Ideology vice chief concerned political degradation among young people
Communist-ruled Vietnam's ideology vice chief has recently expressed
his concern over the degradation of "political virtue" and lifestyles
on the part of Vietnamese youth as the country enters the market
economy.
"They are indifferent to politics, and even their desire to build a
rich and powerful nation is low," said deputy Head of Central Ideology
and Culture Board Dao Duy Quat said, quoting a recent social survey
which revealed that up to 40% of young people do not care about
anything except jobs and income.
He was speaking at a recent conference gathering opinions to build a
strategy for development of young people in the 2001-10 period held by
the National Committee for Vietnamese Youth. Apart from poor
education, the large numbers of corrupt and bureaucratic Party members
are having a negative influence on youth, he admitted.
"Many young people have asked me "Where is their room for us if all of
you are there chasing after power? If we do not introduce positive
measures, we will not be able to keep the youth, the human resource
backbone of the country. A strategy on the development of young people
is vital and must be set up by the Government," Quat urged.
Dr Duong Tu Dam, chief editor of the Thanh Nien (Young People)
newspaper, stressed that the strategy would be meaningful only if it
deals with issues about young people, helping to protect their rights
and promote their ability.
"We often criticize the youth but do we really care about them or give
them opportunities to prove themselves?," Dam said.
According to Nguyen Trong Binh from the Military Youth Board, it will
take a long time before there is a system of development policies for
young people as only now is the strategy being discussed while there
are no laws regarding the youth.
"Why doesn't the strategy on youth development have opinions from
young people? If we do not expand democracy and determine what the
youth are doing and thinking and what their criteria is on values, how
can we outline such a strategy?" Binh asked.
Tran Dac Loi, Head of the International Affairs Board under the
Central Communist Youth Union, said the strategy must set up an
overall picture about the youth using specific and precise figures,
including changes in unemployment rates, income, social relations and
restructure of economic sectors.
"I feel that youth are being left behind as many university graduates
have a lonely struggle for survival," he said. "Why don't we expand
public activities so that the unemployed can have access to the labor
market and promote their ability? This is also a way of minimizing
social vices."
Figures from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs
indicate that over 67% of drug addicts are under 30 years old, while
2.7% of prostitutes are under 18 and 62.2% between 18 and 25.
Observers say that Vietnam's ideology think-tank, the Central Ideology
and Culture Board, has been inactive lately. Since its fourth congress
last year, its way of working and thinking has shown no change. Their
appeals have not been able to attract the attention of youth or of
people in general. Except regular meetings and conferences, the
country's ideology chief rarely makes speeches in front of the public.
The Financial Times Information - September 24, 2002.
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