VN news (June 2)

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

Hanoi says ready to take "Vietnamese" boatpeople 
Australia's Downer set to build bridges in Vietnam 
Australian Foreign Minister to Arrive in Hanoi 
Vietnam defends its human rights record 
Hanoi official withdraws candidacy for parliament in sex scandal
Vietnam mine kills six 
July 1, 1997 - Highlights of Vietnam's daily newspapers today
Vietnamese Newspapers Praise HK's Return to China 
USIS - US Committed To Normalisation Of Ties With Vietnam 
USIS - U.S Disappoited With Pace Of Reform In Vietnam 
U.S. Policy on China, Vietnam Is Hypocritical ... 

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Hanoi says ready to take "Vietnamese" boatpeople 

Hanoi, July 2 (Reuter) - Hanoi said on Wednesday it would take back boatpeople
from Hong Kong who are Vietnamese, but made no mention of those it has
not recognised as its own nationals and said the fate of refugee migrants
was up to the United Nations.

The statement, from the Foreign Ministry, was Vietnam's first comment
on the problem of boatpeople remaining in Hong Kong since the former
British colony's return to China at midnight last Monday.

"Regarding the issue of the boatpeople, Vietnam's consistent stand is
to accept the repatriation of those whose nationality is defined as Vietnamese,"
the ministry said.

Hanoi took a swipe at Hong Kong's colonial administration and London
last week, blaming them for the failure of efforts to deport 430 Vietnam-recognised
nationals before the handover deadline.

Their return was delayed for a variety of reasons, including medical
and legal problems.

However, that was just one small group from about 3,200 Vietnamese who
were still in Hong Kong on its return to mainland sovereignty.

Some 1,600 are waiting for resettlement in third countries as refugees,
800 recent arrivals will be deported later and 397 have not been recognised
by Vietnam as its own nationals.

"In the case of boatpeople currently left in Hong Kong who have been
accepted for refugee status, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees is responsible for arranging their resettlement in third countries
soon," the ministry said.

A UNHCR official, who declined to be named, said efforts to resettle
the refugees had been stepped up ahead of the handover, but the task
had proved difficult because many of them had committed crimes in Hong
Kong or were drug addicts.

As for the non-nationals, he said the UNHCR would continue to discuss
the issue with both Hanoi and Beijing.

Vietnam's boatpeople are a legacy of the Vietnam War, which ended in
1975 with the fall of the government of U.S.-backed Saigon to Hanoi's
forces. In the years that followed, hundreds of thousands left their
homeland for countries around the region.

Repatriation efforts began in the late 1980s, and since then most asylum
camps in the region have been emptied, leaving a small number of difficult
cases in Hong Kong.

Although the issue will continue to be handled by Hong Kong authorities,
Britain's responsibility has ended. Analysts say the matter could therefore
become a future point of friction between Hanoi and Hong Kong's new Beijing
masters.

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Australia's Downer set to build bridges in Vietnam 

Hanoi, July 2 (Reuter) - Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
was due to arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday to reinforce bilateral ties
and mark the start of work on an aid project to build a bridge over the
Mekong River.

Downer will meet Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, Foreign Minister Nguyen
Manh Cam and Minister for Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia, formally
open Canberra's new embassy in Hanoi and attend the ground-breaking ceremony
for the Australian $83 million (US$62.5 million) My Thuan bridge.

He will also make a break in the middle of his visit to Vietnam with
a one-day trip to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.

Diplomats in Hanoi said Downer would focus on trade and economic cooperation
in his talks on Australia's relationship with Vietnam. Australia is one
of Hanoi's top aid donors, a key trading partner and ranks 12th among
foreign investors in Vietnam.

However, the diplomats said Downer was unlikely to leave out the thorny
issue of Hanoi's human rights record.

Downer raised concerns about human rights when Cam visited Australia
in February.

The two men clashed in 1995 when Downer was foreign affairs spokesman
for the then Liberal-National opposition, with Downer saying he had raised
human rights in discussions and Cam saying that the subject had not come
up.

Australia and Vietnam crossed swords in 1994 and 1995 over the membership
of a parliamentary delegation that Canberra wanted to send to Hanoi to
discuss human rights.

The delegation was first cancelled, then revived and rescheduled but
only on Hanoi's condition that it would not seek to interfere in Vietnam's
internal affairs.

Canberra came under pressure from Hanoi last year over a decision to
review the former Labor administration's promise of two-thirds funding
for the A$83 million bridge project.

After months of doubt, Downer announced during a visit in July to Hanoi
that the project would proceed.

The 1.535 km (one mile) cable-suspended bridge, which will have four
lanes for traffic and two footpaths, will replace a ferry service which
each day transports more than 20,000 people, 400 tonnes of freight and
thousands of vehicles.

