Vietnam: Nature and extent of police corruption, specifically reports of police requiring payment of bribes in order to process and investigate complaints by the public

Vowing to "root out and punish its own corrupt cops," the Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam was reported to have acknowledged that members of its force, as well as local police, were "'covering up and protecting underworld vice'" (DPA 13 July 2001). According to figures quoted in a Deutsche Presse-Agentur article, corrupt police officers could account for one-third of the Ministry's police force (ibid.).

Referring to a case in which police "severely" beat a motorcyclist over a "minor traffic offence," an August 2002 Agence France Presse article stated that "often, communist Vietnam's notoriously corrupt police demand bribes as an alternative to a formal booking" (14 Aug. 2002). The same article goes on to report that "police in Vietnam are widely despised for their routine abuse of power" and that businesses are frequently required to pay police "protection money" or be forced out of business for "perceived offences" (ibid.).

Several articles on the arrest of Truong Nam Cam, also known as Nam Cam, a "crime boss" in Ho Chi Minh City, reported on investigations into police collusion (Xinhua 8 Aug 2002; VNS 24 May 2002; AFP 18 Oct. 2002; ibid. 17 Aug. 2002; BBC 31 May 2002; AP 30 Aug. 2002; ibid. 22 Oct. 2002; Deutsche Presse-Agentur 25 Mar. 2002; The Economist 14 Sept. 2002).

Nam Cam was arrested in December 2001, charged with "bribing a massive network of police and government officials who protected his gang for more than 10 years" (AP 22 Oct. 2002). Apparently, the extent of the gang's influence over police in the city was such that officers from other cities had to be used to make the arrest (ibid.). In the resulting investigations, more than 100 government officials have been arrested, approximately 50 police officers have been suspended, and two members of the Central Committee have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party (The Economist 14 Sept. 2002).

Reporting on the Nam Cam criminal case, an August 2002 Xinhua article, citing the Vietnam News Agency, stated that Police Major Colonel Dang Hai Tuong had been arrested on 7 August 2002, charged with "'creating false case files'" (8 Aug. 2002). Tuong was suspended from his job in July 2002 while his role in the initial investigation into the killing of a police sergeant by Nam Cam gang members was determined (ibid.). According to the article, Tuong had left "scores of important evidence out of the case files" and had ignored "complaints and denunciations from people pertaining to the case" (ibid.).

An earlier article reported on the arrest of Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Manh Trung and Duong Minh Ngoc, the former head of the Criminal Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police Department (VNS 24 May 2002). Allegedly, for a monthly fee, both men assisted the gang to "skirt the law" (ibid.). Both Thanh and Trung had "destroyed case files and tampered with evidence," while Trung had also stalled an investigation into a "major underworld killing" (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 18 October 2002. "Top Vietnam Police Officer Suspended Over Links to Crime Gang." (NEXIS)

_____. 17 August 2002. "Head of Voice of Vietnam Radio, Deputy Police Minister Sacked." (FBIS-EAS-2002-0817 17 Aug. 2002/WNC)

_____. 14 August 2002. "Man Left in Coma from Beating by Vietnamese Police." (NEXIS)

Associated Press (AP). 22 October 2002. "Investigator: No More Senior Officials Linked to Vietnam Corruption Case." (NEXIS)

_____. 30 August 2002. "Vietnam to Try 149 People in Underworld Bribery Case." (NEXIS)

BBC. 31 May 2002. "Corruption Scandal Fells Vietnam Officials." [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 25 March 2002. "5 More Police Suspended in Vietnam's Largest Gangster Scandal." (NEXIS)

_____. 13 July 2001. "Vietnam Security Ministry Vows Cleanup of Crooked Cops." (NEXIS)

The Economist. 14 September 2002. "Corruption Abounding." (NEXIS)

Viet Nam News (VNS). 24 May 2002. "More Cops With Crime Links Arrested." [Accessed 29 Oct. 2002]

Xinhua. 8 August 2002. "Another Police Officer in Vietnam Linking to Nam Cam Crime Arrested." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

NEXIS

Internet sites including:

Amnesty International

Asia Week

BBC

Human Rights Watch

World News Connection

Search engine:

Google