From Radio Free Asia Vietnam Update Vol. 1 No. 11
Radio Free Asia (RFA) has received by e-mail the fifth issue of Thao Thuc (Expectations), the clandestine publication of youth in Vietnam.
The publication first appeared two years ago but last year, because of a countrywide clampdown on unauthorized publications, the Thao Thuc team went into hiding to avoid arrest.
"Today, after more than half a year of lying low so as to avoid the public security net, we are back in contact with you," the latest issue states.
"Let us announce to you the good news: our side has remained intact."
The lead article of the fifth issue, "We Must Wrest Back the Universities," deals with Vietnamese universities and technical schools, painting the following picture: Priority for entrance into these institutions is based on the Party seniority of the parents. Even so, many "labor heroes" of all kinds are unable to pass the secondary level exit tests and "equivalencies" are accepted in their place. With such dumbing down of university degrees, the CPV takes away the last claim of independently successful scholars who obtain their degrees through long and arduous years of study and effort.
Despite maneuvers to keep themselves and their class in power, the Party stalwarts are unable to make themselves look better in the eyes of the people, Thao Thuc states. University degrees are distributed liberally to Party members but the people still comment: "Dumb as specialists, stupid like the in-service people." Thao Thuc says that it is time for the students of Vietnam to reclaim their universities. Noting that six Indonesian students lost their lives last year in restoring democracy to that country, the paper says that is high time that the students of Vietnam cease concerning themselves with only their private life and start thinking in larger context and of the interests of the nation.
Other newsworthy items from Thao Thuc: "Nguyen Thanh Giang Has Put the (Communist) Party to Shame"-The March arrest of Dr. Nguyen Thanh Giang, Vietnam's best known geophysicist, and the subsequent unauthorized ransacking of his home in search of incriminating documents has caused such an outcry in the world that the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is now shamefaced.
"Le Kha Phieu, Who Are You?"-In his recent visit to China, CPV Secretary General Le Kha Phieu did not raise the issue of the Spratly and Paracel Islands with his counterparts. Instead, he discussed minor border problems in the Gulf of Tonkin, which are insignificant compared to the competing claims over the Spratly and Paracel Islands. It appears that he went to China to do the bidding of the Chinese.
"Anti Corruption"-This article questions the determination of the CPV to uproot corruption and cites the following examples:
Vo Nam, the out-of-wedlock son of former Prime Minster Von Van Kiet and Mrs. Ho Thi Min, acquired as least 30 million U.S. dollars in his dealings with foreign construction companies. Phuong, the son-in-law of former CPV General Secretary Do Muoi, is known to be one of the richest men in the country, with a fortune only smaller than that of Mrs. Phan Luong Cam, Mr. Vo Van Kiet's wife. Quang, the son of Deputy Prime Minster Ngo Xuan Loc, has acquired several million U.S. dollars despite that fact that he only recently went into business. Vinh, the son of ex-General Nguyen Chi Thanh, specializes in selling guns to international mafia organizations. His fortune is estimated to be at least several tens of millions of U.S. dollars. Dien, son of Secretary General Le Kha Phieu, owns several million dollars, even through he is new to the business world. Former Secretary General Do Muoi had a million dollars to give away the year before last and retired General Pham Hong Son, a friend of Le Kha Phieu, bought a reversal of a court sentence by giving 200 million dong to the chief magistrate.
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