Vietnam: Information on the current treatment of ethnic Chinese by the authorities and society in general

The following information was provided to the DIRB in a 30 April 1996 telephone interview by a professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto who specializes in social organization, economic and cultural change in Vietnam. The professor has conducted field research in Vietnam on these issues every year since 1987.

The professor stated that ethnic Chinese experienced problems with Vietnamese authorities from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. According to the professor, two main factors explained the strained relationship during that period.

The first was the attempt by the Vietnamese government to transform the economy of the country to a communist system after their victory in the Vietnam war. The professor stated that in Vietnam, ethnic Chinese are known to be successful entrepreneurs and partisans of free market policies with a talent in making money quickly. This change in economic policy made life particularly difficult for the ethnic Chinese and encouraged their departure from Vietnam.

The second factor is the deterioration of the political relationship between Vietnam and China which, according to the professor, "went from bad to worst when Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979 which triggered fights between Chinese and Vietnamese troops at the northern border". According to the professor, the Vietnamese government was concerned that the Chinese government would, as a result of the invasion of Cambodia, call on the ethnic Chinese of Vietnam to fight against the Vietnamese government. This assumption lead the Vietnamese authorities to increase pressure on ethnic Chinese to leave Vietnam.

The professor stated that relations between Vietnam and China have improved  since the beginning of  the 1990s, although some contentious territorial issues remain. Vietnam has recognized the importance of the private sector in rebuilding its national economy and is constantly seeking to attract foreign capital. According to the professor, ethnic Chinese excel at moving capital and at investing in booming economies such as the Vietnamese economy. The Vietnamese authorities realizes that it is in their own interest to improve its relations with the ethic Chinese in order to nurture important investments opportunities. The professor stated that there is currently no political persecution of the ethnic Chinese by the Vietnamese authorities.

On a social level, in the professor's opinion, relations between the Vietnamese people and the ethnic Chinese community have also improved although it is possible that some Vietnamese express discontent over the economic success of the ethnic Chinese. The professor noted that "ethnic Chinese are second and third generation citizens of Vietnam. They were born in the country, they speak the langage and are perfectly integrated into Vietnamese society. They live in big cities as well as in the countryside".

For additional information on the ethnic Chinese and their importance in Sino-Vietnamese relations, please consult the attached article from Pacific Affairs.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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.

Reference

University of Toronto, Department of Anthropology. 30 April 1996. Telephone interview with a professor specializing in economic and cultural change in Vietnam.

Attachment

Pacific Affairs. Fall 1994. Vol. 67, No. 3. Ramses Amer. "Sino-Vietnamese Normalization in the Light of the Crisis of the Late 1970s," pp. 357-383.