Part 1. The Needs of the People and the Nation of Vietnam

Part 1. The Needs of the People and the Nation of Vietnam

The Vietnamese, a people that have endured ten centuries of Chinese domination, not only survived but rose to achieve equal standing with the rest of the world. Up until the end of the 18th century, Vietnam was second to none in the region and equal to many around the world in terms of social structure, cultural richness, and defense capability.

It was not until the mid-19th century, due to poor decisions on the part of its leadership, that Vietnam was not able to modernize in time and thus became a victim of colonization for the next hundred years. From that point on, Vietnam’s troubles were compounded by further mistakes made by those in leadership positions resulting in horrific bloodshed and backwardness. To this day the majority of Vietnamese still live in poverty as the nation falls further behind developed countries.

Indeed, if the dream of the Vietnamese people during the 19th century was to be adequately fed and clothed and to live free from fear of oppression, then this dream has remained a hope beyond the reach of the majority of Vietnamese today. This is a great sorrow for our people!

Meanwhile, nearly all free nations in the world, including ones that faced similar historical circumstances as Vietnam, have resolved the issues of feeding their people and providing for the most basic human needs. Moreover, citizens of these nations have been guaranteed basic rights worthy of humanity and are the masters of their own lives and their nation’s destiny. In these nations, opportunities for achieving the highest levels of education, opportunities for advancement in wealth and social status, and opportunities to grow intellectually and spiritually are open to all who desire them.

After more than 150 years of sacrifice and hardship, the human dignity of the Vietnamese people must be on par with humankind. Each Vietnamese is entitled to his human rights and to be the master of his own destiny. Future generations of Vietnamese must be free from worrying about the basic needs of life as past generations have so that they may focus their energies on building a Vietnam capable of joining the modern world.

Furthermore, Vietnam today must quickly resolve the consequences of the past, from the widespread social deterioration to the inadequacy of national institutions, to halt the stagnation holding it back. From there it must establish a foundation for sustainable and equitable development, from the physical infrastructure to the economic, education, and legal systems, in order for Vietnam to catch up with the world community.

Faced with such pressing issues, the dictatorial regime that the Vietnamese Communist Party imposed upon the people over these many decades has proven itself completely incapable of leading the nation. The dictatorial communist regime has been the cause of many national crises including widespread government corruption, wasting of national resources, and environmental destruction. Its repressive policies and restrictions on information designed to preserve the regime’s monopoly on power has been the chief obstacle against national progress.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of every Vietnamese today:

To implement a comprehensive revolution to rekindle our national self-esteem. It is because of this self-esteem that our forefathers were able to ride through the ebb and flow of history, to heroically defend our lands, and to establish the nation that we have inherited today. However, over the past few decades, due to the collapse in living standards and decline in morality and spirituality, our national self-esteem has been shaken, resulting in a tendency in the national psyche toward foreign dependency. The Vietnamese must restore traditional virtues and advance our knowledge to the level of citizens in developed nations.

To implement a comprehensive revolution to end the humiliating backwardness and underdevelopment that has plagued the nation for too long. Just as past generations rose up to fight for self-rule, patriotic Vietnamese today must stand up to end the shame of poverty and backwardness that has beset a people with a long tradition of self respect, betterment, and hard work. There is an urgent need for the Vietnamese people to awaken each other and not accept the status-quo nor tolerate the current insufficient, slow-paced and misdirected changes. The people of Vietnam are capable of building and deserving of a brighter future now.

To implement a comprehensive revolution to propel the nation to a level of development equal to other nations in the region and around the world. For each cautious economic step that Vietnam takes, other nations are taking several steps forward not only in respect to the economy, but in other areas as well. As result, the gap between Vietnam and other nations continues to widen. This means Vietnam continues to fall behind other nations on the path of global development. The Vietnamese people face an urgent need to revamp completely the social institutions and the social environment to establish the foundation for comprehensive and sustainable development.

These are the reasons for The Vietnam Reform Party .

Viet Tan consists of Vietnamese individuals who aspire for national service and improving the lives of the Vietnamese people, for building a modern nation befitting its proud history and the sacrifices of countless generations.


[1] Viet Tan is an abbreviation of Viet Nam and Canh Tan which means wide-ranging reform and modernization