Introduction: Despite Hanoi's massive system of internal control, the regime cannot always control the leaking of "top secret" information, including the following summarized document titled "Internal Information." Produced by the Party Central Committee in December 1997, the document addresses issues of security and ideology. More than anything, it reveals the regime's paranoia, regarding everyone its enemy--from foreign journalists and news agencies to overseas Vietnamese communities, from ordinary peasants to religious organizations. The document admits many of the grave problems confronting the regime today.

Internal Information
(For internal dissemination only; not to be released to the public)

Subject: Information regarding national security and thinking, December 1997

In the past few months, media in the West and hostile forces overseas, specifically the Vietnamese community abroad, have concentrated to disseminate news, comments to distort the situation in Vietnam regarding our economy, unrest in Thai Binh and Tra Co (Dong Nai), the Francophonie Summit, the Fourth National Conference of Buddhists and matters relating to democracy and human rights in Vietnam.

About Vietnam's economy

The attacks surround Vietnam's loss of economic momentum; economic stagnation in banking, trade and foreign investments. There have been many negative analysis of the economic policy of our state. In the French newspaper "Le Monde" on Nov. 11, 1997, Yves Manou criticized: "It seems that the Vietnamese Communist government cannot get hold of the on-going socioeconomic changes."

In short, the Western media criticizes Marxism-Leninism, dismisses socialism, regards our "market-economy under the Socialist direction" as erroneous. In their view, Vietnam must abandon socialism, accept the market-economy, freedom, democracy, pluralism, multi-parties like the Western world. These are nothing new but not without attraction and dangers, especially while we are facing economic difficulties of our own and in the region.

Regarding the unrest in Thai Binh and elsewhere

The VOA cited the following reasons for unrest: abject poverty in the countryside and official corruption, despite the fact that Vietnam is the world's second rice exporter, huge gap between rich and poor, high taxation, increasing unemployment with an estimated 8.5 million unemployed peasants by the year 2000. Despite our effort to calm down these areas, foreign media say the situation remains tense.

Unlike unrest in Thai Binh, the unrest in Tra Co was reported immediately right after the incidents. RFI continuously reported on Nov. 24, 25, 26 that "The event had been foreseen after similar unrest in Thai Binh." BBC reported the unrest in Tra Co as caused by both religion and disenchantment against the government. Many foreign media which hardly reported Vietnam news now also commented about the unrest in Dong Nai. The Le Progre`s - Egypt - commented on Nov. 11 "This (Dong Nai) unrest reminded people of the unrest by peasants in Thai Binh. These violent protests which are scarce in Vietnam, have rocked the Vietnamese Communist Party. Corruption and land confiscation are the two main reasons that caused the popular anger, which official media here is still kept silent about."

According to RFI, an International Human Rights organization has connected the Thai Binh and Dong Nai unrest, charging that they resulted from the lack of the rights to assemble and express.

The Francophonie Summit was also exploited by foreign media to bad mouth our state. Digging into sensitive issues of democracy and human rights, foreign media have collaborated with Vietnamese reactionary elements overseas to smear Vietnam's image regarding democracy and human rights.

Reactionary elements and organizations overseas in the past few month have taken advantage of the Francophonie Summit and unrest in Thai Binh, Xuan Loc (Dong Nai) to exploit Vietnam's situation and discredit the state before the eyes of the world. In particular, these reactionary organizations in the U.S., Canada and Australia have carried out many protests, meetings, conferences for what they term as "supporting the people inside Vietnam." Most dedicated to these farces are extremists in organizations such as the "Human Rights Committee" (by Vo Van Ai), "The Free Vietnam Alliance," and the "Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam Overseas." A number of reactionary groups and traitor elements in the former Eastern European countries, the former East Germany and the Soviet Union also participated in these reactionary activities along with Bui Tin, Vu Thu Hien, and Nguyen Minh Can. They have participated in rallies, conferences against our Party and State; they have given interviews and written articles critical of our regime, demanding democracy, freedom, pluralism and multiparties.

Recently through the Internet and facsimile, many of our offices have received documents of reactionary nature, inciting chaos and calls for the toppling of our government. We cannot lose our vigilance.