The bridge, the first across the Mekong in Vietnam, will be 2,000 km
(1,250 miles) downstream from the Australian-built Friendship Bridge
which links Thailand and Laos.

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Australian Foreign Minister to Arrive in Hanoi 

HANOI, July 2 (AFP) - Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer arrived
Wednesday in Hanoi on a visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with
Vietnam, the Australian Embassy said.

Downer was to meet with his counterpart Nguyen Manh Cam later in the
day to discuss regional security concerns and boosting bilateral trade
and investment, an Australian diplomat said.

He said the two countries virtually shared "identical views" on the Korean
Peninsula, the South China Sea and the Taiwan-China question.

"There are no tense points in our bilateral relationship at the moment,"
he said, pointing out Vietnam is not engaged in the same ideological
debate with Australia as it is with the United States.

Last week Madeleine Albright reproached Vietnam for its human rights
record and slow pace of economic reforms.

In 1995 an Australian parliamentary delegation investigating human rights
and religious issues visited Vietnam, but Australia has since softened
its line.

"I think the Australian government realises that screaming about human
rights here or elsewhere in Asia doesn't do any good," said one foreign
diplomat.

Downer will meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet on Thursday
morning before flying to Vientiane for meetings with Lao Prime Minister
Khamtay Siphandone and Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavath.

He returns to Hanoi on Friday when he will visit the Ho Chi Minh National
Politics Institute. On Saturday he will officially open the Australian
Embassy in Hanoi and then fly to Ho Chi Minh City.

On Sunday Downer will attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the My Thuan
Bridge in the southern Mekong delta.

Australia is providing about 47 million dollars in non-refundable aid
towards construction of the 70 million dollar project.

Two-way trade with Australia was 447 million dollars in 1996 and Australia
is Vietnam's 13th largest foreign investor with 678 million (eds: correct)
in approved investments.

About 500 Australians died in the Vietnam War during which about 47,000
Australian troops fought alongside the Americans.

While there are still a handful of Australian servicemen still listed
as missing in action, the Australian government assumes they cannot be
recovered and has not made their fate an issue in bilateral relations.

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Vietnam defends its human rights record 

Hanoi, July 2 (AFP) - Vietnam defended its human rights record Wednesday,
denying it was holding political or religious prisoners.

The foreign ministry said three Vietnamese prisoners whose release was
requested by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright last week were
not jailed for their political or religious views.

"In Vietnam there are absolutely no 'political prisoners' or 'religious
prisoners', only delinquents being handled for legal violations," a ministry
spokesman said in response to questions submitted by AFP.

"Doan Viet Hoat, Nguyen Dan Que and Dang Phuc Tue (known as Thich Quang
Do) are jailed for violating laws, not for their political views and
religion," he said.

Hoat and Que are both serving 20-year prison terms for advocating political
reforms, and Do is a high ranking official of the Unified Bhuddist Church
of Vietnam serving five years.

During her meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam last
Friday, Albright appealed for the release of the three prisoners, and
presented a letter from Hoat's wife in the United States requesting permission
to visit him in prison.

Albright also warned Vietnam it was jeopardizing its chances of full
international acceptance by suppressing human rights, a free press, political
opposition and freedom of religion.

In response, the ministry said, "In Vietnam, citizen's rights to freedom
are clearly stated in the Constitution: press freedom, freedom of speech,
freedom of assembly, demonstration, estabishment of association, freedom
of belief and religion...and are respected in reality."

Hoat was arrested in 1990 after helping publish the "Freedom Forum" newsletter
which advocated a multiparty democracy, and was sentenced to 20 years
in prison in 1993.

Que was sentenced to 20 years in prison for subversive activities after
being arrested for his involvement in a political reform movement known
as the High Tide Humanist Movement. He was also the first member of Amnesty
International in Vietnam.

Do is a 70-year-old secretary general of the Unified Bhuddish Church
of Vietnam (UBCV) sentenced to five years imprisonment in 1995 after
being convicted for "Undermining the Policy of Unity" under the criminal
code.

"All three prisoners are now in the period of serving their sentences,
their health is in normal condition, they receive medical care every
week and are entitled to all conditions in accordance with regulations
on the ordinance on implementing prison terms," the foreign ministry
said.

Concerning Hoat's wife, it said "her request was considered and handled
in conformity with current stipulations of Vietnamese laws."

In Vietnam all press is state controlled, and there is only one legal
political party, the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Hanoi does not recognize the UBCV and only allows the Vietnam Bhuddist
Church as the sole legitimate Bhuddist Organization.

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Hanoi official withdraws candidacy for parliament in sex scandal

Hanoi (dpa) - A high-ranking official has withdrawn his candidacy for
the National Assembly (parliament) because of his "failure to meet standards
of the candidate", Vietnam's Electoral council announced Wednesday.

