A prominent Vietnamese general’s crusade against “historical revisionism” is facing public scrutiny after past footage revealed that he used the very terminology he now vehemently condemns.
The Latest: On June 22, social media evidence surfaced suggesting that Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn—former head of the Propaganda and Training Department under the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army—used the phrases “the Republic of Vietnam government” and “the Saigon army” in a 2012 speech.
- This revelation follows his recent public criticism of the Ministry of Education and Training for failing to use the terms “puppet army” and “puppet government” in educational materials.
The Details: A Facebook account named Đặng Nguyên Triết posted evidence that Tuấn used the controversial terms during a speech on protecting territorial and maritime sovereignty at the Overseas Vietnamese Conference, held in late September 2012 in Hồ Chí Minh City.
- In a video of the speech uploaded to YouTube in 2012, Tuấn mentions “the Republic of Việt Nam government” at the 5:19 mark and “the Saigon army” at the 6:08 mark.
- The speech was also published on the personal blog of journalist Đông La, one of the leading voices in the campaign against alleged “historical revisionism.”
Vietnamese media also reported on the conference at the time.
Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn Clarifies: On June 22, another Facebook account, Cao Tan Tai, posted an interview video wherein Tuấn clarified his stance.
- Tuấn stated that he was not criticizing the diplomatic use of the phrases “the Republic of Vietnam government” or “the Republic of Vietnam army,” particularly in dealings with the United States.
- “We cannot say in diplomatic talks with the United States that you set up a puppet regime or a puppet government,” Tuấn said.
- He added that he avoids the terms “puppet army” or “puppet government” when speaking with overseas Vietnamese communities, as some members lived or served under the former regime.
- “They may or may not have committed crimes; they may have been very patriotic but were forced to join that apparatus,” he said.
Tuấn insisted that his criticism is directed at “historical revisionism” regarding how the terms “puppet army” and “puppet government” are explained.
- He emphasized that the terms are not derogatory. “That is the mildest way to describe it. Strictly speaking, it should be called the U.S.-created, traitorous puppet government of the Republic of Vietnam,” he said.
Tuấn has not responded to inquiries from Luật Khoa nor has he commented on his personal Facebook page regarding the issue.
Prior Incidents: Tuấn has a history of policing historical terminology.
In 2017, he called for an inspection and recall of the 15-volume History of Việt Nam, published by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, because it did not use the terms “puppet army” and “puppet government.”
- “Who allowed you to assert that the Republic of Vietnam regime was an entity that existed for 21 years in the South, in parallel with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam regime in the North? You have distorted history, equating a regime born from the nation’s great revolution for the people and the country with a puppet regime that first served France and then the United States,” Tuấn said.
In response, historian Nguyễn Nhã argued that acknowledging the Republic of Vietnam government was a major step toward protecting Việt Nam’s maritime and island sovereignty.
Associate Professor Nguyễn Đức Nhuệ, former deputy director of the Institute of History under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, also defended the use of the terms “puppet government” and “puppet army.”
- Nhuệ explained that “a Republic of Vietnam regime did exist in the South from 1955 to April 30, 1975. That name was recognized by many countries around the world at the time and appeared in official documents.” Hence, the History of Việt Nam series used the term “Republic of Vietnam government” to make the work “more objective and scientific.
The Background: The controversy reignited after the history exam for the national high school graduation test was published online on the morning of June 12.
- The exam’s use of the terms “Saigon government” and “Saigon army” provoked outrage and criticism among many veterans and military generals, who alleged “distortion” and “historical revisionism.”
In response, Tuấn demanded that the government “take firm corrective action.”
- He added, “the government needs to listen and take firm corrective action; the national education sector cannot be allowed to fall into systematic errors.”
- Tuấn has also been a key figure in denunciation campaigns targeting Bảo Ninh’s novel The Sorrow of War, Nguyễn Thành Nam’s Story With Thanh, and a seminar on Trương Vĩnh Ký.
Amid this exam controversy, figures such as history professor Phạm Hồng Tung and Nguyễn Quốc Thệ, vice rector of Saigon College of Technology and Tourism, have publicly supported the exam’s objective wording.
Why It Matters: As a one-party state, Việt Nam enforces strict censorship over history, including narratives about the 1954–1975 war and its aftermath. Many writers and intellectuals have faced public denunciation over allegations of “historical revisionism.”
- However, state publications remain inconsistent in how they refer to the political regime that existed in southern Việt Nam during that era.
- While many state newspapers adhere to the terms “puppet army” and “puppet government,” other state books and media have transitioned to the more neutral term, “the Republic of Vietnam government.”
Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 23, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
