Vietnam's Elite Politics and New Challenges in a Disruptive World
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61462/cujss.v53i1.1488Keywords:
Communist Party, Centralized democracy, Collective leadership, New class, Internet, ChallengesAbstract
The politics of the Vietnamese elite is the politics in Communist Party of Vietnam that has been relying on two kinds of legitimacy that have sustained the elites’ power since the country’s independence in year 1945. First, the ideological legitimacy is based on the struggle of liberating the country from French colonialism and to transform political platform into authoritarianism under Communist Party. Second, the legitimacy as a result of the economic success after the year 1986 Doi Moi economic reform, which transformed Vietnam from a planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy, which has been allowing Vietnamese people to have the opportunity to accumulate wealth. This article draws on Samuel Huntington's idea that success in economic development leads to democracy because the wealthy tend to be politically pressured groups to demand change in order for the State to meet its needs and thus accumulate wealth smoother. This article, however, argues that even though the economic success will create a new class in Vietnam, this social force has shown no challenge to the Communist Party’s political leadership because they all depend on the power structures, policies and connections in the state apparatus and the Communist Party to uplift their status. In other words, the centralization of the Communist Party's power was not an obstacle for them to do business and accumulate wealth. On the other hand, their business success had greatly contributed to the Communist Party's performance legitimacy, enabling the Communist Party to remain in power. The challenges to the power of the Communist Party of Vietnam today is a group of people who have been abandoned or missed the opportunity to use the party and state power structures to satisfy their own needs. In addition, they did not receive any benefit from the development but in many cases, they were affected by many government projects. These groups have relied on social media to express grievant and claim their rights. This led the Communist Party finding ways to counter, limit and eventually eliminate. This article is based on research on the elite and labor force in Southeast Asia, which studies and explores mainly on Vietnam's elite politics from government documents, reports of private organizations, books, periodicals and media reports.
Downloads
References
Amnesty International. 2020. Let us breathe: Censorship and criminalization of online expression in Viet Nam. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ASA4132432020ENGLISH.pdf
Bello, Walden. 2007. Ho Chi Minh: Down with Colonialism. London and New York: Verso Books.
Beresford, Melanie. 1998. Vietnam: Politics, Economic and Society. London: New York: Pinter.
Bradshaw, Samantha., & Howard, Philip. N. 2019. The Global Disinformation Order: 2019 Global inventory of organised social media manipulation. Oxford, United Kingdom.
Channel News Asia. 2019, April 13. Brother of Vietnam’s richest man arrested for bribery. Accessed May 5, 2019. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/brother-vietnam-richest-man-arrested-for-bribery-885971
Bui Thi Thu Ha, La Ngoc Quang, Tolib Mirzoev, Nguyen Trong Tai, Pham Quang Thai, & Phung Cong. 2020. Combating the COVID-19 Epidemic: Experiences from Vietnam. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 3125. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093125
Campbell, Charlie. 2018, October 24. Vietnam begins life under new strongman President Nguyen Phu Trong. TIME. Accessed November 29, 2018. https://time.com/5432855/nguyen-phu-trong-vietnam-president/
Chung, Jane. 2019, April 7. S.Korea’s LG Chem sets up joint venture with Vietnam’s VinFast. Reuters. Accessed May 1, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-lgchem-vinfast-idUSL3N21P00Y
Dien Luong. 2018, February 19. Vietnam’s Internet is in trouble. The Washington Post. Accessed February 20, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/02/19/vietnam-internet/
Duong Trong Hue, Nguyen Van Thang Long, Soroya Julian McFarlane, Nguyen Thanh Hoa, & Nguyen The Kai. 2021. Preventing the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam: Social media campaign exposure and the role of interpersonal communication. Health Communication, 1-8.
Fan, Mei-Fang., Chiu, Chig-Ming., & Mabon, Leslie. 2020. Environmental justice and the politics of pollution: The case of the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel pollution incident in Vietnam. Nature and Space, 1-18.
Greenless, Donald. n.d. Vietnam Capitalist’s Road: Billionaire in the driver seats. Accessed March 1, 2022. https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/asialink-dialogues-and-applied-research/commentary-and-analysis/vietnams-capitalist-road-billionaires-in-the-drivers-seat
Hayton, Bill. 2010. Vietnam Rising Dragon. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Huntington, Samuel. 1991. Democracy’s Third Wave. Journal of Democracy, 2(2), 12-34.
