Ông cố vấn (novel)
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| Author | Hữu Mai |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Country |  Vietnam |
| Language | Vietnamese |
| Publisher | People's Army Publishing House |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Pages |
Ông cố vấn: Hồ sơ một điệp viên (Mr. Advisor: Records of an espionage agent) is a non-fiction historical novel written by Hữu Mai. The novel recorded the life and activities of Vũ Ngọc Nhạ, an intelligence agent of People's Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Nhạ is the organizer of the A.22 espionage network, and was know with the name Ông cố vấn (Mr. Advisor) due to his cover as an advisory member of the Saigon government.[1]
The novel was first published in 1987 by the People's Army Publishing House in three volumes. It was reprinted several times by various publishing house, the most recent publish were reorganized in two volumes.
The novel was adapted in to a film with the same name during the 1990s.[2]
Content[edit]
The novel opened with a brief description shocking espionage case of Vũ Ngọc Nhạ and his colleagues in the A.22 network in 1969. The novel's author then proclaimed about the objective of the book as a non-fiction historical novel:
| “ | The records presented below will bring to the light about the unclear issues related to the mentioned case. It will be presented in the form of the novel for the sake of vividity. However, the author aims to present, to the readers, the accurate details and events with real-life characters. The readers are able to meet with many characters of the novel, who are still living their normal life after all the events happened in our country and outside of our country. If this novel contain any inaccuracies about them, the author wishes to have their own feedbacks for improvements in the next reprints, if the novel is fortunate enough to be reprinted. |
” |
| — Hữu Mai, Chapter 1 of the novel | ||
The novel went back to the year of 1958, when the character Vũ Ngọc Nhạ, at the moment was named as Hai Long, was living with his family near Thị Nghè market, Saigon, as a typewriter in Ministry of Public Works. However he was arrested by the Delegation of Special Task in Central Vietnam and was jailed at Toà Khâm, Huế due to being suspected as communist. He tried his best to hide his identity as an intelligence agent of Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and received vital instruction from his direct superior Trần Quốc Hương who was also jailed here. Due to proper preparation and strong assistance of well-know established Catholic figures, especially priest Hoàng Quỳnh, Hai Long was freed from any charges but he was still imprisoned unofficially.
Using his understanding of the uneasy relationship between Ngô Đình Diệm family and the pro-French Catholic figures like Bishop Lê Hữu Từ and priest Hoàng Quỳnh, Hai Long wrote an essay named "Four dangers threantened our regime" and submitted to Ngô Đình Cẩn, the leader of Central Vietnam at that time. Hai Long's essay, together with his accurate prediction of the unsuccessful 1960 coup, managed to attract the attention of Cẩn, and later both Ngô Đình Nhu and Ngô Đình Diệm. The Ngô family released him from the jail after two years of imprisonment, and Ngô Đình Nhu took he back to Saigon as his personal advisor. Hai Long exploit his close relationship with both Ngô family and Catholic clergy to gather the information needed for his espionage mission.
Ngô Đình Diệm regime collapsed after the 1963 coup and Saigon politics fell into great turmoil due to the power struggle between the politicians and military leaders took part in the coup. Hai Long worked at Bình An Parish as a close assistant of priest Hoàng Quỳnh and became a well-known Catholic figure, respected by both the politician and the Catholic clergy. In 1965, Hai Long agreed to assist Nguyễn Văn Thiệu election campaign as an envoy between Thiệu and Catholic electorates, and later became Thiệu's advisor after Thiệu won the President election. Hai Long together with his colleagues Thắng, Hoè, Ruật, Trọng, Năm Sang,... organized an espionage network named A.22, using their influence and political connection for espionage activities. They assist the Liberation Army's 1968 Tết Offensive. Under the guise of preparing for a diplomatic mission to the United States, Trọng managed to get the files and documents of America's pacification plans against the Liberation Army in 1968–1969 and other information about contemporary U.S. politics.
