Ho Chi Minh on Uprising at Dahomey

First Published: La Vie Ouvriere, March 30, 1923

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

French capitalism, anxious at the awakening of the working class in France, has tried to transplant its threatened domination to the colonies. It draws from them both raw materials for its workshops and human materials for its counter-revolution. Bourgeois newspapers in Paris and in the provinces regularly devote entire pages to articles on the colonies. Generals and members of Parliament are delivering speeches on the colonies all over the country. These virtuous hacks and braggarts cannot find words enough in their vocabulary to extol the loyalty of the natives and the benefits of their civilization. Sometimes these gentlemen push their impudence so far as to compare British colonial brigandage with their own: they qualify British policy as a ‘cruel method’ or ‘high-handed’ and maintain that French practice is of the essence of justice and kindness!

A glance at our colonies is enough to appreciate how ‘fine and gentle’ this civilization is.

Recently, in Indo-China, a young French settler, after having tied an Annamese spreadeagled with his face to the ground, gave him one hundred and sixty strokes with a cudgel. The victim, black and blue from head to foot, was detained all night. And the next day, the young civilizer battered his head and put out one of his eyes with the butt of his revolver. This brute was acquitted by French justice.

In Dahomey, the taxes, already exorbitant for the natives, have been increased. Young people are dragged from their homes and land to become ‘defenders of civilization.’ The natives are forbidden to have weapons to defend themselves against wild beasts which devastate entire villages. Education and hygiene are wanting. On the other hand, no means are spared to submit the ‘protected’ Dahomeans to the abominable native status, which is an institution placing man on the level of the beasts and dishonouring the so-called civilized world. The natives, at the end of their tether, revolt. Then there is bloody repression. Harsh measures are taken. Troops, machine-guns, mortars and warships are sent to the place and martial law is declared. People are arrested and imprisoned en masse. There is the kindness of civilization!

Ho Chi Minh on The Colonial Abyss

First Published: l'Humanite, January 19, 1923

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

France possesses a colonial empire of ten million square kilometres, inhabited by 56 million people of yellow and black races. To turn all this to advantage, M. Albert Sarraut, Minister of Colonies, wants to find three or four thousand million francs. To this end, he has ‘organized’ a big press campaign and made countless speeches. The worthy Minister has also written a book of 656 pages (price 20 francs per volume). Pending the arrival of these thousands of millions, we beg His Excellency to allow us to fill out his arguments a little.

The budget for Cochin-China, for example, which amounted to 5,561,680 piastres (or 12,791,000 francs) for 1911, rose to 7,321,817 piastres (or 16,840,000 francs) for 1912. In 1922, it went up to 12,821,325 piastres (or 96,169,000 francs). A simple subtraction shows us that between 1911 and 1922 there was a difference of 83,369,000 francs (the rates for the piastre being 2.25 and 7.50 francs) in the budget of this colony. Where did that money go? Simply on expenses for personnel which in effect swallowed 100 per cent of total receipts.

Other examples of mad extravagance combine to throw away money that the poor Annamese have sweated for. We do not yet know the exact figure in piastres spent for the Emperor of Annam’s trip to France, but we do know that to await the day of good augury, the only one on which the Bamboo Dragon could embark, the vessel Porthos was paid compensation for four days at the rate of 100,000 francs per day (400,000 francs). So: Travelling expenses 400,000 francs. Reception expenses 240,000 francs (not including the pay of policemen charged with the extraordinary supervision of the Annamese in France); cost of lodging in Marseilles the Annamese militiamen for ‘presenting arms’ to His Excellency and His Majesty: 77,600 francs.

As we are in Marseilles, let us avail ourselves of the opportunity to see what its Colonial Exhibition has cost us. First of all, in addition to catering for highly-placed metropolitan personnel, they sent for about thirty high functionaries from the colonies who, while taking their aperitifs somewhere along the Cannebiere, were paid expenses both at the Exhibition and in the colonies. Indo-China alone had to pay 12 million for this Exhibition. And do you know how this money was spent? Here is an example: the famous reproduction of the Angkor Wat palaces required 8,000 cubic metres of timber at 400 or 500 francs a metre. Total: 1,200,000 to 1,500,000 francs!

