|
Free Study Guides, Book Notes, Book Reviews & More... |
Pay it forward... Tell others about Novelguide.com |
|---|
| Literary Analysis |  |
| Test Prep Material |  |
|
Reports & Essays | |
|
Global Studyhall | |
|
Teacher Ratings | |
|
Free Cash for College | |
| Novelguide.com Site Search: |
| ||
| Novelguide.com is the premier free source for literary analysis on the web. We provide an educational supplement for better understanding of classic and contemporary Literature Profiles, Metaphor Analysis, Theme Analyses, and Author Biographies. |
VIETNAM
Compiled from the September 2004 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes. Official Name: PROFILEGeographyArea: 331,114 sq. km. (127,243 sq. mi.); equivalent in size to Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee combined. Cities: (2002) Capital—Hanoi (2.842 million). Other cities—Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon; 5.378 million), Hai Phong (1.711 million), Da Nang (715.000). Terrain: Varies from mountainous to coastal delta. Climate: Tropical monsoon. PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective—Vietnamese (sing. and pl.). Population: (2003) 80.7 million. Annual growth rate: (2003) 1.18%. Ethnic groups: Vietnamese (85%-90%), Chinese (3%), Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain groups. Religions: Buddhism, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic, some Protestant), animism, Islam. Languages: Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer, mountain area languages. Education: (2002) Literacy—91%. Health: (2003) Birth rate—19.58/1000 Infant mortality rate—30/1000. Life expectancy—65.5 yrs. male, 70.1 yrs. female. Death rate—6.56/1,000. GovernmentType: Communist Party-dominated constitutional republic. Independence: September 2, 1945. New constitution: April 15, 1992. Branches: Executive—president (head of state and chair of National Defense and Security Council) and prime minister (heads cabinet of ministries and commissions). Legislative—National Assembly. Judicial—Supreme People's Court; Prosecutorial Supreme People's Procuracy. Administrative subdivisions: 59 provinces, 5 municipalities (Can Tho, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh). Political parties: Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) with over 2 million members, formerly (1951-76) Vietnam Worker's Party, itself the successor of the Indochinese Communist Party founded in 1930. Suffrage: Universal over 18. EconomyGDP: (2003) $39 billion. Real growth rate: (2003) 7.24%. Per capita income: (2003) $483. Inflation rate: (2003) 3%. External debt: (2002 est.) 38.3% of GDP, $13.1 billion. Natural resources: Coal, crude oil, zinc, copper, silver, gold, manganese, iron. Agriculture and forestry: (21.8% of GDP, 2003) Principal products—rice, maize, sweet potato, peanut, soya bean, cotton, coffee, cashews. Cultivated land—12.2 million hectares per year. Land use—21% arable; 28% forest and woodland; 51% other. Industry and construction: (40% of GDP, 2003) Principal types—mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply, cement, phosphate, and steel. Services: (38.2% of GDP, 2003) Principal types—wholesale and retail, repair of vehicles and personal goods, hotel and restaurant, transport storage, telecommunications, tourism. Trade: (2003) Exports—$19.88 billion. Principal exports—garments/textiles, crude oil, footwear, rice (second-largest exporter in world), sea products, coffee, rubber, handicrafts. Major export partners—U.S., EU, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, and Germany. Imports—$24.995 billion. Principal imports—machinery, oil and gas, garment materials, iron and steel, transport-related equipment. Major import partners—China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Exports to U.S. (2003)—$4.55 billion. Imports from U.S. (2003)—__BODY__.32 billion. PEOPLEOriginating in what is now southern China and northern Vietnam, the Vietnamese people pushed southward over 2 millennia to occupy the entire eastern seacoast of the Indochinese Peninsula. Ethnic Vietnamese constitute about 90% of Vietnam's 80.7 million population. Vietnam's approximately 2.3 million ethnic Chinese, concentrated mostly in southern Vietnam, constitute Vietnam's largest minority group. Long important in the Vietnamese economy, Vietnamese of Chinese ancestry have been active in rice trading, milling, real estate, and banking in the south and shopkeeping, stevedoring, and mining in the north. Restrictions on economic activity following reunification