Read the following.extract and answer the questions that follow Declaration of Independence
The declaration of the new republic began by reaffirming the principles of the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1771 and of the French Revolution in 1791, but added that the French imperialists do not follow these principles for they have violated our fatherland and oppressed our fellow citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. In the field of politics, they have deprived us of all liberties. They have imposed upon us inhuman laws. They have built more prisons than schools. They have mercilessly slain our patriots; they have drowned our uprisings in rivers of blood.
They have fettered public opinion; they have practiced obscurantism against our people.
For these reasons, we members of the provisional government, representing the entire population of Vietnam, declare that we shall henceforth have no connection with imperialist France; that we abolish all the privileges which the French have arrogated to themselves on our territory.
We solemnly proclaim to the entire world: Vietnam has the right to be free and independent, and in fact has become free and independent.
(a) ‘They have violated our fatherland and oppressed our fellow citizens’, who were they? How did they oppress the Vietnamese people?
(b) How did the declaration of independence help in arousing patriotic feelings among the Vietnamese?
(a) The French colonisers in Vietnam were referred as ‘they’ here. The French people acted contrary to the ideals of humanity and justice. They deprived the Vietnamese of all liberties. They imposed on them inhuman laws and built more prisons than schools in Vietnam. They mercilessly killed Vietnamese people. They have also suppressed public opinion.
(b) The principles of the Declaration of Independence of the United States (1771) and of the French Revolution (1791) inspired the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese became conscious of their right to be free and independent. These also drew attention to the injustice which the French were doing to the Vietnamese. Thus, the Vietnamese have decided to fight for their rights and freedom and tried to abolish all the privileges enjoyed by the French colonisers in the territory of Vietnam.