Politik - Demokratie (2013/4)

26.11.2013 (BBC) - China's demarcation of an air defence zone that overlaps areas claimed by Japan is a strong statement, writes Alexander Neill of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and one that raises the risk of possible miscalculation and escalation in the region. China's unilateral establishment of an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) demonstrates President Xi Jinping's resolve to defend China's territorial integrity. It is the most striking act of military escalation since he became China's top leader and top military chief one year ago. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]Netizen Report: borrador del TPP escapa al control del gobierno y acaba en WikiLeaks

26.11.2013 Escrito por Netizen Report Team, Traducido por Lourdes Sada (Global Voices Español) - El Netizen Report de Global Voices Advocacy ofrece un panorama internacional de los conflictos, victorias y tendencias emergentes de los derechos de Internet en todo el mundo. El informe de esta semana comienza en Internet, donde Wikileaks publicó [en] la semana pasada el borrador [en] de un capítulo negociado en secreto del Acuerdo Trans-Pacífico (TTP) sobre derechos de la propiedad intelectual. ... El bloguero vietnamita Nguyen Van Hai [en], que escribe bajo el seudónimo Dieu Cay, se enfrenta [en] a doce años de prisión por supuestamente «encabezar propaganda» contra el estado. [seguir leyendo]

The Bear is Back: Russia Returns to Vietnam

26.11.2013 By Carl Thayer (The Diplomat) - A visit to Vietnam by Vladimir Putin is just the latest sign of the former allies’ growing ties.

President Vladimir Putin paid a whirlwind one-day visit to Hanoi on November 12 to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership reached with Vietnam last year. This was Putin’s third visit to Vietnam and his second since assuming the office of President of the Russian Federation. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

China carrier steams towards disputed South China Sea for drills

26.11.2013 (The Asahi Shimbun) - BEIJING - China sent its sole aircraft carrier on a training mission into the South China Sea on Nov. 26 amid maritime disputes with the Philippines and other neighbors and tension over its plan to set up an airspace defense zone in waters disputed with Japan.

The Liaoning, bought used from Ukraine and refurbished in China, has conducted more than 100 exercises and experiments since it was commissioned last year but this is the first time it has been sent to the South China Sea. [read more]

China's ADIZ undermines regional stability

26.11.2013 By Bonnie S Glaser (Asia Times) - China established an "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)" effective as of 10 am on November 23. China's Ministry of National Defense also announced Aircraft Identification Rules for the ADIZ, which include a warning that "defensive emergency measures" would be adopted to respond to aircraft that refuse to follow the instructions.

The zone overlaps the existing ADIZ of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. China's ADIZ covers the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands claimed by China, Japan and Taiwan. One day following the announcement, China conducted two aerial patrols over the area; its aircraft were intercepted by Japan Air Self Defense Force (ASDF) fighter jets. [read more]

Asian airlines to give flight plans to China after airspace zone

25.11.2013 (The Asahi Shimbun) - BEIJING/ TOKYO--Asian aviation officials said airlines would have to inform China of flight plans before entering airspace over waters disputed with Japan, forcing carriers to acknowledge China's authority over a newly declared "Air Defense Identification Zone."

China published coordinates for the zone on the weekend. The area, about two-thirds the size of the United Kingdom, covers most of the East China Sea and the skies over a group of uninhabited islands at the center of a bitter row between Beijing and Tokyo. [read more]

Fighting land-grabs in Cambodia - A justice of sorts

26.11.2013 by S.W. | Phnom Penh (The Economist) - IN THE past decade hundreds of thousands of Cambodians have been pushed off the land they occupy. In the countryside, it is often to make way for rubber plantations developed by government cronies, including Chinese and Vietnamese ones. In the booming capital of Phnom Penh, the government has seized prime development sites from residents who often have been there since the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Lacking official title, they have been forced to make way for foreign investors and companies connected to the ruling Cambodian People’s Party. [read more]

Vietnam’s Confucius Institute Distraction

24.11.2013 By Huynh Thuc Vy (The Diplomat) - The controversy in Vietnam over China’s establishment of a Confucius Institute is misplaced, argues one blogger. When Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, announced the decision to establish the first Confucius Institute, at Hanoi University, Vietnam, the news stirred considerable controversy among Vietnamese intellectuals.

Any move by the Vietnam’s communist government that smacks of dependency on China is likely to prompt protest. However, setting up a Confucius Institute, with its overtones of cultural hegemony, may only be distracting the Vietnamese public from more substantial concerns. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Opinion: The Changing Face of Vietnam

22.11.2013 Written by Khanh Vu Duc (Asia Sentinel) - Vietnam is a relatively youthful country, and as the youth of today grow up and inherit their country, so too will it adapt to their ideas If change is to come to Vietnam, the catalyst for it is likely to be the country’s youth, a full 60 percent of whom were born in the decades since the end of what Vietnam calls the American War, and who increasingly feel little allegiance to a government they regard as out of touch and wrongheaded.

