Vietnamese Propaganda

NEWS Friday, June 14, 2002

Ethnic groups enjoy policies of unity, equality, mutual assistance and development

Kon Tum women fight poverty.

Vietnam is a united nation of many ethnic groups and an age old history and culture. The Vietnamese community of 54 ethnic groups has been formed throughout a long period of historical evolution of the nation. In the past thousands of years of national construction and defence, the ethnic groups have been shoulder to shoulder to fight against adverse nature and foreign aggression for national independence and freedom, for the homeland which is currently building a life of plenty and happiness.

Since the foundation of the Communist Party of Vietnam and in furtherance of President Ho Chi Minh Thought of great national unity, the tradition of unity, and mutual assistance among ethnic groups has been heightened and become a decisive factor for revolutionary successes. Throughout its leadership of the revolution, the Party always considers a correct settlement of ethnic issues to be a strategic task. Based on Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought on ethnicity, the Party and State have issued lines and policies towards ethnic groups with a focus on unity, equality, and mutual assistance, striving for a happy life of plenty while maintaining the cultural identity of each ethnic group. These ideas have been reflected fully and unified in Party documents, State Constitution and specified in relevant policies in different stages of the revolution. Since its foundation 72 years ago, the Communist Party of Vietnam has mobilised massive strength from the population of different ethnic groups to record glorious historical chapters for the nation. Accordingly, the entire Vietnamese people are confident in the Party leadership and are marching firmly on their chosen path.

In acceleration of the process of renovation, national industrialisation and modernisation, construction and defence of the socialist fatherland and bringing into full play the concerted strength of the entire nation, the Party and State are focusing on the following guidelines and policies: Firstly, developing a socialist oriented multi-sectoral commodity economy in line with natural conditions of each region to enable the population of ethnic groups to fully tap locally available resources to enrich themselves and contribute positively to the ongoing renovation process. Secondly, giving priority to education and training, especially human resources development for ethnic minority groups.

Thirdly, inheriting and developing the cultural quintessence of the community of Vietnamese ethnic groups and each group while acquiring cultural value and scientific advances of mankind in an effort to develop Vietnam's culture into a modern one, imbued with national identities. Fourthly, issuing preferential policies towards the remote areas, former revolutionary bases and war zones, curbing the decline in population growth and living conditions of some ethnic minority groups.

The Party has always given due attention to ethnic issues. The Party and State have made important decisions to speed up socio-economic development in the ethnic minority and mountainous regions while tackling difficulties facing ethnic minorities. The implementation of the Politburo Resolution 22 and the government's Decision 72 on socio-economic development for the mountainous regions, has given a facelift to these regions, characterised by a high economic growth, security and defence guaranteed, improved spiritual and material life of a majority of the ethnic minority population with the great unity bloc being strengthened. The average GDP growth rate in the mountainous provinces in recent years has stood stable between 8 and 10% annually, the economy is being restructured towards commodity production, ensuring food security, with an annual food share per capita reaching more than 300 kilograms.

Several concentrated, large scale intensive farming zones have been established where long-term industrial plants, animal husbandry, farm and forest product processing are developed. Forests and their resources have been conserved and protected. Physical and technical infrastructure facilities have been built and developed with a road network reaching communal centres, accounting for 97.42%. The national electricity grid has reached down to 98% of districts, 64% of communes, and more than 50% of households. About two thirds of communes have access to telephone service, radio coverage reaching more than 90% and television coverage reaching over 70%. Health and education services continue to improve in the ethnic minority and mountainous regions. Mountainous provinces nationwide have completed universalisation of primary education and some places have even universalised lower secondary education. All communes have primary schools and most have lower secondary schools to cater for secondary school students from ethnic minority groups. More than 90% of mountain hamlets have medical staff, 100% communes have health stations with enough power and water supply and medical facilities for cure and treatment of local patients. The Party and State's particular attention to ethnic minority groups and the mountain regions is reflected in the preferential programmes for especially disadvantaged regions. In the past 12 years, investment in the mountainous region has constantly increased. Last year's inputs in these regions were worth VND 93,500 billion with one third coming from the State budget. Priority was given to developing economic infrastructure (63.5%), social infrastructure (34.7%) and other sectors (1.8%). More than 20 national programmes are being carried out in the ethnic minority and mountainous regions valued at VND 5,428 billion, accounting for 44% of the total funding for national programs.

