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| | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Government And Politics|Vietnam Government And Politics]] | | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam Government And Politics|Vietnam Government And Politics]] |
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| − | == National Security ==
| + | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam National Security|Vietnam National Security]] |
| − | * [[Directory:Vietnam/Vietnam National Security|Vietnam National Security]] | |
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| − | '''Armed Forces Overview:''' Since Vietnam fought against the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia
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| − | in 1978–89, it has demobilized about 500,000 troops and cut military spending. Still, Vietnam
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| − | has one of the region’s largest and most powerful militaries. Furthermore, the People’s Army of
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| − | Vietnam remains politically influential, and many senior officers have obtained leadership
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| − | positions in the Central Committee and Politburo of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP).
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| − | The military’s prestige stems from its formidable track record against such major world military
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| − | powers as France, the United States, and China and its deep roots in society.
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| − | '''Foreign Military Relations:''' Vietnam cooperates militarily with India and China. Vietnam
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| − | advises India on how to combat guerrilla warfare. India helps maintain Vietnam’s MiG fighter
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| − | planes and helps Vietnam manufacture small- and medium-sized weapons. In 2001 Vietnam
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| − | bolstered its military cooperation with China. Russia has reduced its military presence in
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| − | Vietnam since it abandoned control over the Camh Ranh Bay Naval Base in 2001 because it
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| − | could not afford the expense.
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| − | '''External Threat:''' Despite having fought a border war with China in 1979, Vietnam does not
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| − | face an identifiable military enemy. However, sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel Islands in
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| − | the South China Sea remains in dispute with China and several other nations. In addition,
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| − | Cambodia and Laos have protested incursions by Vietnamese squatters.
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| − | '''Defense Budget:''' In 2003 Vietnam’s defense budget was estimated at US$2.3 billion.
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| − | '''Major Military Units:''' Vietnam’s active-duty military consists of a 412,000-member army, a
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| − | 42,000-member navy, a 30,000-member air and air defense force, and a 40,000-member
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| − | paramilitary border defense corps. The army, which is deployed in nine military regions
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| − | (including Hanoi), consists of headquarters, 58 infantry divisions, 3 mechanized infantry
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| − | divisions, 10 armored battalions, 15 independent infantry regiments, special forces and airborne
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| − | brigades, 10 field artillery brigades, 8 engineering divisions, 10 to 15 economic construction
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| − | divisions, and 20 independent engineering brigades. The navy, including naval infantry, is
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| − | deployed in four naval regions. The People’s Air Force consists of three air divisions, each with
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| − | three regiments.
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| − | '''Major Military Equipment:''' The army is equipped with 1,315 main battle tanks, 620 light
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| − | tanks, 100 reconnaissance vehicles, 300 armored infantry fighting vehicles, 1,380 armored
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| − | personnel carriers, 2,300 towed artillery, and more than 30 self-propelled artillery. The army also
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| − | has an unspecified number of combined gun/mortars, assault guns, multiple rocket launchers,
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| − | mortars, surface-to-surface missiles, antitank guided weapons, recoilless launchers, air defense
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| − | guns, and surface-to-air missiles. The navy has 2 Yugo-class submarines, 6 frigates, 1 corvette,
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| − | 12 missile craft, 10 torpedo craft, 19 inshore patrol combatants, 10 mine warfare ships, 6
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| − | amphibious ships, and at least 30 support craft. The People’s Air Force has 189 combat aircraft
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| − | (53 Su–22, 12 Su–27, and 124 MiG–21) and 26 Mi–24 armed helicopters.
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| − | '''Military Service:''' Military service is compulsory, usually for two years. In late 2001, Vietnam
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| − | reinstated the requirement that women register for military service. However, barring an
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| − | emergency mobilization, they are unlikely to be called up. Mandatory military service for
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| − | women had been abandoned in 1975 at the end of the nation’s civil war.
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| − | '''Paramilitary Forces:''' Vietnam has a 4-million to 5-million-member paramilitary reserve force,
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| − | consisting of the People’s Self-Defense Force and the rural People’s Militia.
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| − | '''Police:''' The Ministry of Public Security controls the police, a national security investigative agency, and other units that maintain internal security.
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| − | '''Internal Threat:''' The government seeks to prevent the expression of views critical of the
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| − | government and non-sanctioned religious worship. When some dissidents sought to evade
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| − | official media controls by using the Internet to disseminate their views, the government
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| − | responded by introducing Internet restrictions. Although dissident activity generates substantial
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| − | press commentary, it does not pose a threat to the regime’s stability.
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| − | The Montagnard ethnic minority represents a special case. This group is seeking a return of its
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| − | ancestral lands in the Central Highlands. The Montagnards, who traditionally have opposed the
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| − | communist government, receive support from overseas Vietnamese, particularly the United
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| − | States-based Montagnard Foundation. After a violent clash with demonstrators in April 2004, the
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| − | government boosted its security presence in the region.
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| − | '''Terrorism:''' Following al Qaeda’s attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, Vietnam
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| − | expressed sympathy for the victims and qualified support for the war on terrorism. Vietnam
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| − | urged that any steps taken against terrorists be consistent with international cooperation within
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| − | the bounds of the United Nations Charter, target the culprits, and avoid larger-scale warfare.
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| − | In April 2004, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued a draft decree to combat money
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| − | laundering as a source of terrorist financing. This move followed pressure from the United
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| − | States, which denied requests by the Vietcombank and the Vietnam Bank for Investment and
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| − | Development to set up representative offices on the grounds that they could be used to finance
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| − | international terrorism.
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| − | '''Human Rights:''' In its 2004 report on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. Department of State
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| − | characterized Vietnam’s human rights record as “poor” and cited the continuation of “serious
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| − | abuses.” According to the report, the government has imposed restrictions on freedom of speech,
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| − | freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. Citizens are denied the
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| − | right to change their government. The government continues to hold political prisoners who have
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| − | expressed views at odds with government policy. Prison conditions are generally “harsh, but not
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| − | unduly so given the country's level of economic development,” according to the State
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| − | Department assessment. Vietnam has no independent judiciary, and there is no right to a fair and
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| − | speedy trial. Human rights organizations are not permitted to operate. Discrimination against
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| − | women and ethnic minorities, child labor, and prostitution are serious problems. The government
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| − | is attempting to address the child labor issue.
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| − | The government officially provides for freedom of religion and recognizes Buddhist, Roman
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| − | Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, and Muslim denominations. However, non-sanctioned
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| − | groups, including branches of even the recognized denominations, face harassment. Furthermore,
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| − | the government insists on supervising the clergies of the sanctioned groups (by approving
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| − | appointments, for example) in the interest of “national unity.”
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| − | In April 2004, 20,000 to 30,000 members of the Montagnard ethnic minority gathered to protest
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| − | for the return of their ancestral lands in the Central Highlands and an end to religious repression.
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| − | Human Rights Watch alleges that hundreds of demonstrators were wounded and at least 10 killed
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| − | in a clash with Vietnamese officials and civilians. The Vietnamese government is concerned that
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| − | the Montagnards are seeking an independent state.
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