Left-Communist Group of Vietnam

As we have looked at previously, the “Communist” Party of Vietnam has a plentiful history of being non-communist. An often overlooked dimension of this, which we will attempt to cover briefly in this piece, was the Land Reform Program (henceforth referred to as the LRP) which lasted from 1953-1956 in what was then the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (“North Vietnam”). Before we begin, it is important to dispel illusions about the LRP perpetuated by reactionary forces, both red and white. Firstly, the Program was not a genocidal blood bath. Claims like these are backed up by “evidence” originating in imperialist institutions from anti-communist authors. A notable example is one Hoang Van Chi, the author of the book From Colonialism to Communism , who was credited by C.I.A. agent George Carver as being a “cadre” of the Viet Minh. Chi was never in the Viet Minh, although he was a part of the Ministry of Information in South Vietnam under the Diem dictatorship. Chi was also funded by the Co...

  It is no secret that capital has permeated every level of society in Vietnam. But now the contradictions of capitalism are starting to show once again. And resistance is being made manifest through the strike. Although the resistance is not great, no struggle must be discarded, especially not the one Vietnam is faced with now. Hundreds of proletarians working for the ride hailing service Grab have gone on strike recently, following a proposal by Grab to institute a new fee plan. Said fee plan would increase the percentage of tips that Grab could take from it’s drivers - the “take rate” - from 20% to 30%. The new plan would also increase the fee for Grab’s car and bike services by 5% to 6%. The plan, indicative of the bourgeoisie’s tendency to shrink wages, was proposed in response to a new tax plan by the Vietnamese government. Although those striking are all drivers for Grab, this new plan has naturally angered those who use the service, who will be forced to pay more.[1] This i...

  One would be hard pressed to find a country that is more hated, more despised on the Left of Capital, than Israel. This is not a sentiment without reason of course. The State of Israel is a puppet of American imperialism, a virtual apartheid state colonizing Palestinian land. The American bourgeoisie, among others, is quick to label anti-Zionist dissent as “anti-Semitic”, as Israel is one of America’s most committed allies. Surely the mighty Socialist Republic of Vietnam has taken a stand against them then? Surely it has joined other countries in restricting Israel’s power and influence, in an anti-imperialist show of solidarity? Unfortunately for Vietnam’s cheerleaders it has not. In fact Vietnam has been more than happy to be an ally to Israel The relationship between the two is rich, but it has not always been this way. In fact it has only recently started to become more intimate. Vietnam recognized Israel as independent in 1993, lagging behind other countries by a few decades...

  Recently, Vietnamese activist Will Nguyen appeared on a digital town hall with the organization Now! to discuss Vietnam and it’s democracy movement. One of our members and a sympathizer had the opportunity to watch the town hall on Zoom. That experience and an analysis of it has been compiled into this article. Before we begin, let us address the organization that held this meeting. Now!, founded in 2019, describes itself as “the global movement pushing for humanity to work as One, to solve the biggest challenges of our time”. Vague wording, to say the least, however, we can still draw some conclusions from it. Such as a doubtless class collaborationism with their appeal for a united humanity. Looking at the actual content of the town hall and Now!’s facebook page, it is clear that they’re a very liberal organization. Joe Biden apologia, along with calls for a “coalition of democracies” to form and help defend (bourgeois) democracy and it’s “freedom fighters” doesn’t make this a ...

  Recently there has been a vivid display of reactionary sentiments and views by those in the Vietnamese diaspora in America. At a rally in Biloxi, Mississippi, one of many, a crowd of Vietnamese flew the flags of various reactionary groups with reactionary slogans accompanying. Prominently featured was the three striped flag of the Republic of Vietnam (“South Vietnam”) and the Trump 2020 flag. This show of support for the American regime is the result of numerous components, which we have attempted to identify below. Yellow Red Scare The most prominent factor we have to take into account is the diaspora’s relationship to present Vietnam. The ideological and legal predecessor to the modern “Socialist” Republic of Vietnam was the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (“North Vietnam”), which many Vietnamese tried to escape from during the American War in Vietnam. This was largely due to its allegedly communist characteristics, and the fear of suffering under the regime. The resulting inter...

  Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, boasting almost two billion faithful across the entire world. It’s no wonder, then, that it has also reached Vietnam, even if it’s a minority in the cultural tapestry. This essay hopes to give a short historical account of how Islam got to Vietnam, and the characteristics of modern Islam in the country. Background Among the regions that make up Vietnam, Islam’s presence was first found in the region of Champa, comprising the central and south parts of the country. The Cham, who occupied the region, are widely associated with Islam and vice versa, since they were the first to convert to Islam, doing so as early as the tenth and eleventh centuries. Although some records place conversions at the twelfth century. The religion only started to gain popularity around the seventeenth century, however, when the royalty of Champan kingdoms converted.[1] Crucial to this development were Muslim traders, especially those from the Malay peopl...

  Vietnam, being the equivalent of a social democracy, places prime importance on “workers rights” (officially anyway). That’s why the government allows the existence of party-approved trade unions who can only legally be represented by one party approved national organization. This organization, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (V.G.C.L.), is not truly representative of the proletariat. It is more representative of the capitalist “Communist” Party and its running dogs.  First off, let’s address what it means that Vietnam has an organization of trade unions. These trade unions, of which there are several, negotiate with Vietnamese capitalists over working conditions and wages. Their main reason for existence is to deal with problems which are characteristic of capitalism. This is not a fabrication we have made up. They openly admit this in a video by the International Labor Organization (an arm of the United Nations). They say: “In Vietnam’s fast growing economy wage...