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This article reviews some aspects of the author's research conducted as a member of an inter-university team under a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. It presents the Vietnamese government's title and position of 'Vietnamese Heroic Mother' and discusses the origins and some social implications of this politically- constructed identity in Vietnam.
Introduction
The issue of gender in war is a very importanttopic in peace studies. Until now studies have focused on the subject of women soldiers1. However, gender experience in the post-conflict society is also very important. In this article I will present the problem associated with the notion of 'Vietnamese Heroic Mother', through which I shall analyse some important aspects of gender in a postconflict society. 'Vietnamese Heroic Mother' is an honorary title given in Vietnam to mothers whose children were martyrs in the Vietnam War2. It also entitles them to have social security. There are 46,398 women with the title of 'Vietnamese Heroic Mother' in Vietnam3. Specifically my study indicates that the system of 'Vietnamese Heroic Mother' is giving rise to new social effects, including a new type of postwar conflict in Vietnam. The following discussion is an account of research conducted in Vietnam from 2007 to 2009 and the issues that emerged.
As it is well known, there are many difficulties with interviewing people in Vietnam, because the Vietnamese government practically restricts free research activities. So, I asked for help from official organisations. The War Crimes Museum in Ho Chi Minh City agreed to help me and introduced several persons whom I could interview as part of my research. I interviewed several people concerning the Vietnam War in Ho Chi Minh City. Two of them are 'Vietnamese Heroic Mothers' and one is the husband of one of them.
I would like to introduce my three interviewees4. Ms. Nguyen Thi Que was born in 1928 in Quang Nam Province in the southern part of Vietnam. She joined the Revolutionary movement in 1945. She married Mr Phan Quang Hong and gave birth to a daughter in 1949. She was arrested by the South Vietnam Government and interned in the prison of Con Dao5 from 1959 to 1975. During her absence, her daughter also joined the Revolutionary movement and died in a street fight in...