Hai Long and his A.22 teammates also detected signs showed that they had been suspected by the enemy's counter-intelligence. His colleagues in the government and Catholic population also warned him about the threat from CIA. Thắng proposed secretly killed all the enemy agents monitoring them, but Hai Long refused since it would alarmed the CIA. All members decided to keep working as usual, while secretly withdrew and relocated several members to increase the cover and safety for the network. However Hai Long and most of A.22 network was arrested in July 1969. He was brutally tortured by Saigon police and CIA agents for days but refused to say anything. His tenacity gained the respect of the Vietnamese policemen and the anger of the revengeful CIA agents. Outside of the jail, Catholic figures and other politicians were strongly protesting the arrest and expressed their support for Hai Long. During the imprisonment, he managed to made contact with several of A.22 teammates and other supporters of the Liberation Army. One of them informed Hai Long of President Hồ Chí Minh's death.
Hai Long and his A.22 teammate decided to make a counter-move to turn the tide of the situation. He admitted he worked with the Liberation Army, but explained that was due to his loyal to the Catholic Church and the 2nd Vatican Council which he believed was supporting peace and unification for Vietnam. His teammates then claimed to know nothing of Hai Long's relationship with the Liberation Army and only carried out the missions out of respect for Hai Long and for his ideas. They presented the information and proof of the involvement of well-known statesmen and politicians with Hai Long and their activities.They also made use of the court to exposed the political conflicts inside Saigon government and their U.S. allied, turned the espionage case into a political case, and promoted the idea of peace and unification for Vietnam. The affair quickly deteriotated from a CIA "victory" to a political mess. CIA attempted to get out of the turmoil by proposing Hai Long to admit that he worked for CIA, but was frustrated by Hai Long's immediate refusal.
A.22 counter-attack was successful. None of the member was sentenced to death. Nhạ was sentenced to penal servitude for life. The A.22 case sowed distrust inside Saigon political arena.
Hai Long was kept at the interrogation facilities for a time and then was sent to Chí Hoà prison, and in 1971 he was sent to Côn Đảo prison with Trọng and Thắng. He had good relationship with the prison wardens and was visited by well-known Catholic figures and politicians, including priest Hoàng Quỳnh, Chaplain O'Connor, general Lewis William Walt. Even Nguyễn Văn Thiệu sent his envoy to ask for Hai Long's assistance. On 25 June 1971, a Vatican Ambassador presented Hai Long the merit certification and medal that the Pope awarded him for his contributions to the Catholic Church. He also continued his intelligence mission together with former A.22 members and other supporters of the Liberation Army in the prison. They gather information and images of the brutality and crimes against the prisoners. They also gather all the data of the political prisoners in Côn Đảo, exposing Nguyễn Văn Thiệu's lies about the prisoners numbers and his scheme to violate the Paris Peace Accord in releasing political prisoners.
The Saigon government sent Hai Long and Trọng back to Chí Hoà in 1973, and released Hai Long to the Liberation Army in the same year under the name of "Liberation Priest". The Liberation Army verified Hai Long identity and recognized his military rank. In April 1974 Hai Long was sent back to Củ Chi to organized a new intelligence network. He re-established the connection with priest Hoàng Quỳnh, with other Catholic figures and politicians in the "Third Forces" who supported the reconciliation with the Liberation Army. He secretly relocated to the Inner City of Saigon in 1975 to monitor the situation, and he witnessed the last moment of Saigon government in the Independence Palace on 30 April 1975.
The novel returned to the date of September 1987, described the author's conversation with all living A.22 members in an anniversary meeting in Hai Long's house (now named as Hai Nhạ). The author commented that the A.22 members were very similar in a mysterious way.
| “ | These soldiers in this silent battlefield have something in common. Which I have not managed to fully understand, yet. It is the thing that I want to tell my readers as I conclude this record. | ” |
| — Hữu Mai - Written in the last chapter of the novel | ||
Citation[edit]
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