may like Son Tung M-TP and love the Vietnam U23 team, which are good things, but they must have the foundation to understand that those things will be meaningless if the country's sovereignty cannot be protected.

The independence and freedom of the Fatherland are the basis and foundation for the comprehensive development of individuals, communities and the entire nation. Each generation must protect the Fatherland with a patriotic heart, with intelligence on par with the times and with national and international solidarity.