Some 44 percent of the country are under the age of 24, testament to a surging birthrate. The struggle for democracy knows no age group. Among dissidents who have spoken out are blogger Nguyen Van Hai, the youth activist Nguyen Tien Trung, Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, Father Nguyen Van Ly, Lawyer Le Quoc Quan, and former policewoman Ta Phong Tan, among many others. [read more]

Vietnam's nationalism at the heart of economic gains; overcomes historical baggage

21.11.2013 Masako Ito (The Asahi Shimbun) - During South Korean President Park Geun-hye's visit to Vietnam in September, she did not follow her predecessors, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, in issuing an apology for her nation's military involvement in the Vietnam War and for atrocities committed against civilians there. [read more]

Russia rebuilds ties with Vietnam

20.11.2013 By Roberto Tofani (Asia Times) - An old friend is never forgotten. After the collapse of old ideologies and Cold War patron-client relations, Russia and Vietnam are now rebuilding robust commercial, industrial and strategic ties.

Relations have "stood the test of time, having lived through the numerous tragic events of the 20th century, drastic changes in the world as well as in our countries", Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in an article published in Vietnam's state media ahead of his November 12 state visit in Hanoi. [read more]

Vietnam condemns 2 business executives to death for corruption

16.11.2013 by Associated Press (New Europe) - HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A Vietnamese court has sentenced two business executives to death for their roles in a scandal that caused millions of dollars in losses to the state.

State-run newspaper Thanh Nien said Saturday that Vu Quoc Hao, former director of a leasing company under a state-owned bank, Agribank, was convicted of embezzling $3.8 million and sentenced to death Friday in southern Ho Chi Minh City. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Lutte contre la corruption au Vietnam: deux hommes d'affaires condamnés à mort

16.11.2013 (Le Monde) - Un ancien banquier vietnamien et son associé ont été condamnés à mort, pour avoir détourné 25 millions de dollars, par un tribunal de Ho Chi Minh-ville, ont rapporté samedi 16 novembre les médias d'Etat. Le procès, qui illustre les efforts du Vietnam contre la corruption, a duré huit jours. Au total, onze personnes ont été jugées au cours de ce procès.

Vu Quoc Hao, 58 ans, ancien patron d'une filiale de la Banque pour l'agriculture et le dévelopement rural (Agribank) et Dang Van Hai, 56 ans, patron d'une société de construction, ont été condamnés à mort vendredi. "Cette peine leur a été infligée pour détournement de biens, mauvaise gestion, abus de pouvoir et fraude, qui ont causé de graves conséquences", selon la télévision d'Etat. [en savoir plus...] - [tiếng Việt]

Dos empresarios condenados a muerte en Vietnam

16.11.2013 (Yahoo Finanzas) - Un tribunal de la ciudad de Ho Chi Minh condenó a muerte a un exbanquero vietnamita y a su socio por malversar 25 millones de dólares, informaron este sábado los medios estatales.

"Se les impuso esta pena por malversación de bienes, mala gestión, abuso de poder y fraude, que causaron graves consecuencias", informó la televisión del Estado.

Vu Quoc Hao, de 58 años, exresponsable de una filial del Banco para la Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (Agribank) y Dang Van Hai, de 56 años, jefe de una empresa de construcción, fueron condenados a muerte el viernes, según la televisión del Estado. [seguir leyendo] - [tiếng Việt]

Gericht verurteilt zwei Geschäftsleute zum Tod

15.11.2013 (NZZ) -  Ein Gericht in Vietnam hat laut staatlichen Medien am Freitag zwei Geschäftsleute zum Tode verurteilt. Ihnen wird die Unterschlagung von umgerechnet mehr als 22,8 Millionen Franken vorgeworfen. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

La Russie et le Vietnam plus proches que jamais

15.11.2013 (Courrier international) - L'Union douanière [réunissant la Russie, la Biélorussie et le Kazakhstan] et la république socialiste du Vietnam peuvent conclure les accords de création d'une zone de libre-échange, écrit Vladimir Poutine dans une tribune intitulée "Russie-Vietnam : ensemble vers de nouvelles frontières de la coopération", publié le 11 novembre dans les principaux journaux vietnamiens, à la veille de la visite du président russe à Hanoï. La Russie occupe le 19e rang parmi les 100 pays et territoires qui investissent au Vietnam. Si le Vietnam rejoint la zone de libre-échange, cela permettra à la Russie de tripler ses échanges bilatéraux d'ici à 2020, pour atteindre un montant de 10 milliards de dollars [7,5 milliards d'euros]. [en savoir plus...]

Putin conquers Vietnam

14.11.2013 by Lyuba Lulko (PRAVDA.Ru) - The main intrigue of President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vietnam is signing of the agreement on the inclusion of the country in the free trade zone with the Customs Union. There are other very important aspects as well, including the advancement of Russian nuclear energy technologies to South-East Asia and the return of the Russian military presence in Cam Ranh Bay.

