A memorial dedicated to the victims of communism is scheduled to be unveiled in Ottawa later this year however, diplomats are worried that the memorial may be upsetting to Vietnam and its diaspora for its focus on the evils perpetrated by their communist government.
According to Global Affairs Canada, Vietnam is Canada’s biggest trading partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Additionally, it’s one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and therefore holds a special place in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Canadian diplomats first warned that focusing heavily on the victims of Vietnam under communism may not be well received by the nation itself during an analysis of the memorial in 2021, according to records released under an Access to Information request from the Ottawa Citizen.
“While there could be good reasons as to why Vietnam would appear more frequently on this list, omitting to highlight other countries or events where there were many victims due to communism would risk an even stronger reaction from Vietnam,” reads the records.
The memorial contains a monument wall which lists the names of individuals, groups and several key events which highlight the wrongs perpetrated by communism on the world.
“Highlighting events and names from countries where there were an important number of victims of communism will likely attract a negative reaction from countries cited,” warned diplomats. “This will need to be a political decision.”
Already the memorial has been the subject of controversy for its honouring of several alleged Nazi collaborators who participated in the Holocaust, which diplomats cautioned may potentially damage Canada’s image and increase tensions with other governments.
Several Jewish advocacy groups have claimed that the memorial is complicit in whitewashing the history regarding the active collaboration of Eastern European countries with Nazi Germany in the Holocaust.
Among the names listed on the memorial are individuals who served with the Waffen SS, according to the Department of Canadian Heritage and federal documents, however, the exact number of individuals has been redacted.
The $7.5 million memorial, called Memorial to the Victims of Communism was scheduled to be unveiled in November 2023, but was postponed and now remains fenced-off along Wellington Street in Ottawa’s downtown.
“Although the Memorial to the Victims of Communism — Canada, a Land of Refuge was scheduled to be inaugurated by the end of 2023, the Government of Canada is doing its due diligence to ensure all aspects of the memorial remain compatible with Canadian values on democracy and human rights,” reads a statement dated Oct. 18 on the government website dedicated to the project.
Canadian Heritage also released a statement saying that it would be “reviewing all aspects of the project” before its unveiling.
Other controversies surrounding the monument are its honouring of Canadian sailors who fought alongside the Soviet Union in World War II. The Soviets were an ally during that conflict and also fought the Nazis alongside Canadians in Yugoslavia, who are also honoured by the monument.
Additionally, the size, location, cost and exact purpose of the monument have all been the subject of debate.
It was initially given a budget of $1.5 million over 15 years ago, which has since ballooned to $7.5 million, $6 million of which was derived from public funds. The remaining money has been funded through private donations from the organization Tribute to Liberty.
