Free Republic

<p>It is not the first time the Boston City Council has ventured into foreign policy. But this time, someone out there is actually taking notice.</p> <p>Two weeks ago, the council unanimously passed a resolution to recognize the "Heritage and Freedom Flag" as the official symbol of Boston's Vietnamese-American community. That flag, with its yellow background and three red horizontal stripes, is also the old South Vietnamese flag.</p>

<p>Virginia Gov. Mark Warner is opposed to mandates requiring jurisdictions to honor the flag of defeated South Vietnam, a spokeswoman confirmed last week. During the 2003 General Assembly session, lawmakers, lead by Delegate Robert D. Hull, Falls Church Democrat, attempted to require Virginia to formally recognize the flag of the former South Vietnam. The measure easily passed the House of Delegates, but the U.S. State Department voiced opposition to the measure and it eventually died in a committee. Mr. Warner, a Democrat, declined to comment as the debate was going on. Later in the year, however, Mr. Warner met with trade officials from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, including Vietnamese Standing Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Dinh Bin, whom he told he was opposed to the idea. "He did tell them he does not favor government mandates about the display of flags of [a] deposed government, and he does not believe local governments should be engaged in decisions affecting foreign relations," said Ellen Qualls, press secretary to Mr. Warner. The idea of honoring the flag of the former South Vietnam is popular among the many immigrants who moved after the end of the war because they did not want to live under the rule of the victorious north. Virginia is home to nearly 40,000 Vietnamese immigrants, most of whom are native to what was South Vietnam. The flag of what was South Vietnam is yellow with three red stripes. The flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is red with a yellow star in the middle. "Every time a [Vietnamese immigrant] is faced with looking at the flag of Vietnam, it goes against everything they believe as a part of the history of their country and their culture," said Catherine Hudgins, a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors who earlier this month sponsored legislation that recognizes the flag of South Vietnam as the official flag of Vietnamese heritage for Fairfax County. The measure passed unanimously. The State Department, which has not taken a position on the Fairfax decision, was adamently opposed to the legislation put forward by Mr. Hill earlier this year and says it recognizes only one flag for Vietnam, that of the current nation. "The U.S. recognizes and has diplomatic relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Its flag is on display in the C Street lobby of the State Department," said Brooke Summers, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman.</p>

OPEN LETTER FROM THE VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS (The full text) July 28th , 2003 Honorable Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, President of the Board Honorable Supervisor Jake McGoldrick Honorable Supervisor Gavin Newsom Honorable Supervisor Aaron Peskin Honorable Supervisor Fiona Ma Honorable Supervisor Chris Daly Honorable Supervisor Tony Hall Honorable Supervisor Bevan Dufty Honorable Supervisor Tom Ammiano Honorable Supervisor Sophie Maxwell Honorable Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval Support for Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag Resolution Dear Mr. President and Members of the Board of Supervisors: On behalf of the Vietnamese-American Community in the City and County of San Francisco,...

<p>Skirting a controversy that has ignited from Virginia to Orange County, Oakland backed away Tuesday from becoming the latest California city to recognize the flag of vanquished South Vietnam.</p> <p>The City Council was scheduled to consider a resolution making the yellow flag with three red stripes the "official flag of the Vietnamese community of Oakland," to be flown on city property and at city-sponsored events instead of the red flag with yellow star of the existing Socialist Republic of Vietnam.</p>

The ruling authorities in communist Vietnam have criticised a United States legislature for what Hanoi's Foreign Ministry has described as an insulting decision to replace the official Vietnamese flag at public ceremonies. The yellow star of the communists flies over Vietnam, marking the victory of the communist northern forces over those of the south in the Vietnam War. Vietnamese people who fled the Communist victory and now live in the state of Virginia in the USA want their children to go to school under a yellow banner marked with three red stripes, the flag of the defeated South. Vietnamese...

<p>RICHMOND — The State Department is assuring Vietnamese officials that it opposes a Virginia bill calling for the display of the flag of long-defeated South Vietnam, but the bill's sponsor says his state doesn't kowtow to that federal department.</p> <p>"It's disconcerting to say the least," said Delegate Robert D. Hull, Falls Church Democrat. "You think the State Department is working for you, and now you find out they are working for someone else."</p>

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A bill in the Virginia legislature that promotes the flag of the former South Vietnam died in a subcommittee after federal officials warned lawmakers it could damage relations between the United States and Vietnam. Sen. Malfourd Trumbo said Monday that the bill will not face a vote before Monday's midnight deadline for action. The measure sparked concern among officials in Vietnam and the State Department after it passed the House of Delegates last month. State Department officials urged several legislators to kill the bill. In a Feb. 5 letter addressed to bill sponsor Del. Robert Hull,...

<p>GARDEN GROVE now challenges the Rest of the Country to ..FOLLOW IT's LEAD.. on behalf of all Freedom-Loving Vietnamese-Americans nationwide.</p>