The Vietnam Communist Policies Towards the Vietnamese Overseas

1. The Vietnam Communist Policies Towards the Vietnamese Overseas

2. Since the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, the Communists of Vietnam have changed their policies towards the Vietnamese overseas, • In the early years, after the victory, the communists in Viet Nam were self- sufficient and disrespectful towards the refugees by using harsh words.. • But, more than ten years later, the saga of the boat people reached the hearts of people around the world. Vietnam had been isolated and became one of the poorest countries in the world, the VI communist Convention in 1986 changed it’s policies towards the Vietnamese refugees overseas.

3. Article after article followed the VI general assembly, and in the last five years, some decisions by the premier, and other articles proved that they are determined… • Because until 3-26-2004, the communist party had only given general policies, they became more aggressive with Resolution 36 (NQ 36). According to this Resolution 36: - the Vietnamese overseas have an economic potential, -have many international business relationships -capable of finding businesses and to make contacts with business people in Vietnam. -Many knowledgeable Vietnamese overseas earned advanced degrees and professions, these people can build relationships with businesses and scientific organisations in foreign countries.

4. The different policies of the Vietnamese Communist Régime

5. 1. Cultural, communication & propaganda policies • . The Vietnamese communist tried to build bridges in the communities for the propaganda of culture and economics because in their language they consider culture to be a struggle front the same as the military or the political one. • They speed up the production and delivery of cultural material conforming to their propaganda tactics, while they prohibit the freedom of expression inside the country, they confiscate the books that call for democracy and muffle the dissidents’ voices. .

6. 2. Policies towards well-educated people and science and technology. • The communists make use of some well-educated people in science and technology to build bridges between the communists and the Vietnamese communities overseas. The Hanoi government employs a subtle attitude towards these activists. These people and their family members could be invited for a visit, and be well treated. • Therefore, it was not unusual when some well-educated bridging roles professionals deliver speeches, write books sympathizing with the communist policy.

7. 3. Policies on economic, investment, travel in/out of the country • Policy on investment. promotion • Modifying the laws of investment that contained articles allowed the Vietnamese overseas to invest in businesses and to contribute to the building of the motherland. • Policy respecting the Vietnamese overseas through services of an organization that has offices in countries that have a large number of Vietnamese. • Policy on organizing funds. • Policy of free or reduction of taxes. • Policy on issuing passports. • Policy on the flexibility in controlling Vietnamese overseas of their coming and going, to and from Vietnam. • Policy on increasing monetary rate exchange.

8. In reality, very few Vietnamese abroad invested in the country. From 1988 to 1995, there were only 54 investment projects in Vietnam, in which, 18 projects were retired by the government and the total of 127 million U.S dollards were reduced to 81 million US

9. 4. Policies towards families, who have relatives living overseas, Policies on monetary exchange. • The Vietnamese government studied and issued policies to people who have relatives living in foreign countries such as: • Build and buy houses to relatives with money from foreign countries. • Buy tools, equipments for business products. • Special national products such as: paintings, sculptures etc. • Savings to visit families, savings for tours, and gifts for relatives.

10. Encouraging Vietnamese oversea to send money home did not have the expected result. In the Resolution 36, the Politic Bureau of the Central Communist Party reminds people of the openness and promotion of the money exchange policy. Probably, they will open more money exchange offices with low service charges

11. 5. Policies of supporting, encouraging, and intimidating. • a. Fund for supporting Vietnamese communities Overseas (FOCV). • The goal for this fund (according to the Finance department) included: summer camps, sport, art, performances, encouraging Vietnamese overseas to invest in Vietnam.and to collaborate in science and economics, especially to take part in organizations and activities of the pro- communist abroad • But the main purpose of these funds is toreact against the activity of the Vietnamese diaspora and to disturb and destroy the non conformist activities in search for the democracy in Vietnam.

12. . Intimidating. • The communist party threatens that they will respond accordingly to activities that are against the benefits of the Vietnamese people (sic),activities that disrupt their relationships with nations which have large number of Vietnamese or that divide the Vietnamese communities overseas. • What activities are against the benefits of the Vietnamese people? – Who is disrupting the international relationships with Vietnam? – Who is diversifying and destroying the Vietnamese communities overseas ? • The Vietnamese oversea needs to be conscious and need to inform the local governments of ahy forms of Vietnamese communist intimidation.

13. Conclusion. We have to be strong against all the dishonest craftiness of the Vietnamese communist.