Vietnam stands at a contradictory political crossroads. The line between activities deemed acceptable and illegal remains ill-defined.
Even by recent standards in Vietnam, Monday’s life sentence handed down on Phan Van Thu was widely considered harsh.
In the second mass subversion trial in less than a month in this authoritarian Communist state, 21 of Thu’s supporters received jail terms of between 10 and 17 years to be followed by five years of house arrest.
Meanwhile, intellectuals, church leaders and current and former army and party officials have put their signatures on an online petition calling for revisions to the constitution to separate executive, legislative and judicial powers and allow multi-party elections.
Support for this direct challenge to the status quo has grown steadily.
“When we signed the petition we decided to accept whatever might happen,” says democracy lawyer and leading dissident Le Hieu Dang, one of the signees. There have been no repercussions so far, he adds.
Amidst a crackdown on public dissent, Vietnam stands at a contradictory political crossroads and the line between activities deemed acceptable and illegal remains ill-defined.
Whereas Thu and his supporters were found guilty of secretly spreading information deemed subversive, the petition is a response to a three-month consultation process in which the government has called for public opinions on proposed changes to Vietnam’s 1992 constitution.
Dang describes this event as Vietnam’s most opportune moment for political change since the disintegration of the Soviet Union – Hanoi’s main backer of the time – following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“When the government is collecting public opinions, this is the best time to speak out about democracy,” says Dang, himself a Communist Party member for 40 years.
But will Vietnam initiate meaningful political reforms?
Communist Party critics say that internal pressures – and to a lesser extent those outside the country – mean the government has to produce something tangible when the constitutional changes are ratified, most likely in October.
Recent public criticism inside the country has reached unprecedented levels amid a growing number of scandals involving corrupt state companies and reports of excessive largesse by government officials.
Although the shackled press – like political activists – must operate within narrow, ill-defined parameters, newspapers regularly allude to rising public disapproval at the Communist Party, which in turn has recently attempted to reestablish discipline and respect.
In January, Vietweek, an English-language publication by Than Nien newspaper, ran stories which took aim at the tourism ministry over suspect visitor numbers and even ridiculed the central government for a string of “absurd” new laws regulating the behavior of its own officials.
Civil servants in Vietnam have been barred from playing golf, according to these new rules, cannot drink beer at lunchtime and are no longer permitted funerals with more than 30 wreaths.
“If such regulations are drafted only to be exposed as impossible to enforce, they would end up becoming a laughing stock,” Saigon Tiep Thi (Saigon Marketing) newspaper wrote in a recent editorial.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is being left behind in the region when it comes to political and civil liberties, say rights groups.
Although former pariah Burma was ranked lower than Vietnam on democracy in 2010, according to Freedom House, since then “Burma has definitely overtaken Vietnam when it comes to political rights,” says Sarah Cook, a senior East Asia research analyst for the Washington-DC based rights organization.
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MINH Nguyen tuong
As a 78-yr old citizen of Viet Nam, I'd like to remind every self-proclaimed Friend or Foe of VN that in spite of some un-deniable weaknesses, VN as a country is now continually moving forwards.
Please,cast just a glimpse at pictures taken in Ha Noi , Saigon and the countryside in the past sixty years before making any un-friendly if not ill-intentioned remarks and comments on our people's achievements in War and Peace
Sang Hoang
Mr. Minh,
You said VN is continually moving forwards. But moving to where? Northern land is lost; Islands are lost. what is the worst now then? I do not get it.
Linh_My
Ong Minh,
The American CIA publishes something called, "The World Fact Book." Unlike many here, the CIA agrees with you. Note, Viet Nam, like every other country in the World, except John Chan's propagandised vision of China, still has room for improvement.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html
". . . US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under Communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals – many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants – and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The Communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups – the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests."
Thuan Hoang
In the next few years, Việt Nam will face stavation, uncontrollable deseases because of mismanagement of the environments and miss used of resources and corruptions in government.
Last 38 years, money from oversea helped VN economy stayed afploat. that comming to be end soon whem elders get to retirement ages and younger generation do not care much about their fathers' land.