The idea of the Eurasian Union as a specific project was announced by the President of Russia in 2011 for the CIS area to strengthen the strategic influence in the western Atlantic Ocean and speed up the process of entering into the economic system of the Asia-Pacific region. Now the alliance is developing economically on the basis of the Customs Union, but in the future it could become a political and military force. [read more]

Vietnam May Seek Death Penalty For Pair Of Alleged Financial Fraudsters

13.11.2013 By Joseph Adinolfi (IBT) - Two former executives accused of large-scale corruption could be sent to the gallows if they’re convicted of a $25 million fraud, according to a story published Wednesday by Bloomberg.

Vu Quoc Hao, the former general director of Agribank Financial Leasing Co. (FLKO) No. 2, has been charged with embezzling 531 billion dong ($25 million) of state assets. The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has said it may seek the death penalty in the case. Dang Van Hai, the former chairman of a construction company and a co-defendant, could also face execution. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Russlands Marine kehrt nach Vietnam zurück

13.11.2013 (RIA Novosti) - Russland Kriegsflotte kehrt zu ihrem früheren Stützpunkt in der vietnamesischen Kamran-Bucht (Südchinesisches Meer) zurück, schreibt die „Nesawissimaja Gaseta“ am Mittwoch. [Weiterlesen]

Defence cooperation underpins Vietnam–Russia push for renewed economic cooperation

13.11.2013 Le Hong Hiep (East Asia Forum) - On 12 November 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Vietnam. This was his second visit to a country in the Asia Pacific since he regained the presidency in May 2012, and is further evidence of the maturing comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Vietnam’s close relationship with the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, its main successor state, date back to the early decades of the Cold War.

... unlike other major powers — such as China which has longstanding disputes with Vietnam over the South China Sea and the US which frequently criticises Vietnam’s human rights record — Russia presents no major foreign policy sensitivities to Vietnam’s ruling elite. On the contrary, the increasingly authoritarian nature of the Russian political system under administrations led by Putin and Dmitry Medvedev is conducive to the promotion of the bilateral relationship and the growing political affinity has tended to engender common ground between the two governments. [read more]

Vietnam: Regierung lässt Ehebetrug mit Geldstrafe ahnden

13.11.2013 (Stimme Russlands) Die eheliche Untreue wird offenbar zunehmend ein Problem in Vietnam. Auf Initiative der Behörden ist der eheliche Seitensprung ab 11. November strafbar geworden. Laut dem neuen Gesetz können eine bis drei Millionen Vietnam Dong (rund 45-145 US-Dollar) auf den ehelichen Betrug stehen. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam May Seek Death Penalty For Pair Of Alleged Financial Fraudsters

13.11.2013 By Joseph Adinolfi (IBT) - Two former executives accused of large-scale corruption could be sent to the gallows if they’re convicted of a $25 million fraud, according to a story published Wednesday by Bloomberg.

Vu Quoc Hao, the former general director of Agribank Financial Leasing Co. (FLKO) No. 2, has been charged with embezzling 531 billion dong ($25 million) of state assets. The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has said it may seek the death penalty in the case. Dang Van Hai, the former chairman of a construction company and a co-defendant, could also face execution. [read more]

Vietnam appoints 2 new deputy PMs

13.11.2013 (Shanghai Daily) - HANOI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- With a majority of votes in favor, the Vietnamese 13th National Assembly (NA) at its ongoing sixth session in capital Hanoi on Wednesday approved Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's proposal to appoint two new deputy prime ministers to the cabinet.

The two new deputy PMs are Vu Duc Dam, former minister and Government Office head, who won 84 percent of votes from the total 498 NA deputies, and Pham Binh Minh, minister of foreign affairs, with 86 percent. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Putin vows to boost Russian military supplies to Vietnam amid South China Sea dispute

13.11.2013 by Kristine Kwok and Agencies  (South China Morning Post) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to expand military supplies to Vietnam, a move that looks set to raise concerns from Beijing as tensions over the South China Sea linger.

While still in a headlock with Vietnam over maritime territorial disputes, China sees closer Russia and Vietnam military ties as a move to counterbalance its rising power in the region. [read more]

Russland und Vietnam verhandeln über Freihandelszone

12.11.2013 (RIA Novosti) - Die Etablierung einer Freihandelszone zwischen dem dreiseitigen Zollbündnis Russland-Kasachstan-Weißrussland und Vietnam wird nach der Einschätzung des russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin den gegenseitigen Handel anspornen. „Darüber wird intensiv verhandelt“, teilte Putin am Dienstag, nach russisch-vietnamesischen Gesprächen in Hanoi mit. [read more]

Vietnam's disappointing new Constitution

12.11.2013 Kim Them Do (The Diplomat) - The repercussions of poor governance in Vietnam are such that the system of governance and constitutional structure need to be fundamentally changed. Much discussion has focused on a roadmap leading to participatory democracy, market mechanisms free of socialist guidance, rule of law and civil society. The challenge is great, and any transformation will depend entirely on the political willingness of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Observers have been waiting to see if anything will change among its elites.

