EXTRACTS FROM LISTENERS ́ LETTERS
The BBC's signature tune is so particularly clear that it seems if it makes us apparently report to the public security in our area that we are listening to the BBC. When we are talking to each other about the news from the BBC, we often disguise our talk by calling the BBC "Bot Bich Chi" [a very familiar name of a kind of baby food, flour). That seems safer! There's one thing, the BBC is better than the VOA. Namely, the press reviews on Monday and Thursday nights (South East Asia Magazine). I know them by heart, so has Truong Loc ́s group [Loc is an editor of Saigon Liberation' in charge of the overseas page]. People (I mean in here, the communists and the north Vietnamese) like to listen to the BBC, partly because it has up-dated its language correspondingly to the Vietnamese currently used in Vietnam, but not the pre-1975 Vietnamese. Although they (the pre and the 'post-75' language) are just the same, there are some differences, such as the posts in the party, or in the state organs. If you use them correctly in the current Vietnamese (ie the communist Vietnamese language) the propaganda ideas will be absorbed better. In Vietnam, we very much admire the BBC. For example, when the communists intended to promote Do Muoi into the post of Prime Minister, that night the BBC announced it already. The morning after, the whole country was speculating about this, and the election later gave the very same outcome. People admired the BBC more than ever.
Vietnam
I've been a faithful listener for a long, long time. I only started writing to you since the day you turned on the green light to receive the short stories from Vietnam. I had wanted to write to you before, but was afraid that my letter would not be welcomed. After my first story and letter, I listened carefully to every phrase, every translation which you did. Apart from the translation, I found some special implications in your phrases when you were talking about us in Vietnam, and now I feel
confident to write to you.
Furthermore, I have been listening to every programme, every item that you put out on the air and I admire your simple style of writing and translating.
You are skilful in using words, expressions, proverbs, maxims which reflect fully the beauty of the Vietnamese literary style. May peace be with Do Van so that he could carry out his translate and read' duties 80 that "Brother Enemy ́ could be continued and the listeners in Vietnam have the opportunity to distinguish between friends and foes and all the causes of poverty in Vietnam nowadays. ['Brother Enemy' by Nayan Chanda about Vietnam since 1975].
60
As you may well know, our people are not very well educated, being simple and honest helps to keep us close together. We are now having to struggle hard in a society which offers us no future and we are relying on your broadcasts to try and rediscover our faith in life, and to add some spice to our dull days. There are many more radio stations broadcasting to Vietnam, but they are little help for us, the unfortunate people. The domestic radio?
Let ́s not talk about it!
Ho Chi Minh City