of the north and south in 1975 and the subsequent but unrelated general deterioration in Vietnamese-Chinese relations sent chills through the Chinese-Vietnamese community. In 1978-79, some 450,000 ethnic Chinese left Vietnam by boat as refugees (many officially encouraged and assisted) or were expelled across the land border with China. The second-largest ethnic minority grouping, the central highland peoples commonly termed Montagnards (mountain people), comprise two main ethnolinguistic groups—Malayo-Polynesian and Mon-Khmer. About 30 groups of various cultures and dialects are spread over the highland territory. The third-largest minority, the Khmer Krom (Cambodians), numbering about 600,000, is concentrated near the Cambodian border and at the mouth of the Mekong River. Most are farmers. Other minority groups include the Cham—remnants of the once-mighty Champa Kingdom, conquered by the Vietnamese in the 15th century—Hmong, and Thai. Vietnamese is the official language of the country. It is a tonal language with influences from Thai, Khmer, and Chinese. Since the early 20th century, the Vietnamese have used a Romanized script introduced by the French. Previously, Chinese characters and an indigenous phonetic script were both used. HISTORYVietnam's identity has been shaped by long-running conflicts, both internally and with foreign forces. In 111 BC, China's Han dynasty conquered northern Vietnam's Red River Delta and the ancestors of today's Vietnamese. Chinese dynasties ruled Vietnam for the next 1,000 years, inculcating it with Confucian ideas and political culture. In 939 AD, Vietnam achieved independence under a native dynasty. After 1471, when Vietnam conquered the Champa Kingdom in what is now central Vietnam, the Vietnamese moved gradually southward, finally reaching the rich Mekong Delta, encountering there earlier settled Cham and Cambodians. While Vietnam's emperors reigned ineffectually, powerful northern and southern families fought civil wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. French Rule and the Anti-Colonial StruggleIn 1858, the French began their conquest of Vietnam starting in the south. They annexed all of Vietnam in 1885, but allowed Vietnam's emperors to continue to reign, although not actually to rule. In the early 20th century, French-educated Vietnamese intellectuals organized nationalist and communist-nationalist anti-colonial movements. Japan's occupation of Vietnam during World War II further stirred nationalism. Vietnamese communists under Ho Chi Minh organized a coalition of anti-colonial groups, the Viet Minh, though many anti-communists refused to join. After Japan stripped the French of all power in March 1945, Ho Chi Minh announced the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. North and South PartitionFrance's post-World War II unwillingness to leave Vietnam led to failed talks and an 8-year guerrilla war between the communist-led Viet Minh on one side and the French and their anti-communist nationalist allies on the other. Following a humiliating defeat at Dien Bien Phu in May 1954, France and other parties, including Britain, China, the Soviet Union, and the United States, convened in Geneva, Switzerland for peace talks. On July 29, 1954, an Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam was signed between France and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The United States observed, but did not sign, the agreement. French colonial rule in Vietnam ended. The 1954 Geneva agreement provided for a cease-fire between communist and anti-communist nationalist forces, the temporary division of Vietnam at approximately the 17th parallel, provisional northern (communist) and southern (noncommunist) zone governments, and the evacuation of anti-communist Vietnamese from northern to southern Vietnam. The agreement also called for an election to be held by July 1956 to bring the two provisional zones under a unified government. However, the South Vietnamese Government refused to accept this provision. On October 26, 1955, South Vietnam declared itself the Republic of Vietnam. After 1954, North Vietnamese communist leaders consolidated their power and instituted a harsh agrarian reform and socialization program. In the late 1950s, they reactivated the network of communist guerrillas that had remained behind in the south. These forces—commonly known as the Viet Cong—aided covertly by the north, started an armed campaign against officials and villagers who refused to support the communist reunification cause.