The officials of the National Assembly's office declined to elaborate
but, according to the press reports, 43-year-old Nguyen Van Bu from Ho
Chi Minh City was forced to withdraw his candidacy because of his involvement
in a sex scandal.

Nguyen Van Bu from the city's Cu Chi suburban area was accused of having
simultaneously extramarital affairs with two women. He admitted one of
these alleged two affairs and withdrew his candidacy for a parliament
seat, the reports said.

Nguyen Van Bu still holds the post of the member of the Communist party
committee of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the post of chairman of Peasants'
Union, which operates in the city's suburban areas.

Two months ago the session of Vietnam's National Assembly, Vietnam's
parliament, approved new legislation that will be applied for the next
parliamentary election on July 20. Under the new law, the candidates
for Assembly's seats, which is elected once in five years, get the right
to campaign in the state-run media.

At the moment most of the deputies have other duties, mainly within the
state apparatus, and under the current legislation, the National Assembly
meets for only two one-month sessions every year. According to the new
law, the number of Assembly's deputies will be be raised to 450 from
the current 395.

During the forthcoming elections the ratio of lawmakers, who are not
ruling Communist party members, is going to be raised up to at least
20 per cent from 8 per cent at present, according to the National Assembly
officials. However, it remains unclear whether sometime in the future
Hanoi is going to match the ratio of Communists in the parliament to
the ratio of party members in the general population, which is currently
two million for 77 million.

The proposed reforms are seen by analysts as an attempt by Hanoi to respond
to criticism that the Assembly only rubber stamps the ruling Communist
party's decisions.

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Vietnam mine kills six 

Jane's Defence Weekly
07/02/97

An anti-tank mine left from the Vietnam War has killed six people after
exploding under a truck in Tay Ninh province near Cambodia. The driver,
three farmers and two soldiers were killed in the explosion.

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Hanoi, July 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of Vietnam's daily newspapers today:

NHAN DAN:

- Nearly 930,000 Vietnamese students throughout the country today begin
the first phase of universities and colleges entrance exams, which are
divided into three phases.

- The State Bank of Vietnam has dropped its interest rates for loans
made both in dong and the US dollars in an effort to attract more borrowers.

HANOI MOI:

- Companies from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam bid
yesterday to upgrade four sections of National Highway 1 from Hanoi to
the China-border province of Lang Son.

- Hanoi Women Union has loaned more than VND38 billion (US$3.5 million)
to over 55,000 women this year, VND 15 billion more than last year.

VIETNAM NEWS:

- The State Bank of Vietnam promises it would intervene to ensure that
local commercial banks repay letters of credit to foreign financial institutions
if the Vietnamese borrowers became insolvent.

(VNA)

01-07 1605

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Vietnamese Newspapers Praise HK's Return to China 

HANOI (July 1) XINHUA - A commentary in Vietnam's leading newspaper,
Nhan Dan (The People), today hailed China's resumption of the exercise
of sovereignty over Hong Kong.

The newspaper said that the day of July 1, 1997, would be written in
the annals of Chinese history as a day marking the end of foreign colonial
rule in Hong Kong.

The comment said Vietnam pays great attention to the development of ties
with China and good neighborly and mutually beneficial cooperation with
Hong Kong. The Vietnamese people hope to further develop these ties,
the paper said.

Other leading newspapers in Vietnam also paid tribute to Hong Kong's
return to China.

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USIS - US Committed To Normalisation Of Ties With Vietnam 

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, July 1 Asia Pulse - The United States is committed
to full normalization of diplomatic, political and economic relations
with Vietnam, according to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

"We want to see the people of Vietnam prosper and their society play
a constructive role in the region and the world," Albright said in June
28 remarks to the American business community in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Albright said she has been very encouraged by commitments from Vietnamese
officials concerning the progress of the refugee resettlement program.

"If that progress materializes, I expect to be able to recommend to President
Clinton that he waive the Jackson-Vanik provision very soon," she said.

Albright added that the United States and Vietnam have signed an agreement
for the protection of intellectual property rights and are working on
a comprehensive trade agreement.

"The United States Government is prepared to do its part," she said,
but warned that "it takes two to reach a trade agreement. An agreement
that does not open markets and assure fair treatment for U.S. investment,
goods and services neither can nor should pass muster with Congress."

ASIA PULSE

01-07 1534

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USIS - U.S Disappoited With Pace Of Reform In Vietnam 

Hanoi, July 1 (Asia Pulse) - In her meetings with the Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister of Vietnam, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
expressed the Clinton Administration's disappointment with the recent
pace of economic reform in Vietnam.

"Over the past decade, the policy of renovation -- 'doi moi' -- has served
Vietnam well," she said. "But what is needed now is 'doi moi 2.'" During
a press conference following the June 27 meetings, Albright said: "The
key to economic integration and to a mutually beneficial bilateral trade
agreement is for Vietnam to remove barriers to trade and investment,
reduce the role of inefficient state monopolies, and create a legal framework
in which foreign investors will have confidence and local entrepreneurs
may thrive.