Other examples of waste. To carry M. le Gouverneur Geniralf luxury automobiles and cars were not enough, there had to be a special railway carriage for him. The fitting- up of this carriage cost the Treasury 145,250 francs.

In eleven months of activity, the Economic Agency burdened the economy of Indo-China with a sum of 464,000 francs.

At the Colonial School, where future civllizers are turned out, 41 professors of all types are maintained to teach 30 or 35 students. Again several thousand francs.

The permanent survey of defence works for the colonies costs the budget 758,168 francs annually.

Now, Messrs the Inspectors have never left Paris and do not know the colonies any better than they know the age-old moon.

If we go to other colonies, we everywhere find the same corruption. For the reception of a semi-official ‘economic’ mission, the budget of Martinique was relieved of 40,000 francs. Within a period of ten years the budget of Morocco has gone up from 17 to 200 million francs, although they have cut down by 33 per cent expenditures of local interest, that is to say, expenses likely to benefit the natives.

There are millions and even thousands of millions that could be found easily if they knew how to look for them. But the Minister prefers to try to get them out of the natives!

A question

Is it true that, through excess of the humanitarian feelings so many times proclaimed by M. Albert Sarraut, in the jail at Nha Trang (central Viet Nam) detainees have been put on dry rations, that is to say that they are deprived of water at their meals? Is it true that the detainees have had their noses coated with tincture of iodine to be more easily recognized in case of escape?

Ho Chi Minh: An Open Letter To M. Albert Sarraut, Minister of Colonies

First Published: La Paria August 1, 1922

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Roland Ferguson and Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

Your Excellency,

We know very well that your affection for the natives; of the colonies in general, and the Annamese in particular is great.

Under your proconsulate the Annamese people have known true prosperity and real happiness, the happiness of seeing their country dotted all over with an increasing number of spirit and opium shops which, together with firing squads, prisons, ‘democracy’ and all the improved apparatus of modern civilization, are combining to make the Annamese the most advanced of the Asians and the happiest of mortals.

These acts of benevolence save us the trouble of recalling all the others, such as enforced recruitment and loans, bloody repressions, the dethronement and exile of kings, profanation of sacred places, etc.

As a Chinese poem says, ‘The wind of kindness follows the movement of your fan, and the rain of virtue precedes the tracks of your carriage.’ As you are now the supreme head of all the colonies, your special care for the Indochinese has but increased with your elevation. You have created in Paris itself a service having the special task - with special regard to Indo-China, according to a colonial publication - of keeping watch on the natives, especially the Annamese, living in France.

But ‘keeping watch’ alone seemed to Your Excellency’s fatherly solicitude insufficient, and you wanted to do better. That is why for some time now, you have granted each Annamese - dear Annamese, as Your Excellency says - private aides-de-camp. Though still novices in the art of Sherlock Holmes, these good people are very devoted and particularly sympathetic. We have only praise to bestow on them and compliments to pay to their boss, Your Excellency.

We are sincerely moved by the honour that Your Excellency has the extreme kindness to grant us and we would have accepted it with all gratitude if it did not seem a little superfluous and if it, did not excite envy and jealousy.

At a time when Parliament is trying to save money, and cut down administrative personnel; when there is a large budget deficit; when agriculture and industry lack labour; when attempts are being made to levy taxes on workers’ wages; and at a time when repopulation demands the use of all productive energies: it would seem to us anti-patriotic at such a time to accept personal favours which necessarily cause loss of the powers of the citizens condemned - as aides-de-camp - to idleness and the spending of money that the proletariat has sweated hard for.

In consequence, while remaining obliged to you, we respectfully decline this distinction flattering to us but too expensive to the country.

