Vietnam’s National Assembly has accepted the resignation of Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong, who has become the second president to step down in as many years amid a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign. In a statement yesterday, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) announced that it had accepted Thuong’s resignation from all official … Read more
Vietnam’s National Assembly is scheduled to meet later this week to discuss unspecified “personnel issues,” Reuters reported today, citing a letter sent to legislators that raises the possibility of more upheaval at the upper ranks of the government. The letter signed by the general secretary of the national assembly Bui Van Cuong and sent to … Read more
The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has issued a broad-ranging directive calling for further restrictions against the activities of civil society groups, including trade unions, and increasing scrutiny of foreign organizations and Vietnamese nationals traveling abroad. The document, known as Directive 24, was obtained by Project88, a Bangkok-based human rights organization focused on Vietnam, which … Read more
This month Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong failed to make an appearance during the recent visits of the Lao prime minister and Indonesian president. This gave rise to intense speculation in the Western media that Trong is seriously ill and is being treated in hospital. While Trong subsequently appeared at … Read more
Outside my window, as I write, snow is falling in clods, scattering powder on the ground I fear won’t last until the 25th. Christmastime is upon us and, naturally, a worn-down copy of “A Christmas Carol” is being thumbed through a chapter per day in the Hutt household. Concurrently, I’m also reading, less merrily, the … Read more
In the heart of Vietnam, where ancient traditions intertwine with modern aspirations, a curious symbol has emerged as a stark representation of the country’s deep-rooted corruption: the Styrofoam box. These humble containers, once used to transport everyday items such as fresh produce and packaged goods, have become synonymous with the brazen acts of bribery and … Read more
On November 14, police in Thai Binh province detained a National Assembly delegate, Luu Binh Nhuong, on suspected charges of corruption. The accusations are odd, but it appears that Nhuong has been charged with illegally mining sand and forcing businesses to buy it, and has been linked to someone already convicted of a similar crime. … Read more
Advertisement Social media in Vietnam is currently flooded with calls to save death-row inmate Nguyễn Văn Chưởng. Arrested in 2007, Chưởng was sentenced to death for masterminding the murder and robbery of a police officer and has spent 15 years on death row. Since his conviction, Chưởng and his family have continued to claim his … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia Among the most prominent officials were high-ranking members of the ministries of foreign affairs, public health, and public security. Advertisement On Friday, one of Vietnam’s largest-ever bribery cases concluded with hefty prison terms for 54 people, including a former deputy foreign minister and several senior diplomats. They were accused and convicted of … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia The overreaction to the film’s alleged depiction of China’s “nine-dash line” claim is a feature, not a bug, of the country’s culture of censorship. Advertisement Vietnam’s decision to ban the highly anticipated film “Barbie” due to concerns over an alleged “offending image of the nine-dash line” has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and … Read more