MINH_nguyentuong
As a 78-yr old citizen of VN, I'd like to remind all the self-proclaimed Friend or Foe of VN that in spite of undeniable weaknesses, Viet Nam as a country, is now continually moving forwards. Please, take just some minutes casting a glance at some of the pictures taken in Ha Noi and Saigon and the countryside in the French and American heydays early 1950s and those recently taken in the early 2010s before making any too un-friendly and too un-favorable comments on the VNmese people's achievements during the past 60 years in War as well as in Peace !
Kim’s Uncle
@ 78 year old guy,
Well, you can let the people in Vietnam decide if they want to keep VC in power. Trading one dictatorship (French colonialism) to a Viet Cong dictatorship is not really freedom or independence is it? It is just a re-shuffling of chairs. Today's exploiters just happen to be Vietnamese in blood but since their love of power is too great, they have prostituted and perverted themselves on the altar of absolute power. Ordinary Viet people have no say in their own government. They are powerless and unrepresentated. Socialist Republic of Vietnam today is just a copy cat of its norther neighbor, China.
Vietnam could had a capitalist, free market economy 30 or 40 years ago, but simple minded Viet Cong were to illiterate to understand the reality of communism and so they forced divisive and destructive wars on all the inhabitants of Vietnam. So I think you're in a sad state of denial to say that Vietnam's recent progress is the result of insightful and thoughtful Viet Cong leaders! It is so sad and comical to claim credit for ideas (ex. capitalism, free enterprise, international trade, foreign investment) that Viet Cong hated and fought and slaughter so many Vietnamese. It is called irony!
Looking back at history today, we can see it is, in fact, the Viet Cong like their Soviet and Chinese commies were, the biggest fools on the planet because as we know the doctrine of communism is pretty much a sad and pathetic joke to all of humanity.
Please do not distort history! I can see why Viet Cong are so afraid of this new world where communication and information flow freely and Viet Cong cannot control. That information which Viet Cong cannot control has away of discrediting and making Viet Cong look like fools to their own people!
Conspicous Reader
The journalist, who wrote this is trying hard to ignore reality.
Burma: Civil war in several regions of the country!
Cambodia: Hun Sen's regime & a predatory elite are squeezing the country.
Thailand: civil war in the southern region + massive influence by the army + lese majeste to silence political opinions
Malaysia: Let's wait if the ruling party can deal/accept a defeat…
Indonesia: as corrupt as Vietnam + religous extremism in many regions + good luck without rice imports from Vietnam!
Phillipines: Let's wait wait if the latest "peace deal" delivers. + Good luck without rice imports from Vietnam!
The only country ahead of Vietnam in SEA is Singapore. Nuff said!
I guess the Rambo 2 had a lasting impact on the journalist's perception of Vietnam.
Lee
Well said, bro, you know enough of a brief glimpse of Southeast Asia. Why not working as an analyst here?
Observer
@ Linh My
Since you stated that you living in Vietnam right now, if you live in Saigon (HCM City), I would like to buy you a beer or two (my treat) and talk. I am in VN right now for business and would love to chat in person with you.
Linh_My
Thanks for the invatation. I'm about 300k from Sai Gon. Vietnamese is a tonal language. As English is my native language, I haven't set up my computer to accurately transcribe the tone marks. Linh Mỹ translates as American Soldier. From a historical standpoint, I'm actually sympathetic to Kims Uncle.
Still, 40 year old bitterness and a refusal to deal with today's reality doesn't further American interests. Reality is that current Vietnamese and American intrests in the future of Asia are similar. Today's Viet Nam is a very different place than the Viet Nam of the late 1970's or even the 1990's.
retired SSG 19k30
Soren
Western "democracy" is but a show. Two parties in the USA for example are both owned and controlled by the same shareholders of the Global Corporate Cartelocracy. Lbbbyists are hired by corporations which write US law…"think tanks" which make opionions are paid for by Global Corporatist Cartels , and the whole thing is a show.
The media Cartel, manufactures consent, the Financial Cartel makes money our of thin air. The agra Cartel makes food seed into IP. You see it is not about Nation states, its about global cartelocracy, whereby Public-Private Partnerships (where public good and capital are taken over by the cartels)
India has 12 parties and look what a mess India is. No, the answer is not opposing parties..one good party works best. In Vietnam, the major concern is PROSPERITY and so long as well being grows, the place is stable. How many governments can boast that their people are a) Better off today than 15 years ago and b) My people are kept out of war ??? Vietnam, China, Laos, Cuba can all stay this. What about the west? Nope, they cannot.
