Tu+? Vi

[huy.duong@ctsu.ox.ac.uk]

Cha`o ca'c ba'c tu+? vi,

Ma^'y ba'c coi chu+`ng pha.m lua^.t nu+o+'c ta ve^` te^. na.n xa~
ho^.i -do' nhe. To^i chi? ba'o cho ca'c ba'c bie^'t va^.y tho^i,
cho+' kho^ng pha?i la` vi` to^i nghi~ TV chu+a co' tha`nh qua?
-du+o+.c -da'nh gia' mo^.t ca'ch khoa ho.c -da^u nhe. Xin ca'c
ba'c -du+`ng hie^?u la^`m.

Bo.n Vie^.t Kie^`u to^i cu~ng lo qua'. Mo+'i ho^m ro^`i -du+o+.c thu?
tu+o+'ng Vo~ Va<n Kie^.t chu'c Te^'t, ha^n ha.nh va` mu+`ng ghe^, 
kho^ng ngo+` nay la.i bi. Bo^. Va<n Hoa' va` Tho^ng Tin nghi to^.i
la`m nhu.c -da^'t nu+o+'c. XEM tha^.t kho^ng bie^'t -du+o+`ng na`o
ma` ro+`.

Huy
  

Hanoi -- Vietnam cranked up its campaign against "social evils"
on Monday with new moves ahead of the Lunar New Year aimed at
eradicating literature deemed to be violent, superstitious or
having "bad content".

The main targets are subversive literature brought into the
country by overseas Vietnamese returning to visit their families
           *******************   
and publications about fortunetelling and other "superstitious"
                       **************
subjects that appeal to the mainly Buddhist population.

"At Tet [Lunar New Year] a lot of publications have what we call
negative aspects," an official at the Ministry of Culture and
Information said. "A lot of people go to pagodas or temples and
there are a lot of books on fortunetellers and that sort of
thing. So it's only for Vietnamese who practise Buddhism."

He said the annual influx of overseas Vietnamese for the New Year
celebrations also posed a threat, saying the focus was on
"literature with a bad element especially brought by overseas
Vietnamese from outside that tries to humiliate [Vietnam]".
                                      *******************
"The government is trying control, to monitor those elements that
can influence [people]," he added.

Vietnam's publishing industry remains firmly in state hands, but
abuse of the system is widespread. Some publications manage to
see print without authorization.

Ministry of Culture licences are required before anything can be
commercially printed. Imported publications are censored and
unflattering articles about Vietnam are often removed.

The official conceded that outlawed literature and publications
were not a big problem and that the new moves were part of normal
ministry work. "It's an activity we have to do every year. It is
the policy or strategy of the government to build up a healthy
culture," he said.

The new campaign is set to run up to the Lunar New Year in early
February. Unlike last year's campaign, however, when the
government introduced a Social Evils Decree and party cadres
stormed through Hanoi's streets tearing down signs bearing
foreign brand names and foreign language text, the latest
attempts at cleaning up society are low key.

There were no parades through the capital's streets, no banners
fixed to public buildings and no groups of officials knocking on
doors. Last year saw a rolling wave of major crackdowns to wipe
out prostitution, drug abuse, gambling, corruption and subversive
or offensive literature and videos, but the results have been
difficult to determine.

Prostitution in all major cities remains rampant, estimates of
the numbers of drug addicts have risen to an all-time high of
more than 190,000 and smuggling and corruption remain unchecked.

The official English-language daily Vietnam News reported on
Monday that during 1996 in Hanoi alone more than 29,000
complainants filed charges of corruption. Subsequent
investigations led to the confiscation of 11 billion dong (US$1
million), the seizure of 18,000 sqm of land and 302 people being
prosecuted.

Prosecutors in southern Ho Chi Minh City called for death
sentences on Monday in the country's biggest fraud trial to date.
The court is likely to sentence two of the eight defendants to
execution by firing squad and give a life term to another.

The case involves charges of embezzlement and cheating by state
officials and others and more than US$12 million in cash and
gold.

An even bigger case centering on Ho Chi Minh City-based company
Tamexco is expected to come before the courts within the week. It
reportedly involves the disappearance of US$50 million and top
bankers and senior officials reportedly have been implicated.

Vietnam's chief prosecutor Le Thanh Dao was dismissed in November
for alleged corruption and several senior police officers were
arrested at the end of 1996 in connection with drug smuggling. --

By Andy Soloman, Asia Times