American Asistance to the SouthIn December 1961, at the request of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, President Kennedy sent U.S. military advisers to South Vietnam to help the government there deal with the Viet Cong campaign. In the wake of escalating political turmoil in the south after a 1963 generals' coup against President Diem, the United States increased its military support for South Vietnam. In March 1965, President Johnson sent the first U.S. combat forces to Vietnam. The American military role peaked in 1969 with an in-country force of 534,000. However, the Viet Cong's surprise Tet Offensive in January 1968 deeply hurt both the Viet Cong infrastructure and American and South Vietnamese morale. In January 1969, the United States, governments of South and North Vietnam, and the Viet Cong met for the first plenary session of peace talks in Paris, France. These talks, which began with much hope, moved slowly. They finally concluded with the signing of a peace agreement, the Paris Accords, on January 27, 1973. As a result, the south was divided into a patchwork of zones controlled by the South Vietnamese Government and the Viet Cong. The United States withdrew its forces, although U.S. military advisers remained. ReunificationIn early 1975, North Vietnamese regular military forces began a major offensive in the south, inflicting great damage to the south's forces. The communists took Saigon on April 30, 1975, and announced their intention of reunifying the country. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (north) absorbed the former Republic of Vietnam (south) to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976. After reunification, the government confiscated privately owned land and forced citizens into collectivized agricultural practices. Hundreds of thousands of former South Vietnamese Government and military officials, as well as intellectuals previously opposed to the communist cause, were sent to re-education camps to study socialist doctrine. While Vietnamese leaders thought that reunification of the country and its socialist transformation would be condoned by the international community, this did not happen. Besides international concern over Vietnam's internal practices, the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978 and its growing tight alliance with the Soviet Union appeared to confirm suspicions that Vietnam wanted to establish hegemony in Indochina. Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia also heightened tensions that already Vietnam's tensions with its neighbors and its stagnant economy contributed to a massive exodus from Vietnam. Fearing persecution, many Chinese in particular fled Vietnam by boat to nearby countries. Later, hundreds of thousands of other Vietnamese nationals fled as well, seeking temporary refuge in camps throughout Southeast Asia. The continuing grave condition of the economy and the alienation from the international community became focal points of party debate. In 1986, at the Sixth Party Congress, there was an important easing of communist agrarian and commercial policies. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONSA new state constitution was approved in April 1992, reaffirming the central role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in politics and society, and outlining government reorganization and increased economic freedom. Though Vietnam remains a one-party state, adherence to ideological orthodoxy has become less important than economic development as a national priority. The most important powers within the Vietnamese Government—in addition to the Communist Party—are the executive agencies created by the 1992 constitution: the offices of the president and the prime minister. The Vietnamese President, presently Tran Duc Luong, functions as head of state but also serves as the nominal commander of the armed forces and chairman of the Council on National Defense and Security. The Prime Minister of Vietnam, presently Phan Van Khai, heads a cabinet currently composed of three deputy prime ministers and the heads of 26 ministries and commissions, all confirmed by the National Assembly. Notwithstanding the 1992 constitution's reaffirmation of the central role of the Communist Party, the National Assembly, according to the constitution, is the highest representative body of the people and the only organization with legislative powers. It has a broad mandate to oversee all government functions. Once seen as little more than a rubber stamp, the National Assembly has become more vocal and assertive in exercising its authority over lawmaking, particularly in recent years. However, the National Assembly is still subject to party direction. More than 80% of the deputies in the National Assembly are party members. The assembly meets twice yearly for 7-10 weeks each time; elections for members are held every 5 years, although its Standing Committee meets monthly and there