In its latest report on October 2013, the CPV squashed any optimism. The Party is insistent that its leadership remain unchanged; any constitutional reform that does not leave the CPV in power is unthinkable. Public hopes for any kind of rebirth seem an impossible dream. The National Assembly will ratify a new constitution on November 2013, and it will be the one imposed by the CPV. [read more]

Vietnam plant Wiederaufnahme - Werden Todeskandidaten wieder erschossen?

08.11.2013 (rp-online) - Hanoi . Die vietnamesische Regierung will Hinrichtungen wieder durch Erschießungskommandos ausführen lassen. Grund sind Probleme bei der Beschaffung der Chemikalien für die Todesspritze, wie staatliche Medien am Freitag berichteten. [Weiterlesen]

Russland liefert erstes von sechs U-Booten an Vietnam

08.11.2013 (Stimme Russlands) - Das erste von sechs dieselelektrischen U-Booten des Projekts 636, die im St. Petersburger Schiffsbauwerk „Admiraltejskije Werfi“ gebaut werden, ist am Donnerstag an den vietnamesischen Auftraggeber übergeben worden. [Weiterlesen]

After 50 years, a public memorial Mass for South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem allowed

06.11.2013 (AsiaNews/EDA) - For the first time in 50 years, Vietnam's Catholic community was able to celebrate a public Mass in memory of the President of the Republic of Vietnam Jean-Baptiste Ngo Dinh Diem, who was assassinated along with his brother in a coup on 2 November 1963.

On 1 November, dozens of people gathered for the service in Mac Dinh Chieu cemetery in Chi Lai, Binh Duong province, north of Ho Chi Minh City, where most of the family is laid to rest. [read more]

Después de 50 años, se permitió una misa pública para recordar al Presidente de Vietnamita del Sur Ngo Dinh Diem

06.11.2013 (AsiaNews/EDA) -  Por primera vez en 50 años, la comunidad católica pudo celebrar una Misa (pública) en memoria del Presidente de la República de Vietnam Jean-Baptiste Ngo Dinh Diem, quien fue asesinado junto con su hermano en el golpe de Estado del 02 de noviembre de 1963. El primero de noviembre decenas de fieles asistieron a la función en el 50 aniversario de la muerte, que tuvo lugar en el cementerio de Chi De Dinh Mac en Lai Chieu, Provincia de Binh Duong [seguir leyendo]

Wo landen die acht Millionen Vietnam-Euro aus Luxemburg?

Hoffentlich nicht im Portemonnaie von Lokalfürsten!

05.11.2013 (Luxemburg Privat) -  Weit über 100 Millionen Euro hat Luxemburg nach Vietnam geschickt! Und jetzt wandern wieder acht Millionen dorthin! Doch selbst wer genau nachliest, versteht nicht, in was da investiert wird! Denn die Summen verstecken sich hinter Phrasen wie „Finanzierung der Systeme im Dienste der sozio-ökonomischen Einkünfte“!

Das kann alles bedeuten. Aber auch nichts! [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam's Insane Ban on Sharing News Online

01.11.2013 By Ariel Bogle (Slate) - To say Vietnam has a troubled relationship with the Internet would be an understatement. Despite government efforts to repress it, social media, especially Facebook, is immensely popular in Vietnam, with an estimated 70 percent penetration of the total Internet-using population. (About one-third of Vietnam's 90 million people are online.) Like many countries, Vietnam is apparently trying to incubate its own Silicon Valley, and there are homegrown social media sites like Zing Me and HaiVL. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Abmarsch in die Zukunft

Die Alten in Vietnam glauben noch an den Kommunismus, sagt eine Studentin. Die jungen Leute denken anders – aber nicht laut

03.11.2013 (taz) - HANOI - Thi Bian Nguyen* lebt einen Traum. Nicht ihren eigenen, sondern den der Kommunistischen Partei Vietnams. Das Politbüro träumt von Fortschritt, Entwicklung und Profit. Deswegen musste die junge Frau nach ihrem Abitur die Universität besuchen, um zu studieren. So wie jeder Abiturient in Vietnam.

Bian glaubt schon lange nicht mehr an den Kommunismus. „Es braucht Kapitalismus, um Fortschritt zu erzielen. Ein Konkurrenzsystem, in dem es darum geht, die beste Partei zu sein. Das Beste für die Menschen zu tun“, sagt die 23-Jährige. Öffentlich dafür kämpfen kann sie im politischen Klima Vietnams nicht. Deswegen kämpft sie mit sich selbst. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

Gedichte zum Überleben

03.11.2013 Von Jörg Michael Seewald (FAZ) -  Welche Rolle hatten Deutsche im Vietnamkrieg? Eine Dokumentation im Abosender „Sky“ befragt Zeitzeugen und schafft ein hartnäckiges Gerücht aus der Welt.

