When Ron Haeberle returned to My Lai 4 for the 50th anniversary commemoration of the My Lai massacre in 2018, he noticed his photographs on display in the museum were not being credited to him as the photographer or acknowledging his copyright. Furthermore, he found certain captions to be historically inaccurate. This caused a bout of contention that persisted several years.
Haeberle had been clear from the start that he would not ask for or accept monetary compensation now or in the future from museums in Vietnam but was insistent about factual representation.
While in Vietnam this month, we took time to meet with government officials in Quang Mai to negotiate an agreement allowing the Son My Memorial Museum to display Ron Haeberle’s iconic My Lai Massacre photographs as long as the museum abides by international museum standards, recognizes Haeberle as the photographer and holder of the copyright, and uses historically accurate captions.
We must thank the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Washington, DC; the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Quang Ngai Department of Culture who worked with me for 39 months to resolve this unfortunate dispute.
For more information:
Read the complete agreement.
View a supporting article from the Saigon News.