(VNA) - American veterans have urged the California legislature to continue recognising the flag of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam only because the majority of Viet Nam war veterans support  normalised diplomatic relations with Viet Nam.

So said the United States Veterans For Peace in its recently-passed resolution to oppose the California Senate concurrent resolution 17 (SCR 17), which is devised to recognise the flag of the defeated South Viet Nam as the symbol of the Vietnamese-American community. The SCR 17 is pending in the State Assembly.

The  Veterans For Peace "urges the California Legislature to follow established diplomatic protocol and continue to recognise only the flag of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam as representing Viet Nam in all of their public and civic functions".

The Veterans For Peace also encourages other organisations and citizens in California and around the US to voice their opposition to the action by the California Senate, which is being misguided by a small number of Vietnamese-Americans, generally older and in most cases involved with the defeated former regime of South Viet Nam.

The Veterans For Peace says in its resolution that this faction " is still trying to resurrect their pre-1975 war and impose their agenda on the entirety of the Vietnamese-American community, in part by asking various legislative bodies to recognise the flag of the defeated South Viet Nam as the symbol of the Vietnamese-American community".

The Veterans For Peace's resolution also writes " the United States Government formally recognized and normalised diplomatic relations with the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in 1995, ending post-war acrimony and opening up legal channels for family visits and support, student and academic exchanges, commercial and business ventures, tourism and philanthropic activities, the search for the missing remains of combatants and civilians from both sides, and all other normal relations between friendly nations."

They stressed " The majority of the Vietnamese-Americans have made peace with themselves and with their homeland, and have moved on with their lives as American citizens."