Der Abosender History hat am Wochenende einen Film im Programm, dessen Titel aufhorchen lässt: „Die Legion – Deutscher Krieg in Vietnam“ heißt die Dokumentation von Emanuel Rotstein. Der Titel „Die Legion“ ist irreführend, bezieht er sich doch auf ein oft kolportiertes Gerücht, deutsche Soldaten hätten in Vietnam aktiv gekämpft. Genau mit dieser Sage räumt Rotstein auf.

Er benennt neun deutsche Zivilisten, die im Vietnamkrieg ums Leben kamen. Von den überlebenden Kriegszeugen äußert sich Bernhard Diehl, der von 1968 bis 1973 in Vietnam war – ein Jahr als Leiter des Malteser-Teams in An-Hoa und vier in Gefangenschaft des Vietcong. Er ist der interessanteste Zeitzeuge des Films. Er habe die Strapazen und die Isolationsfolter nur überlebt, weil er in Gefangenschaft Gedichte verfasst habe, sagt der in Mainz niedergelassene Psychiater im Gespräch. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam feiert 90-millionsten Staatsbürger

01.11.2013 (Kleine Zeitung) - Auf einer Entbindungsstation in Hanoi haben Politiker und Journalisten am Freitag symbolisch die Geburt des 90-millionsten Vietnamesen gefeiert. Das Mädchen Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung wurde um kurz nach Mitternacht geboren. Die Lokalpresse feierte den Anbruch eines "Goldenen Zeitalters", in dem je zwei arbeitende auf einen nicht arbeitenden Menschen kommen. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]

Vietnam Welcomes 90 Millionth Citizen, Ranks 14th Most Populous Country

01.11.2013 (Bernama) HANOI - Vietnam welcomed its 90 millionth citizen on Friday, as it ranks the 14th most populous country in the world and the third in the Southeast Asian region, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

Following a population survey conducted in 1989, Vietnam is predicted to see its 90 millionth citizen in 2002, but thanks to the efforts in family planning work in the past years, the country has slowed down the pace of population growth, according to the general office for population and family planning under Vietnam's health ministry [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Chinese Confucius Institute Project Raises Concern in Vietnam

31.10.2013 (VOA) - A plan to establish an organization that promotes Chinese languages and culture in Vietnam has drawn criticism from Vietnamese scholars, who say Beijing is trying to invade the country with its ideology.

The agreement to set up a Confucius Institute in Hanoi was reached during Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang’s visit to Vietnam this month. The plan has sparked heated debate, however, on social networks in Vietnam.

Dr. Nguyen Nha, an expert on the Chinese-Vietnamese relationship, told VOA's Vietnamese Service that Beijing wants to exert its soft power through cultural influences. “During the cultural revolution, China knocked down Confucianism, and now wants to resurrect it to influence neighboring countries and those it targets. The move does not benefit Vietnam,” he said". [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Von Verwirrung bis Verständnis

Wie funktioniert eigentlich Zensur in Vietnam, wer hat einen Presseausweis und wer versteht das „Dekret 72“?

29.10.2013 (taz) - Im Oktober fand der zweite Deutsch-Vietnamesische Mediendialog mit dem Thema „Wie verändert das Internet die Medienlandschaft?“ im Goethe-Institut Hanoi statt. Hier wurde deutschen und vietnamesischen JournalistInnen die Gelegenheit gegeben, sich über die Unterschiede und den Wandel des Berufs in den verschiedenen Ländern auszutauschen. Die Teilnehmenden, darunter auch drei VertreterInnen vietnamesischer Ministerien, haben überraschend offen über Korruption, Zensur, Zusammenarbeit mit der Polizei und ihren Konflikt zwischen der Verantwortung als JournalistInnen und den Repressionen der Regierung berichtet. [Weiterlesen]

Thousands Rally in Vietnam Against Sand Dredging Company

28.10.2013 (VOA) - Thousands of Vietnamese flocked to the local government headquarters in central Quang Ngai province to protest against a company that has been dredging for sand in a local waterway and causing severe coastal erosion.

Local citizens are accusing the firm, Cua Dai, of taking advantage of their contract to dredge the waterway to illegally gather sand for export.

It is the latest in a series of protests against companies and government land and environmental policies. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Russische Waffenlieferungen an Vietnam widersprechen chinesischen Interessen?

26.10.2013 (Stimme Russlands) - Die Umrüstung der vietnamesischen Streitkräfte, die unter aktiver Teilnahme Russlands läuft, sorgt für Interesse im Westen und in benachbarten asiatischen Ländern sowie eine zunehmende Besorgnis Chinas. Diese Besorgnis brachten Chinesen der russischen Seite bei bilateralen Treffen zum Ausdruck. Dabei unternimmt Vietnam lediglich die nötigsten Schritte, damit seine Streitkräfte mit der Zeit mitgehen können. Eine Reihe chinesischer Beobachter erklärten jedoch unverblümt, dass die Umrüstung Vietnams, darunter mit modernen U-Booten mit dieselelektrischem Antrieb, eine bedeutende Bedrohung für die nationale Sicherheit Chinas schaffe. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam zögert noch

