by Trần Đắc Lợi
Standing Vice-President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and
Secretary General of the Vietnam Peace & Development Foundation at the meeting with delegates of the 17th General Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth
Hanoi, Vietnam, March 14, 2007
VIET NAM
ON THE ROAD TOWARDS SOCIALISM
By Cde. Tran Dac Loi, Standing Vice-President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and Secretary General of the Vietnam Peace & Development Foundation at the meeting with delegates of the 17th
General Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth
Hanoi, Vietnam, March 14, 2007
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Dear comrades and friends,
Years ago, while we were fighting the US war of aggression, the word “Vietnam” became very familiar to the world. However, over the past decades, less information about Vietnam has reached to the outside world, and therefore understanding of Vietnam has become less among the world friends. It is against this background that I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with a broad overview about history of Vietnam, with the main focus put on its development over the past 30 years.
The history of Vietnam had been always witnessed untold hardships and challenges in its struggles against foreign invasions for national defense and construction.
In 1858, the French legionnaires invaded Viet Nam, suppressing all resistance forces in blood, step by step occupied the country and finally imposed the colonial yoke on the Vietnamese people. As the rulers, instead of bringing “civilization”, “liberty” “equality” and “fraternity” to our country, those French colonialists did nothing other than brutally exploiting our natural resources and human labor. They built more prisons than schools. They produced more alcohol and opium than rice. Towards the end of World War II, Japanese fascism jumped into Viet Nam and collaborated with the French in ruling Vietnam. The Vietnamese people were thus put under a double yoke. In 1945 alone, two million out of the then total 22 million strong Vietnamese population died of starvation, while some 95% of the nation were illiterate. Under the leadership of the Vietnam Communist Party and Ho Chi Minh, we succeeded in launching the August 1945 Revolution that won the power from the Japanese and the French. On September 2nd, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed independence for the country and founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Under the threat of a French comeback, this newly born revolutionary Government declared a war against hunger, illiteracy and foreign aggression while holding the first free elections in the nation’s history. Between 1946 and 1954, the young republic had again to fight the French colonialists who were then supported by the US imperialists in the 9-year long war that was brought to an end by the historic Dien Bien Phu victory. With the Geneva Accords signed in the first international conference on Vietnam in July 1954, the independent Vietnam was officially recognized by the world, and the country was expected to be unified after two year temporary division for regrouping of opposing forces in preparation for a national general election.
However, this never happened, as the US imperialism sabotaged the Geneva Accords, replaced the French in the southern part of the country, and set up there a dictatorial government and puppet army. Under the label of “freedom” and “democracy”, they on one hand repressed the southerners and their revolutionary forces, and on the other hand, carried out an air war of destruction against the North. With cry-outs to “bomb North Vietnam back to the stone age”, “kill up, fire up and destroy up”, in Vietnam the US military dropped 14,3 million tone of explosive in Viet Nam which equals to 725 nuclear bombs dropped in Hiroshima in 1945 and four times the tonnage of bombs that were used during the Second World War. At the same time, the US military used up to 80 million liters of chemicals to "clear" the land. They sprayed over 45 million liters of Agent Orange containing 366 kg dioxin, the most toxic of all chemicals discovered so far. Please note that only 80 grams of dioxin could kill the whole population of New York City, and that the total amount of dioxin used by the US military in Vietnam could kill the whole mankind. In Vietnam, an estimated number of between 2.4 and 4.2 million people have fallen victim to Agent Orange/Dioxin, suffering from virtually incurable diseases and deformities. Throughout the war, 3 million Vietnamese had been killed, another 4.5 million had been wounded. The country’s major infrastructures were destroyed. Landmines have been found scattered in many areas and continuing to be hidden killers of civilians in many villages. Today, 30 years after the war, as many as 300,000 Vietnamese are still missing, and their remains are still no where to be seen by their loved ones.
Yet, the brutality of the strongest imperialist power could not subjugate the will of the Vietnamese people. Under the leadership of the Communist Party and Ho Chi Minh, in the spirit that “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, the Vietnamese people once again rose up in the struggle against the US imperialists and their puppet army. After the American forces withdrew from Vietnam as a result of the signing of the Paris Agreement in January 1973, our liberation forces intensified their offensives, completely liberated the South, and reunified the whole through the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign in April 1975.
