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[client name deleted]
1. How would you comment on the dismissal of Nguyen Truong To, Ha Giang
provincial mayor, for having had sex with a hooker five years ago and his suspected
involvement in an underage sex scandal in his province? Does the dismissal exhibit
the strong determination of the government to crack down on the misconduct of
senior officials?
ANSWER: Nguyen Truong To’s case is not unique but it is rare. Vietnam is a one‐party
state. Both party and state officials must obey the law; but party members must be
held to higher ethical standards of behavior.
Nguyen Truong To’s cases indicates there are two jurisdictions at work – the party
and the state. The party is entitled to dismiss a person who violates party rules. Since
Nguyen Truong To’s confessed to his sex affair the party was justified dismissing him
as deputy chairman of the province party organisation. This does demonstrate a
willingness of the Central Committee’s Inspection Commission to carry out its work
Nguyen Truong To was also a state official as head of the provincial people’s
committee. If his actions violated state law then he should be charged and taken to
court for judgment and if found guilty punished. Other officials who were involved in
the allged sex ring must also be brought to justice.
2. What good are you expecting to come out of this dismissal?
ANSWER: Sex with anyone under the legal age of consent should be viewed as a
serious crime. Nguyen Truong To’s case can serve as an example to warn other
officials of the penalties for acting in a similar manner.
Nguyen Truong To’s case also underlines the importance of the press in reporting
this matter to the public. Nong Nghiep Viet Nam, Dai Doan Ket, Thanh Nien and
other publications should be commended for their coverage of this affair.
There are other issues raised by this case – gender relations and gender equality.
Nguyen Truong To was a person in power who used his position for sexual
gratification. This demeans the status of women in Vietnam. Vietnam must work to
ensure that women are viewed as victims in cases like this. A proper legal
environment must be established to support women to come forward and report
abuses of this kind.
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3. Do you think the sacking has just stemmed from the sheer intention to get rid
of misbehaving government officials? Is there any power purge implicated in this
regard as the Party Congress is slated for early next year?
ANSWER: The Nguyen Truong To cases raises the question why such a long period
transpired from the sex act, in 2005, to the decision to reopen the case in June 2010.
Why have former officials in Ha Giang said that they had not heard of this case? Who
buried the case and why?
At the same time, it must be asked why was the case reopened when it was?
Two members of the Politburo have played important roles in this case, Nguyen Van
Chi, who heads the party’s Inspection Commission, and Truong Tan Sang, who
chaired the Secretariat meeting which voted to dismiss Nguyen Truong To. Sang, it
will be recalled was reprimanded by the Central Committee for failing to detect the
Nam Cam network when he headed the party in Ho Chi Minh City. The lesson is that
senior party officials must exercise their responsibility in such cases no matter how
high the official concerned.
At the tenth party congress many senior party leaders said that corruption was the
major issue challenging the party. The Nguyen Truong To case is not one of financial
corruption but of ethical corruption. This is an important issue for the party at any
time and it is an especially important issue at the party prepares for the eleventh
congress. Party leaders must account for their handling of their responsibilities.
Weeding out corrupt and degenerate party members is part and parcel of a long‐
standing party‐building mechanism.