“Vietnam angered by Australian commemorative coin design for 50th anniversary of Vietnam War withdrawal”

Vietnam is angry about the design of a commemorative coin that Australia is distributing as a reminder of the Vietnam War. The coin, with a value of 2 Australian dollars, was issued on the occasion of Australia’s withdrawal from Vietnam 50 years ago.

A spokesman for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he regretted the design, as it would show the South Vietnamese yellow flag with three red stripes. The use of that flag is sensitive: it reminds the Vietnamese of the battle between North and South Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. The flag has not been used since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976.

But Australia says it “does not recognize the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam”. The creators of the coin argue that the similarity is a coincidence and that colors have a completely different meaning: they represent the colors of the medals awarded to Australians who had fought in Vietnam in the Vietnam War.