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Impressions on Phan Chau Trinh's Essay on an Opening-up Policy
Sample essay on Reflecting upon Phan Chau Trinh's Essay on an Opening-up Policy
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Phan Chau Trinh (1872 - 1926), also known as Tay Ho, hailed from Quang Nam, a region renowned as a 'land of extraordinary talents' throughout the country. A devoted patriot, he was a revolutionary ideologue during the first three decades of the 20th century.
Phan Chau Trinh left behind numerous patriotic poems, advocating democratic ideals and condemning the corrupt and oppressive local officials, as well as the burdensome tax policies imposed by the French colonialists. The essay 'Reflection on the Opening-up Policy' is excerpted from the 'Letter to the Protective Government.' It is the 'Letter to the Full Authority Department' written by Phan Chau Trinh in Hanoi on August 15, 1907.
The text 'Reflection on an Opening-up Policy' condemns the oppressive officials of Annam, the instruments of exploitation against our nation by the Protective Government. Simultaneously, it demands that the French colonialists reform their governance policies towards the Southern people to avoid the risk of a 'strong people causing a revolution.'
In the initial part, the revolutionary intellectual unequivocally states that the 'reform' of officials and the 'heavy tax collection' will never be addressed by the Full Authority. Nevertheless, in any speech, he boldly declares 'generous treatment for the South,' 'determination to open up for the South,' etc.
The editor of Le Courrier d' Haiphong, while addressing the 'vicious tax,' meticulously discusses it. However, regarding the officials, he insists that bringing back the old regime of Annam is the only way to govern the people of Annam. Phan Chau Trinh criticizes: 'That statement is truly mistaken!' He exposes the true nature of Annamite officials as potent tools of the Protective Government 'to suppress the South for a long time,' while the puppet officials, 'thanks to the prestige of the Protective Government,' have committed crimes against the people for a long time. Therefore, 'officials cannot govern the people at any time.'
In the second part, the author implores the Protective Government to do everything possible to save the people of the South, urging them not to 'have the heart to implement a policy of mistreatment towards the South anymore.'
Phan Chau Trinh clearly points out the miserable life of being oppressed and exploited, stating that 'the people of the South today are like a near-dead people.' As for the puppet officials, they only know 'to transmit orders and collect taxes' for the Protective Government. The new policy that the Protective Government wants to 'bestow' upon the people only harms the people without any benefit. It's just 'deceptive words' to deceive and mislead the people, only causing 'the depletion of morale' and 'nurturing evil for the officials.' The author sarcastically remarks that the 'new policy' of the Protective Government is like... 'being afraid of a child crying and promising to feed it cakes, fearing hunger, the promise of gold and silver mines in the forest, just saying deceptive things.'
Under the brutal domination of the French colonialists, our people bear the 'heavy burden of suffering, deep-seated resentment' due to the 'oppression of officials' and the 'misery' caused by 'annoying tax collections.' Everything will inevitably lead to 'people causing a revolution,'...
Phan Chau Trinh appeals to the Full Authority and the Protective Government to 'reunite' and change governance policies, such as 'benefiting and eliminating harm, opening up avenues for the poor, granting the right to debate for scholars,' opening newspapers, 'punishing the wicked,' etc. He earnestly requests the Protective Government to 'change laws, abolish exams, establish schools, set up libraries, promote industry and technology,'...
These calls and appeals by the intellectual, though expressing a deeply patriotic and compassionate heart, are never realized because the wolf never shows mercy to the young lamb. Using puppet officials to suppress and exploit our fellow countrymen, imposing heavy taxes to mercilessly exploit our people, implementing foolish policies to rule, etc., have been ruthlessly executed by the French colonialists for eighty years. Therefore, all calls and appeals are never accepted and implemented by the Protective Government!
In the third part, after the author reveals a state of 'full-fledged indignation, not knowing whom to turn to,' he has to write this letter, 'even if there are enemies, jealousy and hatred, it doesn't matter.'
The intellectual is willing to 'speak for all to hear' if the 'protective officials' have a 'sincere heart in dealing with the Southern people.' The intellectual is also prepared to 'commit an offense' if the Protective Government 'persistently implements a policy of mistreating the South.' He emphatically states his plea to the high officials in those two matters.
It can be said that those words express the sincere love for the country and the courageous attitude of the intellectual in the face of violent authoritarianism. Vietnamese Revolutionary History clearly records: in April 1908, Phan Chau Trinh was sentenced to 'imprisonment, exile for three years, and exile to Côn Lôn Island.'
Beyond the formalities of a letter, the reasonable words of a letter, the essay 'Reflection on an Opening-up Policy' is a political discourse in classical Chinese characters by an intellectual, written in a way we would consider a century ago.
This text exhibits many distinctive features of Phan Chau Trinh's political writing style. The tone varies, sometimes gentle and polite, sometimes strong and assertive. The language carries the clear imprint of the era: the vicious tax, the oppression of officials, deep-seated resentment, annoying tax collections, shared suffering, causing a revolution, bitterness, knowing how to unite, punishing wickedness, the people's morale in decline, obscure intellect, silenced mouths, etc.
The logical reasoning is quite rigorous and compelling when discussing the misguided officials: 'The Protective Government has been using' Annamite officials to oppress the people of Annam for a long time. Annamite officials, thanks to the prestige of the Protective Government, have long committed crimes against the people. Now, seeking benefits and claiming to eliminate harm without first choosing officials, I have never seen harm not eliminated, but instead, benefits gained. Officials not chosen but still governing the people has never been beneficial.
At times, the author uses humorous comparisons to satirize the 'new policy' of the Protective Government, likening it to 'drawing flowers on a mud wall,'...
The 'Letter...' reveals some limitations, such as idealizing the 'sincere hearts in dealing with the Southern people' of the Full Authority and French Resident, or when discussing the 'morale' and 'intellect' of Annam. This could be due to various reasons stemming from the era and history.
In the 'Introduction' to Phan Chau Trinh's poetry, Mr. Huynh Ly writes:
Despite those mentioned limitations, what is admirable and praiseworthy in Phan Chau Trinh is the fervent patriotism that remains unwavering, the deep-seated resentment against oppression, the indomitable spirit in the face of adversity, democratic consciousness—all of these resound strongly in his poetry. They illuminate our national literature in general and patriotic literature in particular.
In the essay 'In Praise of Phan Chau Trinh,' intellectual Phan Boi Chau writes:
'Three inches of tongue, but a sword and a gun, facing authoritarian rule is truly daunting;
'A brush and a pen, a drum and a gong, the door of democracy sparks an even brighter light.'
Perhaps, we need to recall those beautiful words when studying Phan Chau Trinh's essay 'Reflection on an Opening-up Policy.'
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