If Your Excellency insists on knowing what we do every day, nothing is easier: we shall publish every morning a bulletin of our movements, and Your Excellency will have but the trouble of reading.

Besides, our time-table is quite simple and almost unchanging.

Morning: from 8 to 12 at the workshop.

Afternoon: in newspaper offices (leftist of course) or at the library.

Evening: at home or attending educational talks.

Sundays and holidays: visiting museums or other places of interest.

There you are!

Hoping that this convenient and rational method will give satisfaction to Your Excellency, we beg to remain....

Ho Chi Minh on Annamese Women and French Domination

First Published: La Paria, August 1, 1922

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Roland Ferguson and Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

Colonization is in itself an act of violence of the stronger against the weaker. This violence becomes still more odious when it is exercised upon women and children.

It is bitterly ironic to find that civilization — symbolized in its various forms, viz. liberty. justice, etc., by the gentle image of woman, and run by a category of men well known to be champions of gallantry — inflicts on its living emblem the most ignoble treatment and afflicts her shamefully in her manners, her modesty and even her life.

Colonial sadism is unbelievably widespread and cruel, but we shall confine ourselves here to recalling a few instances seen and described by witnesses unsuspected of partiality. These facts will allow our Western sisters to realize both the nature of the ‘civilizing mission’ of capitalism, and the sufferings of their sisters in the colonies.

“On the arrival of the soldiers,” relates a colonial, “the population fled; there only remained two old men and two women: one maiden, and a mother suckling her baby and holding an eight year old girl by the hand. The soldiers asked for money, spirits and opium.”

“As they could not make themselves understood, they became furious and knocked down one of the old men with their rifle butts. Later, two of them, already drunk when they arrived, amused themselves for many hours by roasting the other old man at a wood fire. Meanwhile, the others raped the two women and the eight year old girl. Then, weary, they murdered the girl. The mother was then able to escape with her infant and, from a hundred yards off, hidden in a bush, she saw her companion tortured. She did not know why the murder was perpetrated, but she saw the young girl lying on her back, bound and gagged, and one of the men, many times, slowly thrust his bayonet into her stomach and, very slowly, draw it out again. Then he cut off the dead girl’s finger to take a ring, and her head to steal a necklace. ”

“The three corpses lay on the flat ground of a former salt-marsh: the eight year old girl naked, the young woman disembowelled, her stiffened left forearm raising a clenched fist to the indifferent sky, and the old man, horrible, naked like the others, disfigured by the roasting with his fat which had run, melted and congealed with the skin of his belly, which was bloated, grilled and golden, like the skin of a roast pig.”

 Ho Chi Minh on Racial Hatred

First Published: Le Paria, July 1, 1922

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Roland Ferguson and Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

For having spoken of the class struggle and of equality among men, and on the charge of having preached racial hatred, our comrade Louzon has been sentenced.

Let us see how the love between peoples has been understood and applied in Indo-China of late. We will not speak for the time being of the poisoning and degradation of the masses by alcohol and opium of which the colonial government is guilty; our comrades in the parliamentary group will have to deal with this matter one day.

Everybody knows the deeds of derring-do of the assassin-administrator Darles. However, he is far from having the monopoly of savagery against the natives.

A certain Pourcignon furiously rushed upon an Annamese who was so curious and bold as to look at this European’s house for a few seconds. He beat him and finally shot him down with a bullet in the head.

A railway official beat a Tonkinese village mayor with a cane.

M. Beck broke his car driver’s skull with a blow from his fist.

M. Bres, building contractor, kicked an Annamese to death after binding his arms and letting him be bitten by his dog.

M. Deffis, receiver, killed his Annamese servant with a powerful kick in the kidneys.

M. Henry, a mechanic at Haiphong, heard a noise in the street; the door of his house opened, an Annamese woman came in, pursued by a man. Henry, thinking that it was a native chasing after a ‘con-gai’ snatched up his hunting rifle and shot him. The man fell, stone dead: it was a European. Questioned, Henry replied, ‘I thought it was a native.’