Looking back at the Vietnamese people’s struggles for national liberation during the 20th century, I can come up with the following conclusions:
- Under the name of whatever beautiful values, be it “liberty”, “freedom”, “democracy”, or “human rights”, imperialism cannot hide its nature of enslaving and exploiting other peoples by all possible criminal maneuvers.
- The power of people’s unity and international solidarity in a just cause can finally win even the most powerful and barbaric imperialist forces.
Dear friends,
The war left behind very heavy consequences on Vietnam. Before the war, Vietnam used to be a poor country. Obviously, the war prevented our country from development during those war years through destroying the country’s economic and social infrastructures, living environment, and most seriously, killing as many as 3 million ordinary people, wounding 4.5 million and living behind millions of victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. These are just some figures, but I hope they can provide you with a picture about the massive and grave destruction the US inflicted on Vietnam during its war as well as the difficulties we are still facing even today, 30 years after the war.
After the war, we badly needed a peaceful environment as well as resources, support and assistance to heal the war wounds, rebuild the country and improve the people’s living conditions. But that did not happen. Vietnam had to go through another period of hardship after the war.
The US economic embargo which was imposed on Vietnam until 1994 prevented us from access to the world’s recourses and market. The only limited assistance we received was from the Soviet Union and socialist countries, which faced also economic difficulties during that period. The West and its allies tried to persuade all possible political and economic sabotage against Vietnam. The liberation of Cambodia from genocide by Khmer Rouge and the subsequent struggle in prevention of Khmer Rouge from return back in Cambodia were also a heavy cost in human and material resources for Vietnam.
The additional subjective factor aggravating the situation was the inefficiency of the national economy. The centrally-planned economy based on the state and collective ownership was applied in Vietnam had brought about social equality but could not simulate economic development. Inside the country, the economy stagnated. Labor productivity was remarkably low. Being an agro-based nation, we suffered from chronic food shortage, and as a result, we had to import approximately one million tons of food a year. Essential consumer goods were also lacking. The people’s livelihood was in a very bad shape. The inflation rate was rocketing in the 1980s, and reaching 774.7% at its peak. We were in fact engulfed in a severe social-economic crisis. We realized that it is because we had applied a form of productive relationships which is not adequate to the very low level of existing productive force in Vietnam as well as a form of distribution which is beyond our productive capacity. In words, there has been a confusion between the desired objectives and reality.
In 1986, at its 6th National Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam adopted the policy of renewal that is called in Vietnamese “Đổi mới”. The fundamental concept of Đổi Mới is to bring socialist construction to the objective reality of the initial step in transition period towards socialism in Vietnam, taking into consideration of the current world situation.
Under renewal, the economic policy consists of the following main components:
- Application of a socialist-oriented market economy with a view to improving economic efficiency as a means to develop economy and to improve the population’s living conditions. In our view, the market itself will never solve social problems. We actually do not trust the so-called “free market”, which actually means an economic jungle for big private capital to control and dominate the economy while workers are more and more exploited. Instead, the market must be under State management through policies to ensure healthy development of the economy and balanced regional development, thus facilitating social advancement. Market is only a tool for stimulation of economic development, the functioning of the market depends largely on who is using the tool and for which purposes.
- Diversification of forms of ownership and modes of production with the State sector playing the leading role so as to release all production forces and tap all available potentials and resources for development. Within this multi-sector economy, the State economic plays a positive and decisive role, monopolizes certain sectors vital to national security, and maintains the dominant role in such major social and economic areas as natural resources, railways, aviation, public transport, electricity, water, communications, banking and insurance, etc. State – owned enterprises hold an active role in businesses which are significant to the development and interests of a large portion of population such as mining, construction, agriculture, heavy industry, textile and garment, etc.
- Promotion of international economic cooperation and integration on the basis of mutual benefit and prioritizing on mobilization of all domestic resources and potentials.
As such, this policy has brought about radical positive changes to the country over the past two decades.
