Can I ask Vietnamese about the Vietnam war, while I'm in Vietnam?

Question

Can they get in trouble for talking polotics?

Answer 1

well i guess you could. but we are developing our country right now. so we don't want to remind about our past. that doesn't mean we forget our victory.

Answer 2

of course you can especially when you go on tour of cu ci tunnel and the war museum in ho chi minh. be friendly with the guide and he/she will tell you a lot about how the vietnamese feel about the war, vietkong and american troops. that's what i did.

also i discovered their sentiments on the war from my conversation with some locals at the bar. you will get different views coz some are pro-america. however, generally the locals dont really speak good english that you have to make harder effort to understand them.

Answer 3

It depends on who you talk to. Most Vietnamese people like to move forward. We don't talk about the painful past. Not that we don't acknowledge what happened to our country but majority of Vietnamese people are under 35. We don't focus on what already happened, we prefer to focus on what we can do to improve our country.

Answer 4

If you go to any "war related" site, I don't think there would be any issues in discussing it.

I have been in VN for 4 years now, I first came to the south in 1967 with the USMC. I have been in many households that lost family members, or in homes where the head of the family was a veteran, just like me (from the other side). Only 2 Vietnamese have asked me about the war - most either are not interested (ancient history now) or whatever.

Answer 5

sure u can talk about anything in a little hut. but on the street if u say ho chi minh is a phaggot or something, they'll arrest u and shoot you in the head