are now over 100 "fulltime" deputies who function on various committees. There is a separate judicial branch, but it is still relatively weak. Overall, there are few lawyers and trial procedures are rudimentary. The present 15-member Politburo, elected in April 2001 and headed by Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, determines government policy, and its Secretariat oversees day-to-day policy implementation. Although there has been some effort to discourage membership in overlapping party and state positions, this practice continues. Five of the Politburo members—President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh, and Defense Minister Pham Van Tra—concurrently hold high positions in the government, while another—Nguyen Van An—serves as Chairman of the National Assembly. In addition, the Party's Central Military Commission, which is composed of select Politburo members and additional military leaders, determines military policy. A Party Congress, comprised of 1,168 delegates at the Ninth Party Congress in April 2001, meets every 5 years to set the direction of the party and the government. The 150-member Central Committee, which was elected by the Party Congress, usually meets at least twice a year. Principal Government OfficialsLast Updated: 12/16/04 Vietnamese officials are addressed by the last element in their names. General Secretary, Communist Party of Vietnam: Nong Duc MANH Vietnam maintains an embassy in the U.S. at 1233-20th Street, NW, #400, Washington DC 20036 (tel. 202-861-0737; fax 202-861-0917); Internet home page: www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/. There is also a consulate general located in San Francisco at 1700 California Street, Suite 430, San Francisco, CA 94109 (tel. 415-922-1707; fax 415-922-1848; Internet homepage: www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org. ECONOMYEconomic stagnation marked the period after reunification from 1975 to 1985. In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress approved a broad economic reform package called "Doi Moi," (renovation) that introduced market reforms and dramatically improved Vietnam's business climate. Vietnam became one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, averaging around 8% annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 1990 to 1997 and 6.5% from 1998-2003. Vietnam's inflation rate, which stood at an annual rate of over 300% in 1987, has been below 4% since 1997 (except in 1998 when it rose to 9.2%). Simultaneously, investment grew threefold and domestic savings quintupled. Agricultural production doubled, transforming Vietnam from a net food importer to the world's second-largest exporter of rice. Foreign trade and foreign direct investment improved significantly. The shift away from a centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economic model improved the quality of life for many Vietnamese. Per capita income, $220 in 1994, had risen to $483 by 2003 with a related reduction in the share of the population living in acute poverty. However, average income is widely disparate—$483 for whole but __BODY__,640 in Ho Chi Minh City and much lower than average in poorer provinces of the central and northern highlands. The Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s slowed the pace of economic growth that marked the earlier part of the decade. While returning to precrisis levels of growth and development has been slow, the pace has picked up in recent years, primarily as the result of ongoing economic and trade liberalization. Vietnam's economic stance following the East Asian recession first emphasized macroeconomic stability, then shifted its focus toward growth. While the country has moved toward a more market-oriented economy, the Vietnamese Government still continues to hold a tight rein over major sectors of the economy, such as the banking system and state-owned enterprises. The government has plans for reforming key sectors and privatizing state-owned enterprises, but implementation has lagged. Greater emphasis on private sector development is critical for job creation. Urban unemployment has been rising in recent years, and rural unemployment, estimated to be between 25% and 35% during nonharvest periods, is already at critical levels. Layoffs in the state sector and foreigninvested enterprises combined with the lasting effects of an earlier military demobilization further exacerbate the unemployment situation. The December 10, 2001, entry-into-force of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between the U.S. and Vietnam is a significant milestone for Vietnam's economy and for normalization of U.S.