The economy has begun to grow. GDP has increased at a fairly high rate, averaged at about 7-8 % per year. In 2006, GDP increased by 8.2 %. Being insufficient in food supply, Vietnam has satisfied its population’s needs for food consumption in the late 1980s. Food production output has increased from 17.5 million tons in 1987 to 35 million tons and 39.7 million tons in 2000 and 2006 respectively. At present, Vietnam is the world’s 2nd largest rice exporter and one of the world’s largest agro-based product exporters. Industry has enjoyed rapid development rates, from 8% in the 1980s to 12-13% and 13-15% in the 1990s and early years of the 21st century respectively; industrial share in GDP increased from 29% in 1986 to 41.5% GDP in 2006. Exports went up by 20-25% per year, reaching 22.1% in 2006. Foreign investments have kept flowing in, amounting to a total registered capital of over 60 billon USD at present, of which about 30 billion USD has been realized. Year 2006 saw a record of FDI inflow with 10.2 billion USD. The number of international tourists to Vietnam has increased year after year, by 21.8% in 2006. Per capita GDP increased from 120 USD in 1986 to 720 USD in 2006.
Concerning the economic structure by ownership, I can provide you with statistics on structure of Vietnam Gross Domestic Product output in 2005 as follows: state sector contributed 38,42%, collective: 6,83%, household: 29,95%, national private: 8,91% and foreign invested sector 15,89%. It means that the state sector continues to play a leading role in the economy.
However, the market economic mechanism and the open-door policy have both led to previously unseen social problems such as unemployment, corruption, prostitution, and other serious problems like trafficking in women and children, drug smuggling and addiction, and HIV/AIDS, etc. Polarization between the rich and the poor, and between rural areas and urban areas has come to the fore. These are the major challenges we are confronted in the process of national renewal and socio-economic development.
Regarding social development, the renewal policy comprises the following key elements:
- To take the human as the center of development, and economic development as the facilitator for the implementation of social objectives, and in turn the implementation of social policies will promote economic development. To ensure that social equity is translated into reality and that social progress is accompanied with every step of economic development.
- To enable all people to realize their capability and potentials; encourage them to become rich lawfully while state should concentrate its efforts on eliminating hunger and alleviating poverty, assisting people with disabilities or in difficult circumstances.
- To regard the development of education, training, science and technology as a prime national policy to develop human resources and a catalyst for sustainable social development.
Vietnam at present has a population of 84,11 million people, 78% of them are living in rural areas. Economic development has helped the country overcome the socio-economic crisis in the 1980s and visibly improved the people’s livelihoods.
The socio-economic development strategy for 2001-2010 set up in 2001 is projected to record an annual economic growth rate of 7%, reduce the population growth rate by 1.23%, reduce poverty to 10-11%, bring the child malnutrition rate down to 20-25%, and uplift the average life expectancy to 70 years.
The national program on agricultural and rural development has been an important priority for the country. Electricity, roads, schools, communication and health care centers were constructed in rural areas. By 2006, 99% of the villages have electricity (compared with 60,4% in 1994), 96,7% villages have road (compared with 87,9% in 1994), 99,6% villages have primary schools and 91,2% have junior secondary schools (compared with 76,6% in 1994), 94,4% have telephone communication (compared with 82,6% in 2001), 99,3% have health care centers.
About 24-25% of the yearly national budget has been earmarked for social program. Hunger eradication and poverty reduction constitute the primary goals of the socio-economic development strategy. The poverty incidence by international standard has been brought down from 75% in 1986 to 58.1% in 1993, 37.4% in 1998, 28.9% in 2002, 24.1% in 2004 and 19% in 2006 which means that some 310,000 people have been lifted from poverty a year. Within the 10-year period (1991-2000), Vietnam already fulfilled the UN millennium goal set for 2015 of halving the poverty rate worldwide. Tens of thousands of houses for the poor were built every year.
The State continues to play the leading role in the fields of education and healthcare.
The primary education universalization program was completed in 2000. At present, the junior secondary education universalization program is being carried out in 34 out of 64 provinces and cities. Enrolment increased from 14.9 million in the 1994-1995 academic years to 23.5 million in the 2006-2007 academic years, while the university and college student population increased from 203,000 to 1,405,000 in the same period. Number of universities and colleges increased from 109 in 1995 to 255 in 2005. The literacy rate is as high as 95% of the national adult population.