Vietnam has these main opportunities to prosper and stay stable:
1) INcrease the quality of exports, raising export value and
2) Owning their own brands and selling their own branded poducts themselves
3) Build support Industries so that they dont have to inport inputs for export industries
4) Move from foreign debt finacing to local equity financing. I have estaimated that there is some 100Billion USD in Vietnamese homes…in safes…sleeping.
5) Peg the Vietnam Dong to Gold and not Global paper fiat currencies which are ALL going down the drain with todays currency war.
6) Encourage the import of Gold, gold , Gold! Prevent the export of Gold. After the currency war is finished the countries with the Gold wins.
7) Dis-Integrate with WTO, IMF, World Bank, ADB and any other globalist cartels which seek to own Vietnam.
Soren Kirchner
Myfriendsoren@mail.com
thanh
thanks for your opinion…i have read several articles about you and your business in VN.. I have a question for you.i see some VNese people,particularly the young one,doesn't believe in their goverment's economic policy anymore.This is the result of a lots scandals in economic operation,corruption…especially Vinashin & Vinaline,and the leaders were criticized a lot..So how do you think about this ?
Schminner
I think any country that tries to dis-integrate themselves from the IMF, WTO, dollar, etc… and peg their currency to gold, the USA and the West will invade that country, just like Libya.
Kim’s Uncle
Vietnam Communist government is nothing more than a cheap knock off, copy cat of its neighbor to the north! Doi moi is nothing more than a copy cat of PRC “market economy with Chinese characteristics”! VC idiots have been copying the chinamen since the 1930s! 1950s “land reform” was nothing more than Maoist inspired pogroms in north Vietnam! Kinda funny though, china followed orthodox communism in Mao era which made china into a toilet, north Vietnam did the same! Then china under Deng Xiaoping reversed course and followed the black mice, white mice policy, little copy cat Viet Cong did the same after china’s lead!!! LOL. Having a conversation with uncle ho’s nephew is the same as having a conversation with red diaper baby in china! They look the same. Act the same. Talk the same. Dress the same. I just wonder if Viet Cong can do anything without its big brother in the north?
Linh_My
Kim’s Uncle
I wonder how many years you have spent in Viet Nam, how well you speak the language and how many Vietnamese Communist Party members you actually know. It has been said, (while I expect this to be true, I lack personal experience in China, except for Taiwan and don't know this for a fact) that Vietnamese society is more Chinese than much of China. Still Vietnamese have spent almost their entire in resisting Chinese conquest. To the extent that the Vietnamese were anyones puppet during the Viet Nam War Viet Nam was the Puppet of the USSR. Viet Nam has also fought two small wars against China post Viet Nam War with America.
Ho Chi Minh was a true believing Communist as were most of the people in North Viet Nam during the War. There is no question that the North Vietnamese dream was to build a Country like their idealized picture of the USSR and Red China. Chinese agression and the end of the USSR fixed that.
It is also true that their has long been discussion about whether China's ascendancy into Master of the World was inevitable or whether a a continuation of a more diversified multi-polar world like currently exists will continue into the future. How America and the rest of the world reacts to China's agression in the part of the Pacific Ocean west of the Philippine Islands has a lot to do with how that discussion plays out.
The punch line is that the Viet Nam you describe strikes me, I live here in Viet Nam, as roughly as far removed from reality as John Chan's description of Viet Nam. For the record, Viet Nam is no Heaven on Earth. I've lived in a corrupt society, Chicago, and know corruption when I see it. Viet Nam has a lot of work still to do in cleaning up corruption. Viet Nam is trying. Chicago?
