Phan Khôi

Early life and education

Phan Khoi was born to an elite family. His father was "Pho Bang" Phan Tran (1826–1935) who was the son of Judge Phan Nhu. His mother was Hoang Thi Le (1826–1882) who was the daughter of Governor Hoang Dieu. Phan Khoi learned Chinese characters from a young age and was very well read. He read many progressive writings and developed a belief in civil rights and a new society.

In 1906, he joined the Progressive Movement (Duy Tan) led by Phan Chu Trinh (1872–1926), Huynh Thuc Khang (1876–1947) and Tran Quy Cap (1870–1906). Phan Khoi moved to Hanoi to learn French and Quoc ngu (Vietnamese written in the Latin alphabets).

In 1907, he joined the "Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc" school, founded by Phan Chu Trinh with the help of Phan Boi Chau in teaching materials. Then in 1908 the French cracked down on Progressive Movement, they captured all members, executed the leaders and imprisoned others. Phan Khoi was sent back to prison in Dien Ban. In 1909, being pardoned by the French, he went to Hue and studied at the Pellerin School (1909–11).

Opening school and teaching

1911 his father Phan Tran died. Phan Khoi came home for the funeral and stayed at his village, opened his own school and started teaching. 1913, Phan Khoi married the daughter of Luong Thuc Ky (1873–1947). Luong Thuc Ky was a teacher at Duc Anh school at Phan Thiet. Duc Anh school was founded by Mr. Nguyen Trong Loi, who also was a member of the Progressive Movement.

Journalism

Phan Khoi wrote under the pen name Chuong Dan, and was very well known for his new, revolutionary and controversial ideas.

He contributed to Dang Co Tung Bao (1907) of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc, Nam Phong (1918) founded by Pham Quynh, Luc Tinh Tan Van, Ha Noi Thuc Nghiep Dan Bao (1920), Huu Thanh (1921), Dong Phap Thoi Bao (1923), Trung Lap Bao (1924), Than Chung (1929)

Editorships

Phan Khoi was the editor of Phu Nu Tan Van (1929), Phu Nu Thoi Dam (1932), Trang An (1934).

The Nhan Van Affair

In 1956, Phan Khoi led the Nhan Van - Giai Pham movement in Hanoi, and he served as editor in chief as well as the publisher of the Nhan Van (1956). He also contributed to the Giai Pham periodical and Van, a weekly publication. Some leading Vietnamese intellectuals in the north of the country, like Nguyen Huu Dang and Tran Duc Thao (1917–1993), joined Phan Khoi to express their ideals in the Nhan Van - Giai Pham Movement, demanding freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and democracy. They accused the Vietnamese Communist Party of violating the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

In December 1956, the Vietnamese Communist Party forced the papers to close. By 1958,after indecision about what to do about the participants in this dissent, it had arrested numerous participants in the Nhan Van Giai Pham affair, imprisoned some of them, forced some into public self-criticism, and put others on trial. This was reported to the world in the translated book The Nhan Van Affair by Hoang Van Chi.

Since this event till the last day of his life, Phan Khoi was kept prisoner at home by the Communist Party, his ideas and writings were suppressed.

Phan Khoi died suddenly January 16, 1959 at home in Hanoi.

Published works

Legacy

Phan Khoi represented a Vietnamese elite class in the transitional time from Chinese education to the new era of Western values.

Phan Khoi had made the transition very swifly not only by himself, but he also took his generation along with him.

Being exposed to different cultures from China, Hong Kong, Japan, France, he was able to combine them all to serve his [Vietnamese people.

Phan Khoi brought many new ideas to Vietnam, from a new democratic society with respect to human rights and civil rights, to equality for women, to a new trend of poetry.

He provided the best spirit to a debate in Ban them ve “but chien”, which until today is still the foremost valuable lesson the Vietnamese ought to learn.

The Nhan Van Affair continued to be an inspiration for the Vietnamese intellectuals today.

In his writing:Dan ba voi quoc su, Phan Khoi clearly offered Vietnamese ladies an honor place in society within the setting of Vietnamese culture.

His poem "Old Love" was the first poem written in a new format, opening doors for many young poets to surpass him in a short time.

However, he also was very interested in researching the roots of Vietnamese heritage, especially Vietnamese spoken language, which had long been ignored and looked down upon by the elite class in Vietnam. His research Phan Khoi: Viet ngu nghien cuu was a well of knowledge for young Vietnamese to follow.

One generation before Hoang Van Chi, one generation after Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Khoi represented a class of Vietnamese intellectuals caught between colonialism, nationalism, communism. Phan Khoi's progressive spirit and his lifelong effort to raise the Vietnamese people's awareness of human rights, civil rights, and good education were suppressed by the Communist Party with The Nhan Van Affair since 1956 are being revived in the 2000s by the younger generation of Vietnam.