Vietnamese activist urges U.S. to push Hanoi on reforms

In an op-ed in the New York Post on Tuesday, Vietnamese democracy advocate Nguyen Dan Que makes a compelling argument for reform in his home country and urges American interests to use their influence to push the government of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to further liberalize both the economic and political arenas.

Dan Que believes Viet Nam’s current troubles owe more to mismanagement and corruption than intrinsic problems with the Vietnamese economy. Citing rising inflation, soaring food prices, and increasing unemployment, Dan Que strongly condemns the communist government, labeling it an “oppressive state bureaucracy that is now the chief obstacle to progress.”

American influence, Dan Que writes, is the only agent strong enough to create the real liberalizing change Viet Nam needs to revive its failing economy and allow greater democratic participation. He suggests that a commitment from American industry and American politicians to pressure Hanoi could be the push Vietnamese people have been waiting for.

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