25.10.2013 (NZZ) - Hanoi - Bundesrat Johann Schneider-Ammann hat zu Beginn seiner fünftägigen Südostasienreise am Donnerstag in der vietnamesischen Hauptstadt Hanoi vor allem für einen Durchbruch in den Freihandelsgesprächen geworben. Die Schweiz führt im Rahmen der Efta seit Mai 2012 offizielle Verhandlungen. Doch nach der fünften Verhandlungsrunde stecken die Gespräche fest... Die grosse Rolle von staatlichen und staatsnahen Betrieben sowie Insider-Privatisierungen haben dazu geführt, dass politisch einflussreiche Kreise in dem nach wie vor von einem zumindest dem Namen nach kommunistischen Einheitsregime eisern kontrollierten Staat vom gegenwärtigen Zustand profitieren. Sie wehren sich gegen mit umfassenden Freihandelsabkommen verbundene weitere Liberalisierungen und Reformen. [Weiterlesen]

Across the party wall

Vietnam’s Communist Party is in a bit of a mess, but China’s may have little to teach it

26.10.2013 Banyan (The Economist) - IF The following pressing themes remind you of China, spare a thought for Vietnam: a debate over the constitution; efforts to curb the privileges of state-owned enterprises; fury over official corruption; poorly compensated land-grabs; new restrictions on online dissent; a recognition that further economic reform is not just desirable but essential; and, in politics, evidence of fierce factional struggles among high leaders. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

China-ASEAN Joint Development Overshadowed by South China Sea

25.10.2013 By Carl Thayer (The Diplomat) - During Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Southeast Asia earlier this month, Chinese press and media commentators went into overdrive in describing the major agreements that had been reached between China, Brunei and Vietnam to advance maritime cooperation and joint development. On October 13, for example, Xinhua urged other regional states to follow suit and “take up the magic wand of joint development.” A day later, Xinhua also reported a “breakthrough in bilateral cooperation” between Beijing and Hanoi. [read more]

China-Vietnam: more carrot, less stick

22.10.2013 By Brendan O'Reilly (Asia Times) - Vietnam is once more the scene of superpower confrontation, as deep rifts continue to churn the waters of the South China Sea. However, Vietnam can now deal with ambitious global powers from a position of independence and relative geopolitical strength.

The escalating rivalry between China and United States offers both risks and rewards to the leaders in Hanoi, as the world's two most powerful countries seek deeper strategic and economic influence in Southeast Asia. [read more]

"Die Legion - Deutscher Krieg in Vietnam"

21.10.2013 (boerse-go) - Zur Zeit des Eisernen Vorhangs bedeuteten Stellvertreterkriege nicht nur eine Auseinandersetzung zwischen der damaligen Sowjetunion und den USA. HISTORY[TM] zeigt in seiner deutschen Eigenproduktion "Die Legion - Deutscher Krieg in Vietnam" am 27. Oktober um 22 Uhr erstmals, wie auch die beiden deutschen Staaten während des Vietnamkriegs ihren Konflikt auf asiatischem Boden austrugen.

Augenzeugen, humanitäre Helfer und Journalisten berichten teilweise zum ersten Mal über ihre Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse. Die Dokumentation wird von Hannes Jaenicke gesprochen. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam und die USA nähern sich an - Wenn Feinde Freunde werden

21.10.2013 Beate U. Wieser (NZZ) - ... Der bemerkenswerte Schulterschluss, der nicht zuletzt von vietnamesischer Seite betrieben wird, entwickelt sich schon seit geraumer Zeit. Er erstaunt vor allem deshalb, weil die ehemaligen Gegenspieler politisch noch immer gleich gestrickt sind: hier die demokratisch-kapitalistische Supermacht, dort das kommunistisch-diktatorische Regionalregime...

Die USA hatten zwar lange an ihrem Vietnam-Trauma zu leiden und tun es teilweise bis heute noch. Doch ihren Status als führende Welt- und Wirtschaftsmacht mit starken Überzeugungen und manchmal auch einem Schuss Grossmacht-Arroganz haben sie nicht verloren. Die Sieger von Hanoi, die in ihrer eigenen Sicht Südvietnam und ganz Indochina von den imperialistischen Amerikanern befreit haben, herrschen nach wie vor mit harter Hand und einer bedenklichen Menschenrechtsbilanz über ihr Volk. [Weiterlesen]

Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea

21.10.2013 By Lucio Blanco Pitlo III and Amruta Karambelkar (The Diplomat) - Both countries see the disputed areas as vital interests, yet have taken divergent approaches in pressing their claims. Among the claimants and littoral states of the South China Sea (SCS), the Philippines and Vietnam have been the most vocal in expressing their alarm and concern over growing Chinese assertiveness in this strategic and resource-rich regional commons. Because of their power asymmetry vis-à-vis China, which has the most extensive claims to the SCS, Manila and Hanoi have been supporters of the U.S. pivot to Asia, to balance against Beijing’s growing maritime power projection, while also using diplomatic outreach to cultivate as many supporters as possible. The Philippines has been bolstering its defense and maritime law enforcement with the help of the U.S. and Japan. Vietnam is meanwhile relying on its traditional partners – India and Russia – as additional cushions against possible excesses of China’s rise to power in the region. Both countries are also seeking support from ASEAN. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Im Vietnamkrieg entführter Deutscher klagt

20.10.2013 (Focus) - Er wollte Leiden im Vietnamkrieg lindern, doch er wurde entführt und saß jahrelang in Einzelhaft: Der deutsche Arzt Bernhard Diehl überlebte das Martyrium des Vietcong nur knapp – erst jetzt wendet er sich gegen die Regierung in Hanoi.

