Mar 6, 2013
By Khanh Vu Duc
Fear has long underpinned the authoritarian rule of Vietnam’s Communist Party. Fear of change; fear of the people over which they rule; fear that the people might soon demand more freedom, accountability and transparency than their once revolutionary leaders are willing to allow.
While Vietnam’s communist leaders have recently presided over an economic boom, providing a tantalizing glimpse of a more prosperous future, it has often been spoiled by revelations of government corruption and mismanagement. Official land grabs for development projects, meanwhile, have frequently brought the state into violent conflict with the people.
In Vietnam’s authoritarian context, fear is a two-way street. In seeing some of their fellow activist compatriots suffer the consequences of their activities, the people often suffer in silence. Most people are unwilling to sacrifice their peace and security for an uncertain future, potentially behind bars with hundreds of other political prisoners.
The government has suppressed such dissent through a spate of harsh convictions of activists and independent bloggers on vague anti-state charges. Fear of such punishment, even if political change is desperately needed, is thus a powerful incentive for inaction in Vietnam.
Yet change will eventually come, whether the government wishes it or not. With roughly 60% of the population under the age of 30, a majority of Vietnamese has come of age during a time of rising prosperity and with greater awareness of the wider world thanks to the Internet. Old Communist Party leaders now demographically represent a dying breed.
ead more: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/SEA-01-060313.html
