Monday, November 14, 2011
On Vietnam’s disrespect for the family of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
As the whole world now knows, the family of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
showed up unexpectedly in Vietnam last week for a holiday. They landed
in Saigon and then the next day flew to Con Dao Island, where they are
reportedly staying at the Six Senses Con Dao Resort.
When the couple and
their 6 children arrived, they were greeted with the same reception they
get everywhere they go: paparazzi at the airport, paparazzi outside
their hotel, paparazzi at meals—paparazzi everywhere.
Somewhat surprising was
the fact that Vietnamese paparazzi even followed the couple to Con Dao
(the most remote and inaccessible point in the country) and tailed them
all through their activities on the island, including the former prison
museum. The photos are all over the internet.
The real tragedy
however, besides the gross invasion of the family’s private time, is the
golden opportunity that Vietnam has now missed—even destroyed
themselves.
In this family, Vietnam
had a friend. Ms Jolie and Mr Pitt are arguably the world’s biggest
celebrities—and low and behold, they have not only an interest, but a
personal connection with Vietnam, through their son Pax.
Vietnam could have tried
to nurture this connection. Vietnam’s tourism ministry could have
approached the couple and asked for help in promoting the country (as
I've suggested many times before). Vietnam could have done what much
smarter government officials in Cambodia had done, and extended an
official welcome and foster a relationship with the family.
Vietnam didn’t do this
however. Instead, the government of Vietnam abused this family by
betraying their trust and their privacy. State officials and state
employees have misused their authority in monitoring and leaking
information about the family to the media. The communist
government-controlled newspapers have sent their journalists and
photographers (or at times hired ‘freelance bounty-hunters’) to tail
them everywhere they go.
Its one thing, in a
capitalist country, for private individuals to engage in this sort of
behaviour, but here in communist Vietnam, it’s the very government who
is ultimately responsible for harassing this family on their vacation.
So Vietnam, no, you
haven’t exactly done to Pitt and Jolie anything that wouldn’t happen to
them elsewhere. You did however show them that Vietnam isn’t so unique
after all. And at a time when Vietnam is trying to develop ‘5-star’
tourism, you just showed the whole world that you won’t allow
celebrities to enjoy Vietnam unmolested.
PS. A word about their kids. It is extremely rude, unprofessional—and sleazy, to follow the kids around. Stop it.
Secondly, please stop
referring to the family’s six children as their six ‘adoptees.’ Only 3
are adopted, but that’s not the point—they are children, not property.
To my knowledge, all of them carry both the last names of their parents,
so its rather insensitive to apply it to the biological children but
intentionally omit it when referring to their adopted children. More to
the point—stop saying that the Ms Jolie ‘promised to bring her
Vietnamese boy home.’ Pax is her son, not just any boy. Likewise, to my
knowledge he is an American citizen. But even that is not relevant—the
child’s ‘home’ is wherever his mother and father reside. My dear
Vietnamese media, I tell you this because I know you are going to spend
your lives pestering this poor child, so you might as well get this
straight early on. You may mean well, but to do otherwise is highly
offensive to parents of adopted children.