A Frenchman lodged his horse in a stable in which there was a mare belonging to a native. The horse pranced, throwing the Frenchman into a furious rage. He beat the native, who began to bleed from the mouth and ears; after which he bound his hands and hung him from them under his staircase.

A missionary (oh yes, a gentle apostle!), suspecting a native seminarist of having stolen 1,000 piastres from him,, suspended him from a beam and beat him. The poor fellow lost consciousness. He was taken down. When he came to it began again. He was dying, and is perhaps dead already... etc.

Has justice punished these individuals, these civilizers? Some have been acquitted and others were not troubled by the law at all. That’s that. And now.

Accused Louzon, it’s your turn to speak!

 Ho Chi Minh on The Civilizers

First Published: Le Paria, July 1, 1922

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Roland Ferguson and Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

Under the title ‘Colonial Bandits’ our comrade Victor Meric has told us of the incredible cruelty of a French administrator in the colonies who poured molten rubber into the genitals of an unfortunate Negress. After which, he made her carry a huge stone on her head in the blazing sun, until she died.

This sadistic official is now continuing his exploits in another district, still with the same rank.

Unfortunately, such odious deeds are not rare in what the good press calls ‘overseas France’.

In March 1922, a customs-house officer at Baria (Cochin-China) all but sent an Annamese woman salt carrier to her death because she had disturbed his siesta by making a noise outside the verandah of his house.

The best of it is that this woman was threatened with the sack from the construction yard she was working on if she lodged a complaint.

In April, another customs-house officer who took the place of the above-mentioned official, proved to be worthy of his predecessor for his brutalities.

An old Annamese woman, also a salt carrier, had an argument with a woman overseer regarding the stoppage of part of her wages. On hearing the overseer’s complaint, the officer, without more ado, took it upon himself to give the carrier two stinging slaps in the face. While the poor woman was stooping to pick up her hat, the civilizer, not satisfied with the slaps he had just given her, furiously kicked her in the lower abdomen, immediately provoking a great flow of blood.

When the unfortunate Annamese fell to the ground M. Sarraut’s collaborator, instead of succouring her, called for the village mayor to carry her away. This worthy refused. Then the officer called in the victim’s husband, who was blind, and ordered him to take his wife away. The poor old woman is now in hospital.

It’s odds on that, like their colleague the administrator in Africa, our two customs-house officers were not worried. They might even have received promotion.

 Ho Chi Minh on Equality!

First Published: 'Humanite, June 1, 1922

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 1

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Roland Ferguson and Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2003

To hide the ugliness of its regime of criminal exploitation, colonial capitalism always decorates its evil banner with the idealistic motto: Fraternity, Equality, etc...

Here is how these champions of equality put their slogan into practice.

In the same workshop and for the same work, a white workman is several times better paid than his coloured brother.

In administrative offices, despite length of service and recognized ability, a native is paid starvation wages, while a freshly arrived white man receives a higher salary with less work to do.

After receiving higher education in the parent state and obtaining degrees as doctors of medicine or of law, young native people cannot exercise their professions in their own country if they are not naturalized (and how many difficulties and humiliations a native must go through to obtain this naturalization!)

Dragged away from their countries and their homes, and pressganged into the army as ‘volunteers’, the militarized natives are quick to savour the exquisite significance of this phantasmal ‘equality’ they are defending.

With the same rank, a white non-commissioned officer is almost always regarded as superior to his native colleague, who must salute and obey him.

This ‘ethno-military’ hierarchy is still more striking when white and coloured soldiers travel in the same train or ship.

Here is the most recent example.

In May the S. S. Liger left France for Madagascar with six hundred Malagasy soldiers on board.

The Malagasy non-commissioned officers were crowded into the holds, while their white colleagues were installed in comfortable cabins.

May our coloured brothers, warmed by the ship’s boilers, if not by an ideal, awakened by the noise of the propellers, or by the voice of their conscience, think over and understand the fact that the good capitalism will always consider them as ordinary olo maloto.