Vietnam

1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Chapter 3Culture, Education, Science, TechnologyArticle 33• The State shall promote information work,

the press, radio, television, cinema, publishing, libraries and other means of mass communication. Shall be strictly banned all activities in the fields of culture and information that are detrimental to national interests, and destructive of the personality, morals, and fine life way of the Vietnamese.

CHAPTER FIVEFUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE CITIZENArticle 70

• The citizen shall enjoy freedom of belief and of religion; he can follow any religion or follow none. All religions are equal before the law.

Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet’s threats against Thich Quang Do and the Unified Buddhist

Church of Vietnam are “unworthy of a civilized society”

• President Triet was reacting to questions about the recent arrests of religious leaders and the government’s virulent media campaign against the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of

Vietnam (UBCV) and its Deputy leader Thich Quang Do. • President Triet darkly threatened that “these people who

have violated the law, who have an organized structure, a strong network inside and outside the country and a clear plan to overthrow [the regime] will be put on trial”. “We will convict them as violators of the law. They are hiding under the cloak of religion, they are not really religious people” The full text of President Triet’s statement, recorded on video, was published on the website of the Vietnamese Service of the BBC in London today.

Chapter 3Culture, Education, Science, TechnologyArticle 36• The State shall ensure the harmonious

development of the educational system: pre-school education, general education, vocational training, college and post-graduate education; it shall enforce the generalisation of primary education, eliminate illiteracy; it shall develop various educational institutions: State-run schools, people-run schools, and others.

• The State gives priority investment to education and encouragement to other investors

American experts identify problems in Vietnam’s higher

education1. curricula consisting of too many subjects

with out-of-date contents

2. Instructors have to work for too many hours but receive salaries that are too low, which prevents them from investing adequate time in planning lessons, meeting students and researching.

CHAPTER FIVEFUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE CITIZENArticle 67• Old people, infirm people and orphans

without support shall receive State assistance.

------------------------------------------------------• There are 2.5 million children in need of

special protection, including more than 150,000 orphans, 1.2 million children with disabilities.

Bibliography

• http://www.queme.net/eng/index.php

• http://home.vnn.vn/english/government/constitution/

• http://english.vietnamnet.vn/education/2007/06/704150/

• http://www.livinginvietnam.com/US_Version/Expatriates_vietnam/Health_Vietnam.htm

• http://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/VietNam-CPD_Rev1.pdf