Vietnam's economy loses its roar

Associated Press/Na Son Nguyen - In this photo taken Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, a street vendor walks by the Trang Tien Plaza super mall which has been closed for a year for renovation in Hanoi, Vietnam. Once seen …more as an emerging Asian dynamo racing to catch up with its neighbors, Vietnam's economy is mired in malaise, dragged down by debt-hobbled banks, inefficient and corrupt state-owned enterprises and bouts of inflation. (AP Photo/Na Son Nguyen) less

By CHRIS BRUMMITT | Associated Press – 09/11/2012

BAT TRANG, Vietnam (AP) — Four years ago, Le Van Tho borrowed $200,000 to build a new ceramic factory on rice fields bordering Hanoi. But with the economy slowing, orders have slumped this year and she recently laid off almost half her workers.

It's also a grim picture down the road: bowls, statues and flower vases gather dust in export showrooms as shoppers in a recession-hit Europe and sluggish United States stop spending.

Once seen as an emerging Asian dynamo racing to catch up with its neighbors, Vietnam's economy is mired in malaise, dragged down by debt-hobbled banks, inefficient and corrupt state-owned enterprises and bouts of inflation.

Vietnam's one-party Communist government has promised reforms, but it appears unwilling to give up the reins of an economy that has delivered fortunes to top officials and their business partners.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: The Reform

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Even the Viet commies need new blood ... only the CPP clings to old geezers of the like of Hun Xen, Heng Xamrin and Chea Xim

Vietnam's Communist Party Ponders Change

FRIDAY, 02 MARCH 2012
Written by Khanh Vu Duc
Asia Sentinel

New blood needed.

The party is living on borrowed time as it drifts aimlessly

The Communist Party of Vietnam turned 82 on Feb. 3, of which 36 years have been spent ruling Vietnam. We can only guess what the next 82 years will bring. Indeed, this past week the party’s delegates and executives met in Hanoi to discuss much needed reform.

These discussions will focus on curbing corruption and deficiencies among party members, along with supposed improvements to human rights. However, any serious suggestion about reform by senior party officials has been just that – a suggestion. As these proposed reforms are designed to benefit the party, change for the Vietnamese people will continue to remain a distant hope.

The party today has strayed far from its Marxist-Leninist roots, evolving into a semi-benevolent dictatorship whose iron-fisted tactics are reserved for those democratic and human rights activists unwilling to accept the one-party rule of the government.

សមមិត្ត អោបអញ្ចឹង ព្រឺដល់ឆ្អឹងខ្នង! - Comrade, your embrace makes me tingle all over!

Comrade Hun Xen and Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong locked in embrace (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Vietnam's Party leader starts visit in Cambodia - យួនចូលស្រុកហើយ!

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday for a 3-day state visit to cement bilateral ties between the two neighbors.

The visit, the first since he became the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January, 2011, is made at the invitation of Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni.

At Phnom Penh International Airport, Trong was greeted by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Kong Sam Ol, minister of the Royal Palace and other dignitaries.

មេយៀកកុង នឹងមក ពិនិត្យ អាណានិគមវា ក្រោមការអញ្ជើញរបស់ សាដាត់ស្មែរ្ - Vietcong chief invited to visit colony by Xmer King

អគ្គ​លេខាធិការបក្ស​កុម្មុយនិស្តវៀតណាម ខ្វៀន ភូចុង - Nguyen Phu Trong (R), the Viet communist party secretary-general, met with Sihamoni during his ealier visit to Nambodia

មេដឹកនាំ​បក្ស​កុម្មុយនិស្ត​វៀតណាម​​​បំពេញ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គា​រ​ខាង​មុខ​​

04 ធ្នូ 2011
ដោយ ប៉ែន បូណា
RFI

Synopsis: Nguyen Phu Trong, the secretary-general of the Viet commie party, will visit Cambodia on Tuesday. During his 3-day visit, Nguyen will meet the king, the ex-king and the top three monkey leaders. The Viet visit took place just after the supreme meeting of the 3 commie fronts of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam which ended last week. Nguyen was invited to visit the colony of Cambodia by the Xmer king, Norodom Sihamoni.

អគ្គលេខាធិការ​បក្សកុម្មុយនិស្ត​វៀតណាម​ លោក​ង្វៀនភូចុង​( Nguyen Phu​ Trong) ​នឹង​មក​បំពេញ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អង្គារ​ដើម​សប្តាហ៍​ក្រោយ​នេះ។ ​ក្នុង​ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​រយៈ​ពេល​៣​ថ្ងៃ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ​អគ្គលេខាធិការ​បក្សកុម្មុយនិស្ត​វៀតណាម​នឹង​ចូល​ថ្វាយ​បង្គំគាល់​ព្រះមហា​ក្សត្រ​ អតីត​ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ​ និង​មេដឹកនាំ​កំពូល​ស្ថាប័ន​ជាតិ​ទាំង​បី។ ​វត្តមាន​របស់​មន្ត្រី​ជាន់ខ្ពស់​ទីក្រុង​ហាណូយ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា​នា​ពេល​នេះ ​បាន​កើត​ឡើង ​បន្ទាប់​ពី​សន្និសីទ​កំពូល​រណសិរ្ស​៣​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា ​វៀតណាម ​ឡាវ ​ទើប​តែ​បិទ​បញ្ចប់​កាល​ពី​ដើម​សប្តាហ៍​នេះ។

ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​ របស់​អគ្គលេខាធិការ​គណៈកម្មាធិការ​មជ្ឈិមបក្ស​ កុម្មុយនិស្ដ​វៀតណាម​ លោក​ ង្វៀន​ ភូចុង នៅ​​ពេល​នេះ​ធ្វើ​ឡើង​តប​តាម​ការ​អញ្ជើញ​របស់​ព្រះករុណា​ព្រះបាទ​សម្ដេច​ ព្រះបរមនាថ ​នរោត្តម ​សីហមុនី​ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ​កម្ពុជា។ ​ដំណើរ​ទស្សនកិច្ច​នេះ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ពន្យល់​ថា​ ជា​ទស្សនកិច្ច​មិត្តភាព ​និង​ផ្លូវ​រដ្ឋ ​រយៈពេល ​៣​ថ្ងៃ ​ចាប់ពី​ថ្ងៃទី​៦ ​ដល់​ថ្ងៃទី​៨​ ខែ​ធ្នូ​ ឆ្នាំ​២០១១។

Vietnam treasures ties with its colony of Cambodia

Vietnam treasures ties with Cambodia

August 12, 2009
VNA (Hanoi)

Vietnam always attaches importance and gives top priority to strengthening and developing its traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation with Cambodia.

Hoang Binh Quan, Member of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, made the statement at meetings with Cambodian leaders during his three-day visit as a guest of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

Mr. Quan paid a courtesy visit to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, and met CPP Chairman and Senate President Chea Sim, CPP Vice Chairman and Prime Minister Hun Sen, CPP Honorary Chairman and National Assembly Chairman Heng Samrin, and Chairman of the CPP’s Standing Committee and National Assembly Second Vice Chairman Say Chhum.

Mr. Quan kept his hosts informed of the situation in Vietnam after three years of implementing the 10th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

King Norodom Sihamoni and Cambodian leaders said they are delighted at progress in the traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Cambodia and Vietnam .

They pledged to do their utmost to lift bilateral ties to a new height under the motto of “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, long-term and comprehensive co-operation” as agreed upon by senior leaders of the two countries.

During the visit, Mr. Quan held talks with his Cambodian counterpart, Yos Son, to brief each other of the situation for their respective Parties and nations.

The Party officials also discussed a range of measures to boost their bilateral relationship as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.