Vietnam bans some marriage customs
HANOI - Vietnam's government has forbidden some marriage customs by local ethnic groups, including wife
robbery and the wedding of close relatives, state-controlled media said Saturday.
The government directive says authorities will respect some marriage traditions of ethnic groups, but ``backward'' customs will
be strictly prohibited or discouraged, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.
Banned customs include wife robbery, in which women are forced to wed, and marriages of men and women of the same
bloodline within three generations.
The directive also forbids the practice of forcing widows or widowers to marry a family member of their dead spouse, and the
practice of demanding large gifts for marriages.
Vietnam has 53 ethnic minority groups, which account for about 17 percent of the nation's 79 million people. The majority Kinh
account for the remainder.
Members of ethnic minorities held protests in Vietnam's Central Highlands a year ago over government restrictions on religion,
and the coercive policies of local officials.
The Associated Press - March 30, 2002.
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