Kemp, Simon. 2018. Digital in 2018: World’s Internet users pass the 4 billion mark. Accessed May 10, 2018. https://wearesocial.com/sg/blog/2018/01/global-digital-report-2018/
Kornai, Janos. 1992. The Socialist System: The Political Economy of Communism. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Kurfurst, Sandra. 2015. Networking alone? Digital communications and collective action in Vietnam. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 34(3), 123–50.
Kurfurst, Sandra. 2016. “6,700 people for 6,700 trees” - the evolvement of an urban community of practice. In The 13th International Asian Urbanization Conference. Regional Development Study Program, Faculty of Geography, Universities Gadjah, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, January 6-8, 2016.
La Phuong Viet, Pham Thanh Hang, Ho Toan Manh, Nguyen Hoang Minh, Nguyen Pham Khanh Linh, Vuong Thu Trang, … Vuong Quan Hoang. 2020. Policy response, social media and science journalism for the sustainability of the public health system amid the COVID-19 outbreak: The Vietnam lessons. Sustainbility, 12(7), 2931. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072931
Le Khoi. 2021, June 19. Ngoai ty phu Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao HDQT cua VietJet Air con nhung ai? [นอกเหนือจาก เหงียน ถิ เฟือง ถ๋าว จะมีใครบ้างที่มีคุณสมบัติเป็นคณะกรรมการบริหาร VietJet Air]. Vietnam Business Insider. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://vietnambusinessinsider.vn/board-profiles-ngoai-ty-phu-nguyen-thi-phuong-thao-hdqt-cua-vietjet-air-con-nhung-ai-a14057.html (In Vietnamese)
Le Viet T. 2018. Two stories: the emergence of the Vietnamese social media. Media International Australia, 168(1), 93-107.
Le Viet Tho และ Hutchinson Jonathon, 2022. Regulating social media and influencers within Vietnam. Policy & Internet, 14, 558-573.
Lewis, Simon. 2016, April 7. Vietnam approves new Prime Minister to complete Leadership Trio. TIME. Accessed June 23, 2021. https://time.com/4284711/vietnam-approves-new-prime-minister-to-complete-leadership-trio/
London, Jonathan. 2009. Viet Nam and the making of market-Leninism. The Pacific Review, 22(3), 375–99.
McKirdy, Euan. 2019. “Stalinist” Vietnamese cybersecurity law takes effect, worrying rights groups and online campaigners. CNN. Accessed May 1, 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/02/asia/vietnam-cybersecurity-bill-intl/index.html
Minh Son. 2018, March 7. How did Vietnam’s four richest people earn their billions? Vietnam Express. Accessed May 1, 2020. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/how-did-vietnam-s-four-richest-people-earn-their-billions-3720176.html
Ministry of National Defence. 2009. Vietnam National Defence. Hanoi: Ministry of National Defence.
Ministry of Planning and Investment of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 2017, December 13. VBF – 20 years contribution and towards Socio-economic development goals by 2020. Accessed May 1, 2020. https://www.mpi.gov.vn/en/Pages/tinbai.aspx?idTin=38669&idcm=132
Nguyen Cuong, & Nguyen Trang. 2020. The determinants of consumer’s intention to use e-wallet: The case study of MoMo in Vietnam. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(3),14284-93.
Nguyen Hoang. 2021, April 6. Vietnam scores a Forbes high with six billionaires. Vietnam Express. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/vietnam-scores-a-forbes-high-with-six-billionaires-4259029.html
Nguyen Khac Vien. 1987. Vietnam: A Long History. Hanoi: Foreign Language Publishing House.
Nguyen Lan Anh. 2017, November 28. A Billionaire Will Build Autos In Vietnam. Forbes. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/11/28/a-billionaire-will-build-autos-in-vietnam/?sh=5bb928e9182e
Nguyen Minh Ngoc. 2021. Internet usage in Vietnam - statistics & facts. Accessed December 24, 2021. https://www.statista.com/topics/6231/internet-usage-in-vietnam/#dossierKeyfigures
Nguyen Phu Trong. 2015. Renewal In Viet Nam: Theory and Reality. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
Nguyen-Pochan Thi Thanh Phuong. 2021. State management of social media in Vietnam.
Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies, Special Issue, 23-33.
