[vnforum] Vietnam party disciplines thousands over unrest

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Vietnam party disciplines thousands over unrest
10/12/2000 7:34:00 AM

HANOI, Oct 12 (Reuters) - More than 2,000 Communist Party members and officials
have been disciplined in a northern Vietnam province that saw serious unrest
three years ago, the party newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Nhan Dan (People) daily blamed bad management, bureaucracy, corruption and
a lack of democracy for the unrest in November 1997 in Thai Binh province, 80
km (50 miles) south of Hanoi.

It said complaints against officials had accumulated there in recent years.

"More than 2,000 cadres and party members who made mistakes have been
disciplined. Those found to be unqualified have been removed from their posts
in party bodies," the paper said.

It did not give a timeframe for the action and at the same time criticised
those who had taken part in protest against the abuses.

"Some people have abused democracy to agitate and trigger social disorder,
violating the laws and causing bad consequences in many fields," it said.

At the height of the troubles in November 1997, farmers at a commune in the
province's Quynh Phu district held 23 police officers hostage for five days.

In July 1998, a court sentenced more than 30 farmers to jail for offences
ranging from causing public disorder to illegally detaining local police and
beating officials. Others were given suspended sentences.

Thai Binh residents have said the protests in the province were sparked by
embezzlement of donations for public works projects.

In February this year, Communist Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu toured
Thai Binh and stressed that protests there between May 1997 and June 1999 had
been against corruption of party members, not the communist system as a whole.

At the same time though, the party vowed to get tough on abuse of authority, a
sign that it was seriously unsettled by the unrest and growing rural discontent
in other provinces.

Last May, the party announced a self-criticism campaign aimed at rooting out
graft and mismanagement.

Copyright 2000, Reuters News Service

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