A key programme, being carried out in the ethnic mountainous regions is: Government Programme 135 for socio-economic development in especially disadvantaged communes in remote and mountainous regions. The programme has reached 2,325 communes with an average input of VND 400 million for each commune. The programme aims to create projects to generate more income for local villagers and the people take part in selecting and monitoring project delivery in a democratic manner.

These projects are well under way, contributing to improving the material and spiritual lives of the local ethnic minorities in especially disadvantaged regions. Each year, the State allocates thousands of billions of Vietnamese dong to provide essential goods such as iodised salt, oil, writing paper, medicines, and subsidising transport fees, and prices of seeds, breeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and distributing radio sets for the population in 36 mountain provinces where ethnic minority people live. Such subsidies have helped stabilise market prices and ensured goods delivered to the people in the remote regions.

Apart from support to economic and development production, the State advocates to improve the ethnic people's spiritual life, raising their educational level and health care. These moves are being stepped up through culture and information activities, an increase in radio and television programmes broadcast in local languages and establishing more facilities to cater for cultural appreciation needs of the locals. The State also provides free 17 kinds of magazines and journals to especially disadvantaged communes, assisting ethnic minority people with scientific and technological advances in their production and daily life. The State pursues preferential policies in education, training and health care for ethnic minorities. Ethnic minority children are provided with textbooks, exercise books, and other stationery and do not have to pay certain fees required by schools in the lowlands. They also benefit from the enrolment and entrance examinations to universities and colleges and high schools. More than 6,000 ethnic minority students have been following courses through non-examination selection procedures. In addition to the system of public schools at different levels, the State has developed a network of ethnic boarding schools, each year receiving more than 60,000 ethnic students who will become important personnel for future local socio-economic development.

The State has also issued a great deal of other incentive policies for ethnic minority people, covering all aspects of their lives. These polices help narrow the socio-economic development gap among different ethnic groups in the Vietnamese community. The policy of unity, equality and mutual assistance has won strong confidence from the ethnic minority people in the Party and State. Under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, the ethnic minorities have been wholeheartedly taking part in the revolution, making contributions to the victories of the past struggle for national independence and current national construction and defence. This reflects the wisdom of Party and State guidelines and policies relating to ethnic groups. Meanwhile, hostile forces have left no stones unturned in their plots to undermine the fruits of revolution and the great unity bloc. They attempt to incite ethnic minorities people to reduce their trust in the Party and State and sow division between the ethnic minorities and the majority groups. They spread erroneous views and distort the Party and State guidelines and policies towards ethnic minorities. They take advantage of some cadres and places where such policies are not properly carried out to mislead ethnic minority people.

Realities of the recent elections to the 11th National Assembly bear eloquent proof of the ethnic minority people's confidence in the Party, State, and regime. In the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, 100% of voters went to the polls, followed by Ha Giang at 99.97% and Lang Son, 99.96%. The rate of people casting their ballots in the Central Highlands provinces was also very high: 99.90% for Kon Tum, 99.89% for Dak Lak; and 99.87% for Gia Lai. These figures show a high sense of responsibility and aspirations of the ethnic minority groups towards the destiny of the nation and represent a blow at those who attempt to sabotage the Vietnamese revolution. Hostile forces will continue to nurture their sinister plots and schemes to destroy the great national unity. That's why we have to strengthen the unity bloc while standing vigilant against the enemy's schemes. In the meantime, efforts must be made to enhance communication and education to help ethnic minority people thoroughly understand the Party and State policies towards them.

With the invincible strength of great national unity and a strong confidence from the ethnic minority people in the leadership of the Party, we are well grounded to successfully build and defend the socialist fatherland of Vietnam with a wealthy people and equal, democratic and civilised society.

By HOANG DUC NGHI
Minister, chairman of the Committee for Nationalities and Mountainous Areas.