Viet N Vi Nam Brief Bi f

Emeritus Professor Carl Thayer 16th Delegation of Young Political Leaders Australian Political Exchange Council Hotel Realm, Canberra March 23, 2012

Outline of Presentation
Background C Comparison of Vietnamese and i f Vi t d Australian Political Systems Current Political Structure and Government Current Issues

 Background g
14th most populous country 91 5m 91.5m (2011) $299 billion GDP d in (ppp) 43rd i 2011 ( ) $121.6 billion GDP (nominal) 2011 Economic growth rate 5.8% (2011) ( ) Success in poverty reduction

Human Geography
Kinh 85.7% Tay 1.9% Thai 1.8 Muong 1.5 Khmer 1 5 Kh 1.5 Mong 1.2 Nung 1/1% Others 5 3% 5.3%

Still a Developing Country

Organisation World Economic Forum World Bank United Nations Development Programme Transparency International Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal Reporters Without Borders Survey
p Global Competitiveness Report 2011-12 (-6) Ease of Doing Business Report, 2012 (-5) p , ( ) Human Development Index 2011 (nil change) Corruption Perceptions Index 2011 (+4) Index of Economic Freedom 2012 (+8)

Ranking
65 out of 142 98 out of 183 128 out of 187 112 out of 182 136 out of 179

Worldwide Press Freedom 172 out of Index 2011-12 (-7) 179

Comparison of Vietnamese and Australian A stralian Political Systems S stems

Separation of power Multi-party Compulsory voting C l ti Bicameral legislature Politically neutral armed forces Civic organisations are independent p Media independent

No separation of power One-party Voting non-compulsory non compulsory Unicameral legislature Politically active armed forces Mass organisations state-controlled Media state-controlled

 Political Structure and Government

Leninist one-party Dual l lit D l role elites Gradual political liberalisation since 1992 No pluralism, multi-parties or opposition Market economy with socialist orientations y Soft-authoritarian

Administrative Divisions p 59 provinces 5 municipalities

Hanoi H i Haiphong Da Nang Ho Chi Minh City Can Tho

O Party S OneOne-P State Vietnam Communist Party y

The State Armed Forces Mass Organisations

Vietnam Communist Party

11th National Congress January 2011 y

Nguyn Ph Trng y Secretary-General

Party Power Structure

>3.5 million members

Congress 1,377 delegates

Central Committee 175 members

Politburo 14 members

Secretary General

Central Committee

175 full and 25 alternate members, Central Committee required t meet in plenary C itt i d to ti l session twice a year.

Political Bureau 2011

Vietnam s Vietnams Power elite

Secretary General

State President

Prime Minister

Permanent S Secretary y Party Secretariat

Chair National Assembly y Standing Committee

The State
President Trng Tn Sang Vice President Nguyn Th Doan

Cabinet - Chnh Ph Ch Ph (literally government)

From collective leadership to ministerial responsibility

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung g y g

Heads Cabinet

Member of Politburo

National Assembly Qu H Quc Hi

Nguyn Sinh Hng - Chair guy S g C a 500 deputies from 64 administrative units Bi-annual sessions National Assembly Standing Committee

Rule of Law Rule Law

Proceedings broadcast on radio and television, voting results made public, full-time deputies, Ministers grilled, legislation amended, two of the Prime Ministers Cabinet nominees rejected, confidence vote, reviewed bauxite contract with Chinese firm, high-speed rail rejected

Vietnam Peoples Army

The Armed Forces have an explicit role i th political system t in the liti l

Vietnam Fatherland Front Mt Trn T Quc Tr T Qu

Vietnam Communist Party Peoples Armed Forces General Confederation of Labour Vietnam Farmers Union Vietnam Youth Federation Vietnam Vietnam Womens Union Vietnam Veterans Union

 Current Issues
a. Landtenure b. Partyreform anticorruption c. SouthChinaSeadispute c South China Sea dispute d. Suppressionoffreedomofspeech/dissent e. Contaminationofpetrol

Land Tenure Dispute

on Vn Vn resists eviction from land he leased and successfully developed in Tien Lang district

PartyParty-Building & Reform y g

National conference on implementing the Resolution of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committees fourth plenum On Urgent Issues in Party-Building opened in Hanoi on February 27, 2012

East Sea (South China Sea) ( )

Unprecedented public d U d t d bli demonstrations against Chi on S th Chi S claims t ti i t China South China Sea l i held in 2011.

DecliningHumanRights g g
33 peaceful activists imprisoned and another 27 arrested pending trial in 2011 p g Bloggers, writers, human rights defenders. anticorruption campaigners, democracy advocates, land p p g , y , rights activists, minority religious groups Mistreatment of Christian ethnic minorities and Falun Gong adherents Ce so s p of te et a d aceboo Censorship o Internet and Facebook

Petrol Contamination

Contact Details
carlthayer@webone.com.au Mobile: 0437 376 429

Thayer Consultancy P.O. P O Box 435 Jamison Centre, ACT 2614