-Vietnam relations. Implementation of this agreement, which includes provisions on trade in goods, trade in services, enforcement of intellectual property rights, protection for investments, and transparency, is fundamentally changing Vietnam's trade regime and helping liberalize its economy. The BTA gave normal trade relations (NTR) status to Vietnamese imports in the U.S. market. Bilateral trade between the two countries has expanded dramatically, reaching $5.88 billion in 2003. Agriculture and IndustryLand reform, de-collectivization, and the opening of the agricultural sector to market forces converted Vietnam from a country facing chronic food shortages in the early 1980s to the second-largest rice exporter in the world. Besides rice, key exports are coffee, tea, rubber, and fisheries products. Despite this unquestioned success story, agriculture's share of economic output has declined, falling as a share of GDP from 42% in 1989 to 16.7% in 2003, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen. Paralleling its efforts to increase agricultural output, Vietnam has sought with some success to invigorate industrial production. Industry contributed 34.1% of GDP in 2003. State-owned enterprises are marked by low productivity and inefficiency, the result of a command-style economic system applied in an underdeveloped country. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a new and dynamic feature of Vietnam's industrializing economy. Billions of FDI dollars from countries around the globe are helping to transform the industrial landscape of Vietnam. Of late, Vietnam has achieved some success in increasing exports of some labor-intensive manufactures. Subsidies have been cut to some inefficient state enterprises. The government also has repeatedly stated its intent to "equitize" a significant number of state enterprises. However, only a relatively small percentage of remaining state enterprises have been equitized in recent years. Trade and Balance of PaymentsFrom the late 1970s until the 1990s, Vietnam was heavily dependent on the Soviet Union and its allies for trade and economic assistance. To As a result of these reforms, and implementation of the U.S.-Vietnam BTA, exports expanded significantly, growing by as much as 20%-30% in some years. In 2003, exports accounted for 51% of GDP. Efforts to control Vietnam's import growth have achieved limited success. In the last 2 years, import growth has outpaced export growth. Vietnam's total external debt, accounting for 38.3% of GDP in 2002, was $13.1 billion. FOREIGN RELATIONSDuring the second Indochina war (1954-75), North Vietnam balanced relations with its two major allies, the Soviet Union and China. By 1975, tension began to grow as Beijing increasingly viewed Vietnam as a potential Soviet instrument to encircle China. Meanwhile, Beijing's increasing support for Cambodia's Khmer Rouge sparked Vietnamese suspicions of China's motives. Vietnamese-Chinese relations deteriorated significantly after Hanoi instituted a ban in March 1978 on private trade, mostly affecting Sino-Vietnamese. Following Vietnam's December 1978 invasion of Cambodia, China launched a retaliatory incursion over Vietnam's northern border. Faced with severance of Chinese aid and strained international relations, Vietnam established even closer ties with the Soviet Union and its allies in the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon). Through the 1980s, Vietnam received nearly $3 billion a year in economic and military aid from the Soviet Union and conducted most of its trade with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R., or Soviet Union) and other Council for Mutual Economic Assistance countries. However, Soviet and East bloc economic aid ceased after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Vietnam did not begin to emerge from international isolation until it withdrew its troops from Cambodia in 1989. Within months of the 1991 Paris Agreements, Vietnam established diplomatic and economic relations with ASEAN as well as most of the countries of western Europe and Northeast Asia. China reestablished full diplomatic ties with Vietnam in 1991, and the two countries concluded a land border demarcation agreement in 1999. In the past decade, Vietnam has recognized the increasing importance of growing global economic interdependence and has made concerted efforts to adjust its foreign relations to reflect the evolving international economic and political situation in Southeast Asia. The country has begun to integrate itself into the regional and global economy by joining international organizations. Vietnam has stepped up its efforts to attract foreign capital from the West and regularize relations with the world financial system. In the 1990s, following the lifting of the American veto on multilateral loans to the country, Vietnam became a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank. The country has expanded trade with its East Asian neighbors as well as with countries in western Europe and North America. Of particular significance was Vietnam's acceptance into the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) in July 1995. Vietnam joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in November 1998 and hosted the