Fast 40 Jahre nach Ende des Vietnamkriegs geht ein deutscher Arzt, der vier Jahre lang in vietnamesischer Gefangenschaft saß, juristisch gegen die Regierung in Hanoi vor. Nach FOCUS-Informationen wird der Mainzer Arzt Bernhard Diehl, 66, in Kürze beim Menschenrechtsrat der Vereinten Nationen in Genf Beschwerde einreichen. Der Psychiater verlangt die Rückgabe schriftlicher Aufzeichnungen, die ihm damals abgenommen worden waren. [Weiterlesen]

State capitalism in Vietnam - Blowing in the trade winds

19.10.2013 (The Economist) - Will an American-led trade deal aid Vietnamese reformers? HANOI - By some measures, Vietnam’s economy is moving at a brisk clip. The double-digit inflation that prevailed in 2011 has subsided, and exports of textiles and electronics are booming. Foreign direct investment is up by 36% year-on-year, according to Fitch, a ratings agency.

Yet the government’s legitimacy hinges on making life better for the country’s 90m people. In recent months, officials have started to plan substantial economic reforms. Encouraging signs include an April resolution by the party’s Politburo that made economic integration its top priority, and recent debates among Vietnamese lawmakers over how to “equitise”, or partially privatise, SOEs. Nguyen Tan Dung, the prime minister, also pledged in September to treat the country’s 1,300 SOEs like private companies and raise from 30% to 49% the share in any local bank that foreign investors may own. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]

Chinas Umarmung

17.10.2013 Von Christoph Hein (FAZ) - China verteilt großzügig Geschenke in Südostasien. Die Beschenkten nehmen gerne, auch wenn sie wissen, dass die Rechnung kommen wird.

Chinas Charmeoffensive, nächste Runde. Pekings Spitzenpolitiker nutzen inzwischen eine PR-Maschine, die derjenigen der Amerikaner in nichts nachsteht. Auf ihren Reisen durch Südostasien verstehen sie es blendend, gute Laune zu verbreiten.

Bei seinem Besuch im nicht immer den Chinesen wohlgesonnenen Vietnam kaufte Ministerpräsident Li Keqiang in einem Tante-Emma-Laden in Hanoi ein Paket vietnamesischen Tees. Natürlich so, dass die Fotografen die besten Bilder schießen konnten, Tonbänder und Fernsehkameras festhielten, wie er sagte: „Ich will keinen Nachlass. Wir betreiben hier fairen Handel miteinander.“ Genau dieser faire Handel ist es, den die Vietnamesen normalerweise im Umgang mit China vermissen. [Weiterlesen]

How Vietnam’s Burgeoning Civil Society Is Changing The Nation’s Political Landscape

16.10.2013 By Hai Hong Nguyen (Economy Watch) - Since 1976, Vietnam has been controlled by the Communist Party. Till recently, its rule and legitimacy had never been challenged. Recent civil movements however suggest that Vietnamese are gradually rising up against the party, hoping to transform the nation from a one-party state into a democracy.

Vietnam’s political culture is gradually transforming from totalitarianism to pluralism. Why? Because an emerging and independent civil society is openly challenging communist party rule. [read more]

China Reaches Out Again — This Time to Vietnam

14.10.2013 Vu Trong Khanh (The Wall Street Journal) - China’s diplomatic blitz through Southeast Asia continued on Sunday, as Chinese premiere Li Keqiang arrived in Hanoi to boost political trust and economic ties with Vietnam, where territorial disputes have, in the past, made for rocky relations. After an hour-long meeting on Sunday, Mr. Li and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation agreements covering maritime research, finance, infrastructure and education. [read more]

Open Challenges to Vietnam Bring Changes

14.10.2013 By Hai Hong Nguyen (The Jakarta Globe) - Vietnam’s political culture is gradually transforming from totalitarianism to pluralism. Why? Because an emerging and independent civil society is openly challenging communist party rule.

The most high-profile example is a petition signed by Group 72, a movement of nationally well-known personalities, intellectuals, party members and retired high-ranking officials of the communist government. In early 2013, Group 72 submitted its own draft Western-style constitution to the Vietnamese legislature, requested a multi-party and inclusive election, and called for Vietnam to transform from a one-party state into a democracy. After Group 72’s motion, other petitions and movements prompted the authorities to increase control and repression.