Certain epidemic diseases have been put under strict control. Over the past decade, the child malnutrition rate has gone down from 45% to 25%. The infant mortality rate declined from 44‰ in 1990 to 16‰ in 2006. The average life expectancy increased from 62 years in 1990 to 72 years in 2006.
The country’s Human Development Index (HDI) jumped up from 0.498 in 1991 to 0.688 in 2000 and 0.810 in 2006 respectively.
The 10th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam held in April last year had set up important task for the country in the forthcoming period. Our objective is to lift up the country from underdeveloped status by the year 2010 and to turn the country to industrialized one with modernized orientation by the year 2020. Poverty will be reduced to 10-11% by the year 2010. Education and health care will get higher share in the national budget.
In political aspect, the key issue for the socialist political system in Vietnam is to guarantee people’s power for people’s interests. In doing so, it is very important to maintain politics to be free of influence of money, to be non-market space on the one hand and at the same time, to constantly strengthen people’s democracy on the other hand. The overall political concept is based on trying to achieve social consensus instead of confrontation while state power should be always on the side of majority of the population which is working people.
The Communist Party of Vietnam continues leading the country. The CPV is comprising of more than 3 million members. Without departing from its foundation as a party of working class, striving for interests of working people, the ruling party is trying also to embraces the interests of whole nation and total population. Being aware of the permanent dangerous of bureaucratization for a party in power, the CPV is focusing on anti-corruption campaign, enhancing the party’s leading capability and militancy, strengthening the ties between the Party and people, launching the campaign of following example of President Ho Chi Minh among all party’s members and cadres.
Vietnam is now in the process of building a law-governed socialist State of the people, by the people and for the people. The National Assembly is the supreme legislative body and elected every 5 years by secret ballots and through a direct elective system. All citizens aged 18 and older have the right to vote and stand for elections at all levels. Although voting is not compulsory, the voting rate has always stood more than 90%. Mass and people’s organizations number more than 300 at the national level and tens of thousands at local levels. It is through these channels that people from all walks of life participate democratically in the socio-economic development process. There are more than 700 national and local newspapers to keep the population updated of local and international developments. Nowadays, there are about 13 million Buddhists, 5.7 million Catholics, 2.3 million Cao Đài believers, 2 million Hòa Hảo followers, 421,000 Protestants, and 65,000 Muslims; all citizens are entitled to freedom to religion and non-religion. Women’s role and status has kept improving in the society. At present, Viet Nam is the leading country in Asia in terms of women’s representation in the National Assembly (the Parliament) – with 27.3% of woman deputies. Ethnic minorities enjoy great attention from both the State and the public, and as an example of which, about 17% of deputies to the National Assembly are from different ethnic minority groups. Implementation of “grass root democracy” enables people directly participate in decision-making, monitoring and implementing process at their localities. Institutionalized democracy is aiming to enable each and every individual to master his or her own destiny as well as that of the country as a whole.
In the field of external relations, we stand for a foreign policy of independence, self-determination, diversification and multilateralization of international relations that is based on the principle of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. Vietnam is a friend and reliable partner with all countries in the world community, striving for peace independence and development.
Given the current complicated international situation, we have been able to break down the blockade and embargo imposed by hostile forces on our country to reach out to the outside world. We have succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with nearly 170 countries, maintaining normal relations for the first time in our history with all major countries of the world.
Apart from the United Nations, Vietnam has also acceded to most important international and regional organizations. Specifically, in our foreign policy and practice, relations with socialist countries, Communist and Workers’ Parties, and traditional friends are always matters among top priorities.
Looking back at the experiences of more than 20 years of Đổi Mới in Vietnam, I can make the following conclusions:
- Socialist construction can be not only economically effective but more importantly, can solve social problem much better than any other society with similar economic conditions. In words, socialism is not only possible but is viable, is good society for the people.