"This is not just an American view. To participate and prosper in today's
global marketplace, societies must strive to ensure that their markets
are open, contracts are honored, corruption is curbed, and competition
is fair," she said.

Progress on human rights is also critical, Albright said.

"It is our view that Vietnam is holding itself back from greater international
participation and respect through its failure to permit organized political
opposition and a free press, its unwillingness to observe fully the right
to religious expression and its refusal to release prisoners of conscience,"
she said.

"Economic and political openness are two sides of the same coin," Albright
continued. "Ultimately, you cannot have one without the other. Both are
required for development and both depend on creation of a viable civil
society and respect for the rule of law."

ASIA PULSE

01-07 1530

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U.S. Policy on China, Vietnam Is Hypocritical ... 

Albright hectors Hanoi, then celebrates the hand-over of Hong Kong to
a regime with the worst of human rights records.
Los Angeles Times
By ROBERT SCHEER

BANGKOK--Am I alone in finding it unseemly that Madeleine Albright was
in Hanoi hectoring the Vietnamese about human rights just days before
she was to attend the celebration of the passage of Hong Kong into the
hands of the Red Chinese?
     "It is our view," Albright said, "that Vietnam is holding itself
back from greater international participation and respect through its
failure to permit organized political opposition and a free press, its
unwillingness to observe fully the right to religious expression and
its refusal to release prisoners of conscience."
     This in the same week that the U.S. extended most-favored-nation
status to China. The same week that the leading Chinese prisoner of conscience,
Wei Jingsheng, was reported by his family to have been brutally beaten
in the prison where he is being held.
     The assertion of such a baldly hypocritical standard in assessing
China as compared with Vietnam makes a total mockery of U.S. protestations
of concern about human rights. Better to just shut up about human rights
than to drag this noble cause through the lowest shoals of political
opportunism.
     What arrogance for a U.S. secretary of state, who herself once strongly
supported the war in Vietnam, to lecture a people about the rights of
humans after we killed more than 3 million of them in a war that we now
concede was a mistake. Albright was a protege of Zbigniew Brzezinski
and worked for him on the National Security Council staff when this country
made its secret deal with China to bring the genocidal Khmer Rouge into
a coalition to regain power in Cambodia after the Vietnamese had thrown
them out. Albright long has been a strong believer in applying a double
standard to human rights issues. Asked by a reporter why the U.S. extends
trade benefits to China while continuing to isolate Cuba, the then U.N.
ambassador replied, "We do not have a cookie cutter approach to policy.
China is a world power. . . . Cuba is an embarrassment to the Western
Hemisphere."
     Wrong. It is the Clinton administration that is a continuing embarrassment
in playing the human rights card as an electoral trick. Cuba policy is
driven by the need to carry Florida. The MIA issue is another vote-getter,
and for that reason, the U.S. still spends more than three times as much--$10
million a year--pretending to look for downed pilots as it does on humanitarian
aid to Vietnam.
     Evidently Albright was moved by her visit to a facility near Ho
Chi Minh City, that is still fitting amputees, that lingering legacy
of the U.S. intervention, with prosthetic devices. She used the photo
op to seize credit for the tiny amount of U.S. aid that supports a few
rehabilitation programs in a country we devastated. The U.S., which defoliated
Vietnam with Agent Orange and leveled it with more bombs than ever were
dropped on any country, including the combined total used against both
Germany and Japan in World War II, spends a scant $3 million a year on
all Vietnam assistance.
     The Vietnamese are supposed to be thrilled at the prospect of getting
more investment from U.S. companies if Vietnam ensures a docile work
force. As poor nations compete for foreign investments, they bargain
away the rights of their workers to organize to earn a decent living.
The serious human rights battle shaping up in Vietnam, China and in much
of the developing world is over the rankest exploitation of human labor.
     It is for that reason particularly shameful that Andy Young, another
Democrat who also once served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., should
now be in the business of whitewashing the Nike Corp.'s Asian operations.
Nike has 350,000 employees in Asia and the company hired Young, well
known for his human rights advocacy, to tell us that all is well with
its operations.
     I can't confirm Young's assessment of conditions in the Nike factories
since I was not permitted to visit one on a recent trip. But I do know
the $1.50 a day Nike pays hardly qualifies as a "living wage." In addition,
a Vietnamese court last week convicted a Nike manager for ordering workers
to jog in the sweltering heat as a reprisal for insubordination.
     The ultimate test of human rights in Vietnam, as in China, will
be in how the government and its foreign joint venture partners treat
their workers, and it would be refreshing to once hear a spokesperson
for the free world make that point. Just once. Just do it.

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