Thayer Vietnam Bauxite, Catholics Protest, Political Repression

Outline of Presentation Bauxite Mining Controversy Chinese assertiveness Repression of dissidents Catholic land issues Political Implications

Bauxite Mining Controversy

• 10th Party Congress April 2006 5-year SocioEconomic Plan

VINACOMIN & CHALCO

• Framework Agreement November 2006

• Politburo approval • Nghi Quyet No. 167 Prime Minister’s Decision, November 1, 2007

Bauxite Mining Controversy

Politburo reviews bauxite issue April 16

Vo Nguyen Giap Open Letter January

Hanoi Environmental Seminar on bauxite mining April 9th

Petition of 135 intellectuals delivered to National Assembly April 17

Prime Minister orders review April 30th

Bauxite Mining Controversy Vo Nguyen Giap (May 7)

“I hope you pay attention to bauxite mining in the Central Highlands…”

National Assembly (May 27)

Deputy Nguyen Minh Thuyet, Son La province, Question and Answer Session

Chinese Assertiveness Unilateral Fishing Ban May 16-August 1, 2009

Repression of Dissidents Lê Công Định

Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức

American trained lawyer arrested June 13

French trained information technology specialist arrested May 24

Catholic Land Issues  20th July incident at Tam Tòa Church, Quang Binh province - 11 arrested  Alleged police brutality  Gangs assault Catholics  Orchestrated campaign by state media  26 July & 2 August Catholics stage mass protests in 3 provinces  8 August 178 parishes in Vinh diocese hold protests

Tam Tòa Protests

Convergence of Issues

Catholic priests’ anti-bauxite petition, April

Facebook and blog sites raise bauxite and China issues 2009

Thich Quang Do, UBCV, opposes bauxite mining, March 29

General Vo Nguyen Giap’s Open Letter, May 20

Pastoral Letter by Cardinal Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Saigon, opposing bauxite mining, May 31

Lawsuits filed against Prime Minister in Hanoi People’s Court and People’s Supreme Court, June 11, July 3

Anti-Bauxite Coalition General Vo Nguyen Giap

Intellectuals

Buddhist leader Thich Quang Do

Environmentalists

University academics

Catholic Cardinal and priests

Scientists

Retired state officials

Some NA Deputies

Political Implications

Ideology & Security bloc

Antibauxite coalition

Prime Minister

AntiChinese sentiment

Conclusion Handling of bauxite mining issue

The ‘Chinese question’

Under pressure?

‘Perfect Storm’ Party-State Legitimacy

AntiChinese nationalism

Bauxite Mining Issue