Kim’s Uncle
I think you need about to read about the history of the CPV ! It is a widely known fact VC got assistance from the CCP in the early years without Mao’s victory in 1949 in the Chinese civil war the VC would be nowhere fighting French Union forfces and Vietnam National Army! Uncle Ho’s supporters always BS about fighting for independence but the reality was they fought for power just as Mao did. A true nationalist would love for his people first n foremost! No damn ideology or party is above the country or nation. It is a fact that during the Vietnam War over 320,000 Chinese logistical troops served in North Vietnam. Supplies from the USSR passed through china via railways. Commies helping commies. People in north Vietnam had a saying, china will help north Vietnam fight the Americans to the last Vietnamese. I think we all know what that means! So because VC were greedy for power n had delusions of grandeur they plunged all Vietnam into a fratricidal war that kill over 3 million Vietnamese! VC only turn against China after the war just as VC turn against the Khmer Rouge. See commies will alway sell each other out one way or the other! I don’t know why you bring up ancient Viet people resisting china? That’s a given everyone knows that ! China will always be a threat to Vietnam! Ancient Viet people were not commies! VC were commies who brought the Chinese commies into VN! VC were hell bent to wage war against other Viet people who were not commies. So one has to ask who is doing the bidding of the chinamen? VC clearly divided Viet people by following the path laid out by Chinese commies! The source of all wars in Asia has been red china for the last 60 years ever since Mao came to power! Do not equate the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam as the nation n people of Vietnam. One day when the CPV becomes the dustbin of history Vietnam n her people will remain n endure!
Nguyen Noi Noi
@ Kim's uncle
Thank you for your concern for my nation. You must love my country so much that every time there is an article about Viet Nam, there, I see your comment. However your furry comments is not edifying anything but manifest the fire of your hate, and your bitterness to the Communist Party. I can see that you are quite eloquence in your writing which indicates you have some level of education. I can see that you have such a head knowledge but one education you lack, that is the education of the heart. Kim, doesn't matter whether it is democracy or theocracy or communist or maoist… if you have such a hate, and bitter there you are a slave to it. Outward political systems only can rule some external matter. It seems you have living a life of bitterness. Why is that? Find someone to have you exorcise it out of your soul or you would become a very, very grumpy old man that no body likes to be close.
Political system of VN or China or any where else in the world will not change because of your sarcasm, it shows your low and shallow understand the nature of man and the nature of politics. Those who live a life of bitterness will die in bitterness. What a waste of life old Kim!
Yes everything in this world will one day going to the dirt bin, but it seems the history is not so kind to those like you who harbors bitterness. Does not matter how you see history but Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Viet Nam has found their place in history. It has been written in French, in English, in Russian, in Latin America, Swahili, Arabic, Hindi… You can never eradicate what they have achieved. Poor you old Kim.
You are quite deceptive and so coward that you do not even identify your nationality but hide behind a facade of old Kim. It seems My Linh a lady has more courage than you. Would you dare to have a coffee with her? I doubt you ever dare to because coward never have the courage to face the truth or accept the truth.
Artis Paintre
Analysing the old school tactics based on personal attacks, playing down others' "education" level and self-appropriation of the whole country, I bet my 2 cents that Nguyen Noi Noi is one of those opinion movers paid by the Department of Public Security, on rampage on the Internet lately.
Nguyen Noi Noi (blah blah), Vietnam is the country of every Vietnamese, she is not your personal property. The very idea of the Vietnamese nation was not devised by the Vietnamese Communists, Vietnam existed before the VCP and she will survive the fall of the Communists. Criticising the Vietnamese communists is not playing down Vietnam as the nation.
For each book or paper praising the work of the VN Commies, one could find a paper claiming the contrary, in the same language. Who cares ? After all, I have a few books in vietnamese, printed on dark paper, glorifying Stalin and Mao.
By the way Linh_My doesn't seem to be a lady, according to his post to Jacques de Golfiem. And I 'm willing to have a coffee (a real Vietnamese street coffee made from coffee and maize grains, only found in Vietnam) with him and his wife in Saigon, next to the brand new Chinese Consulate, surrounded by the propaganda banners " Mừng Đảng, Mừng Xuân" (…hard to translate) or "Đảng là mùa xuân, Ánh dương xây đời mới" (The Party is the Spring, the sun ray for a new life) so pervasive these days.
Sang Hoang
Nobody play a personal attack in a debate or discussion, much less it is happening here. It is not a good comment at all. Viet Nam had been a great country until 1975. The southerners were forced to leave the country in lieu of living with the commies. It is the time to get rid of communism. I am so ashamed of current authority.
James Hollifield
The world would be a boring place (and probably a dying place), if there is just one species.
We need diversity in each nation, and certainly in the whole world. One shoe does not fit all.
Survive by the fitness. Whatever can survive the competitions is the one that should continue.
As long as there are check-and-balance, Vietnam is okay. They can develop well if they follow Singapore's model.