- While maintaining and being consistent with socialist objectives aiming at the liquidation of exploitation, promoting social equity and justice along with developing productive forces, the road towards socialism in each country should be based on the objective existing reality and conditions in the given country;
- Socialist construction is not a spontaneous process. It is a long-term, self-conscious and oriented process which requires consistent policies and efforts towards the set objectives. That’s why it is vitally important to maintain the stable leadership of the political party leading this process;
Still, there are a number of problems requiring a solution from us. As a poor and developing country, our per capita GDP remains still very low as compared with other countries in the region and the world. Our competitiveness in the international market is modest. The quality of our education and healthcare systems remains to be desired. As many as 19% of the population are still living in poverty, and 25% of children are still malnourished. War consequences, especially those left by Agent Orange/Dioxin remain extremely serious.
The neoliberal globalization poses huge challenges to Vietnam. The prevailing inequitable economic order and unfair trade practices are adversely affecting the interests of millions of Vietnamese workers and farmers. The admission into the WTO, along with opening-up new opportunities, poses also many challenges for our socio-economic sovereignty and development.
There are at the same time external forces who attempt to undermine this independent and socialist-oriented course of Vietnam. They are resorting to all possible ways and means to destabilize our country politically, and interfere in our internal affairs under the pretext of “promoting democracy and protecting human rights”. Since Vietnam is among the few socialist countries in existence, activities to sabotage and undermine its socialist orientation and the leadership of the Communist Party are just colossal.
These are also internal challenges we are confronted with. We are well conscious of the many problems and shortcomings on our side, and of the many things we need to do to develop the economy, consolidate the social system and reform the administrative apparatus with a view to enhancing our political, economic and social potentials. Yet, there is one thing I can assure you: we are persistent in the clear goals of advancing towards an independent socialist country, where the people can enjoy a life in happiness and abundance, where power belongs to the people and serves the interests of the people, and where the society is advanced, democratic, and equitable. We do understand that this is not an easy task, especially in the current international situation. There is no ready-made formula for it, but it is our people’s choice, and we will strive our very best to achieve it. This is our new struggle, and once again, we need the solidarity and support from you, from the people all over the world in this new struggle.
Thank you.
Tran Dac Loi
VIETNAM Fact Sheet
Population
Population (2006): | 84.11 million |
Population in urban area (2006): | 21.7% |
Annual population growth rate (2006): | 1.21% |
Economy
1986 – 1990 | 1991 – 1995 | 1996 – 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
GDP per capita (US$): | 120 | 220 | 318 | 375 | 394 | 482 | 564 | 638 | 729 |
Real GDP growth (%): | 4.4 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.2 |
GDP composition by economic sector (% of GDP): | 1986 | 2000 | 2003 | 2006 |
– Agriculture | 43.0 | 24.6 | 21.7 | 20.4 |
– Industry & Construction | 29.3 | 36.7 | 40.5 | 41.5 |
– Services | 27.7 | 38.7 | 37.8 | 38.1 |
GDP composition by ownership (%of GDP): | 1990 | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 |
– State | 31.7 | 38.5 | 39.1 | 38.4 |
– Non-state domestic – Collective – Houshold – Private | 63.0 | 48.2 | 46.4 | 45.7 6,8 30 8,9 |
– Foreign-invested | 5.3 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.9 |
Rural development
1994 | 2006 | |
Villages having electricity coverage | 60,4% | 99% |
Villages having auto road to the center | 87,9% | 96,7% |
Villages having primary schools | 99,6% | |
Villages having junoir secondary schools | 76,6% | 91,2% |
Villages having telephone communication | 82,6% (2001) | 94,4% |
Villages having health care centers | 99,3% |
Poverty alleviation
1986 | 1993 | 1998 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2010(target) | |
Population living in poverty (%) | 75 | 58 | 37 | 29 | 22 | 19 | 10 |
Health
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Education
Adult literacy rate: (2005): 95% Net primary enrolment ratio: (2005-2006): 98% Net secondary enrolment ratio: (2005-2006): 80% University and college: 1995: 109 ; 2000: 148 ; 2005: 255 University and college students (thousand): 1995: 203; 2000:899,5; 2005: 1,404,7 |
Human Development
1991 | 1995 | 2000 | 2003 | 2006 | |
Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.498 | 0.661 | 0.688 | 0.704 | 0.810 |
(Sources: Government Data, UNDP, IMF, WB, ADB, UNICEF )