In honour of General Vo Nguyen Giap, who died last week aged 102, Vietnam has declared three days of official mourning. Concerts and festivals - including Oktoberfest and the CAMA Music Festival - have been cancelled or postponed. Many bars and restaurants are shut. Movie theaters are closed. Many TV channels are off the air. Even the local ward’s kids’ karate classes are on hold.
General Giap deserves not just nationwide - but international - remembrance. While I’m not sure that cutting off StarWorld is the best way to honour this great man, I appreciate the idea that everyone should stop what they’re doing and sacrifice a little fun in memory of a man who was willing to sacrifice everything for his nation’s freedom.