Other recent movements included, for example, the Declaration of Free Citizens; Declaration 258, by a group of bloggers; and more recently an open letter written and circulated on the internet by a veteran communist party member calling for the founding of a new political party to compete with the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). [read more]

Vietnam’s foreign policy tightrope

12.10.2013 Dennis C McCornac (East Asia Forum) - Vietnam’s new foreign policy approach, which some analysts have labelled ‘more friends, fewer enemies’, reflects its precarious position as a bird on the wire caught between China and the United States. In the past few months, Vietnamese officials have held a number of high-level meetings with leaders of both states. [read more]

Nukleartechnologie für Vietnam

11.10.2013 (NZZ) - Singapur. Der amerikanische Aussenminister John Kerry und sein vietnamesischer Amtskollege Pham Binh Minh haben am Donnerstag in Brunei ein Abkommen über den Transfer von ziviler Nukleartechnologie paraphiert. Kerry sagte am Rande des Ostasien-Gipfels, die Vereinbarung, die noch von Präsident Barack Obama unterschrieben und dem amerikanischen Kongress vorgelegt werden muss, eröffne zahlreiche Geschäftsmöglichkeiten für die Wirtschaft. [Weiterlesen]

US signs nuclear technology deal with Vietnam

10.10.2013 (The Guardian) - The United States and Vietnam have signed a pact allowing the transfer of nuclear technology to the south-east Asian country, opening the way for US investment in the burgeoning industry.

US secretary of state John Kerry said the US-Vietnam Civil Nuclear Co-operation Agreement would allow US firms to tap Vietnam's future nuclear power market, although the state department said the deal would not allow Vietnam to enrich or reprocess US-origin nuclear materials.

Vietnam's poor human rights record is a major obstacle to closer ties and US labour and human rights groups have urged Obama to suspend free-trade negotiations with Vietnam because of its treatment of workers and government critics. [read more]

Two pictures, two reactions, one person

10.10.2013 (VRNs) - FB - State-run media outlets are covering a very hot story featuring a picture of a Hmong soldier, Phang Sao Vang, who is said to have travelled hundreds of kilometers to pay a final visit to Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap. The picture, which has been widely circulated by hundreds of state-run newspapers and websites, reportedly makes many readers shed tears because of his deep feelings for the general.

Ironically, a picture of that same man, which was taken at a different angle in a different situation, has never been covered by any state-run media outlet. It has only been surfaced on personal blog of bloggers who are regarded by the authorities as "the reactionaries." [read more]

Les mers de Chine, nouveau théâtre d'affrontement des nationalismes asiatiques

10.10.2013 Par Brice Pedroletti (Le Monde) - L'absence de Barack Obama à la série de sommets qui se tiennent depuis ce week-end en Asie du Sud-Est (ceux de l'APEC – Coopération économique pour l'Asie-Pacifique –, à Bali, lundi 7 et mardi 8 octobre, et ceux de l'Asean – Association des nations de l'Asie du Sud-Est – à Brunei à partir de mercredi 9 octobre) fait le jeu de la Chine, qui a pour l'occasion mis en sourdine ses revendications territoriales en mer de Chine du Sud. [en savoir plus...]

Vietnam's hidden hand in Cambodia's impasse

09.10.2013 By Hassan A Kasem (AsiaTimes) - Cambodia, for all its pretensions towards sovereignty and democracy, has yet to free itself from neighboring Vietnam's political and strategic grip 20 years after United Nations-organized elections ended its debilitating civil war. The international community has since invested over US$2 billion on peace initiatives to repair the damage done by Vietnam's 1979 invasion and seizure of power. Yet Hanoi continues to exercise covert. [read more]

The Passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap

08.10.2013 Written by David Brown (Asia Sentinel) - An old soldier fades away, no longer a hero in his own country

General Vo Nguyen Giap had already been dead more than 24 hours before the long-expected event was confirmed by Vietnamese Communist Party organs. Just before seven p.m. Hanoi time on Oct. 5, a "special announcement" in Nhan Dan, the voice of the ruling party, informed readers that Giap had passed away and would be accorded a state funeral on October 12 and 13. [read more]

Is There Opposition in Vietnam?

10.10.2013 Written by Pham Chi Dung (Asia Sentinel) - Some may be coming from a surprising source - the Communist Party

Vietnam's pro-democracy activists appear to have missed an unprecedented opportunity in the wake of the July visit to the US by head of state Truong Tan Sang. That was followed by an official Paris trip by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung that was intended to signal an axis rotation to the West not unlike President Barack Obama's pivot to the East.

The fact is that a vigilant police force has assiduously rounded up enough protesters and dissident bloggers to keep their lesser counterparts in line. The inability to capitalize points to the fact that if there is going to be change in Vietnam's political makeup, it is likely to come from factions inside the Vietnamese Communist Party rather than from without.

If the Communist Party had enough courage to conduct a public and transparent referendum on the subject of independent parties, a number of new organizations would be born now. [read more]