Hanoi admits role in hilltribes crisis

More than a year after ethnic unrest in Vietnam's central highlands erupted into protests, the communist authorities have admitted for the first time that a failure of economic and social policy is partly responsible for the region's problems.

The tension in the highlands and the government's hardline response has prompted continuing international scrutiny of Vietnam - of both its human rights record and the fairness of its development programmes in provinces, which have a high proportion of people from ethnic minorities.

A prominent politician and deputy prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, has told a leading state daily newspaper that policies for the region need to be changed.

"That situation is mainly caused by our shortcomings and mistakes in the leadership in the socio-economic development, defence and security as well as in the implementation of the state's national and religious policies," Mr Dung said.

In some quarters, he is considered a favourite for elevation to the prime minister's job in the next few years.

International focus

Behind Mr Dung's call in Nahn Dan (People's Newspaper) for better socio-economic policies for the central highlands could be simple politics.

It could also be the result of continuing international scrutiny of the communist regime's policies in the region.

International attention is being focused on the area through a series of visits by local diplomats - the most recent by European Union countries - as well as continuing attention from the international media and human rights groups.

The Montagnards or mountain people of the central provinces have complained of being forced off their traditional lands by migrants from the majority King people, and of the repression of their Christian religion, which is tightly controlled by the communist authorities.

Mr Dung has spoken of the need to remedy mistakes in the execution of party policies and guidelines.

He has called for economic development to be linked to social progress and equality, and he wants to see greater efforts made to ensure that ethnic minority people have access to land and the region's rich natural resources.

Migration

Many ethnic minority people have been forced out by economic migrants, taking advantage of government policies to develop the rich soils of the region for coffee and other crops.

The resulting tension erupted in protests more than a year ago. About 1,000 people who fled the subsequent military crackdown have this week been flown from refugee camps in neighbouring Cambodia for resettlement in the United States.

That angered Hanoi, which blames Vietnamese living in the US for aggravating tensions in the highlands. The Communist Party has a heightened sensitivity to what it perceives as threats to national unity.

There is one other possible reason for Mr Dung's comments.

There are some in the international community who perceive a genuine intent on Vietnam's part to develop the country, both economically and socially, and to lift out of poverty those who suffer the most.

But the continued restrictions on independent monitoring of the central highlands makes it hard to assess the depth of that commitment.