Noer, Michael. 2013, March 4. Vietnam’s First Billionaire And The Triumph Of Capitalism. Forbes. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelnoer/2013/03/04/vietnams-first-billionaire-and-the-triumph-of-capitalism/?sh=33a796101fc1
Tomoya Onishi "Vietnam's conglomerates in crosshair of corruption crackdown" Nikkei Asia (April 13, 2022) Accessed April April 10, 2023 https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Vietnam-s-new-conglomerates-in-crosshairs-of-corruption-crackdown
Perez, Sarah. 2016. Facebook blocked in Vietnam over the weekend due to citizen protests. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/17/facebook-blocked-in-vietnam-over-the-weekend-due-to-citizen-protests/
Phan Dieu. 2018, March 8. Vietnam’s 20 most influential businesswomen. Vietnam Investment Review. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://vir.com.vn/vietnams-20-most-influential-businesswomen-47878.html
Reuters Staff. 2017, April 7. Vietnamese protest one year after Formosa spill disaster. Reuters. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-environment-formosa-plastics-idUSKBN1782GJ
Tang My Sang and Nguyen Hung Tien. 2020. Impact of artificial intelligence on Vietnam commercial bank operations. International Journal of Social Science and Economics Invention, 6(7), 296-303.
Templer, Robert. 1999. Shadows and Wind: A View of Modern Vietnam. New York: Penguin Group.
Thayer, Carlyle. A. 2018. The political economy of military-run enterprises in Vietnam. In Khaki Capital: The Political Economy of the Military in Southeast Asia (130-160). Copenhagen: NIAS Press.
The Goi Publisher. The Communist Party of Vietnam: From the 1st to the 12th National Congress (Selected documents) (Hanoi: The Goi Publisher, 2018)
The Guardian. 2018, October 17. Mother Mushroom: Vietnam dissident and blogger arrives in US. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/17/mother-mushroom-freed-vietnam-blogger-released-prison
Thiem Hai Bui. 2016. The influence of social media in Vietnam’s elites politics. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 35(2), 89-111.
Toan Luu Duc Huynh. 2020. The COVID-19 risk perception: A survey on socioeconomics and media attention. Economics Bulletin, 40(1), 758-64
Tran Thi Minh Hieu. 2018. Vietnam’s richest business people. Accessed April 20, 2021. https://www.citypassguide.com/blog/vietnams-richest-business-people?fbclid=IwAR2uRRhRKBix6kqYa51kEnmwHWhW3DmDRD79ka8ZzmA7FCHq- P1AKTdX6DQ#.W_lsL475-yE.facebook
Vietnam: Freedom on the net 2021. n.d. Accessed January 22, 2022. https://freedomhouse.org/country/vietnam/freedom-net/2021
Ukrist Pathmanand, Sakdina Chatrakul Na Ayuthaya, Theera Nuchpiam, Prangtip Daorueng, Supalak Ganjanakhundee, Adisorn Semyaem, Direk Hongthong. 2019. “Khrongkan Chon Channam Lae Raengngan Nai Echiatawan okchiangtai- Ongprakop- Khrongsang- Lae Phonlawat Nai Yuk Plian Phan”: Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI)
Vietnam Plus. 2021, October 28. Prison sentences announced for Truong Chau Huu Danh, his accomplices. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/prison-sentences-announced-for-truong-chau-huu-danh-his-accomplices/211551.vnp
Wells-Dang, Andrew. 2010. Political space in Vietnam: a view from the “rice roots.” The Pacific Review, 23(1), 93-112.
White Book on Vietnamese Business 2021 Part II (SO LIEU VE PHAT TRIEN DOANH NGHIEP GIAI DOAN 2016-2020). 2021. (In Vietanmese)
Winters, Jeffrey. A. 2011. Oligarchy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Public Licensing Terms
Copyright and Licensing Policy
The Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science publishes all content under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Copyright
All published articles in the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science are the copyright of the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. Authors transfer all rights to the journal upon acceptance of their manuscript for publication.
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License
Under this license:
-
Attribution (BY): Users must give appropriate credit to the authors, the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, and the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses them or their use.
-
NonCommercial (NC): Users may not use the material for commercial purposes. Commercial use requires prior written permission from both the authors and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.
-
NoDerivatives (ND): If users remix, transform, or build upon the material, they may not distribute the modified material. Adaptations of the work require prior written permission from both the authors and the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.
Open Access Statement
The Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, in accordance with the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
Self-Archiving Policy
Authors may archive the final published version, preprints, or postprints of their articles in institutional repositories or on their personal websites, provided that they acknowledge the original publication in the Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science with a complete citation and a link to the journal's website.
Permissions
For any use beyond those covered by the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, please contact:
Editorial Office
Chulalongkorn University Journal of Social Science
Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
Email: cusocscij@gmail.com
For more information about the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, please visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/