ASEAN summit in 2001. Vietnam currently holds observer status in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is applying for full membership. While Vietnam has remained relatively conflict-free since its Cambodia days, tensions have arisen in the past between Vietnam and its neighbors (especially China). Vietnam and China each assert claims to the Spratly Islands (as does Taiwan), an archipelago in a potentially oil-rich area of the South China Sea. Conflicting claims have produced over the years small-scale armed altercations in the area; in 1988 more than 70 people were killed during a confrontation between China and Vietnam. China's assertion of control over the Spratly Islands and the entire South China Sea has elicited concern from Vietnam and its Southeast Asia neighbors. The territory border between the two countries is being definitively mapped pursuant to a Land Border Agreement signed December 1999, and an Agreement on Borders in the Gulf of Tonkin signed December 2000. Vietnam and Russia declared a strategic partnership March 2001 during the first visit ever to Hanoi of a Russian head of state, largely as an attempt to counterbalance the People's Republic of China's (P.R.C.) growing profile in Southeast Asia. U.S.-VIETNAM RELATIONSAfter a 20-year hiatus of severed ties, President Clinton announced the formal normalization of diplomatic relations with Vietnam on July 11, 1995. Subsequent to President Clinton's normalization announcement, in August 1995, both nations upgraded their Liaison Offices opened during January 1995 to embassy status. As diplomatic ties U.S. relations with Vietnam have become deeper and more diverse in the years since political normalization. The two countries have broadened their political exchanges through regular dialogues on human rights and regional security. They signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement in July 2000, which went into force in December 2001. In 2003, the two countries signed a Counternarcotics Letter of Agreement, a Civil Aviation Agreement, and a textile agreement. As of April 27, 2004, the U.S. Government had 1,862 Americans unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, including 1,420 in Vietnam. Since 1973, 721 Americans have been accounted for, including 501 in Vietnam. Additionally, the Department of Defense has confirmed that of the 196 individuals who were "last known alive" (LKA), fewer than 40 of those cases remain unresolved. The United States considers achieving the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing and unaccounted for in Indochina to be one of its highest priorities with Vietnam. Reflecting the growing diplomatic relations between the two nations, economic relations between the United States and Vietnam have changed dramatically over the past decade. In July 1993, subsequent to the opening of the U.S. repatriation office in Ho Chi Minh City, the U.S. dropped its objections to bilateral and multilateral lending to Vietnam. In February 1994, following substantial Vietnamese cooperation on prisoners of war/missing in action (POW/MIA) issues, President Clinton removed the longstanding trade embargo on Vietnam. In March 1998, President Clinton granted a Jackson-Vanik waiver to Vietnam, which has been renewed annually ever since. (A Jackson-Vanik waiver is required along with U.S. congressional approval of a bilateral trade agreement in order to grant Vietnam normal trading rights. This waiver must be renewed annually and is based on Vietnam's cooperation on emigration issues.) In October 2000, President Clinton paid the first visit of a U.S. President to Vietnam since the end of the war. He was met by enormous crowds of well-wishers lining the routes of his visits in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. On December 10, 2001, the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement entered into force. Since entry into force of the BTA, increased trade between the U.S. and Vietnam, combined with large-scale U.S. investment in Vietnam, evidence the maturing U.S.-Vietnam economic relationship. In 2003, Vietnam exported $5.55 billion of goods to the U.S. and imported __BODY__.32 billion of U.S. goods. Similarly, U.S. interests continue to invest directly in the Vietnamese economy. During 2003, the U.S. private sector committed more than $45 million to Vietnam in foreign direct investment. Another sign of the expanding bilateral relationship is the signing of a Bilateral Air Transport Agreement in December 2003. Several U.S. carriers already have third-party code sharing agreements with Vietnam Airlines. The U.S. Government is working closely with the Government of Vietnam to prepare for safety and security assessments that will enable two-party code shares and direct flights between the U.S. and Vietnam to begin. Principal U.S. Embassy OfficialsHANOI (E) Address: 7 Lang Ha, Ba Dinh District; APO/FPO: PSC 461 Box 400, FPO, AP 96521-0002; Phone: (84) (4) 772-1500; Fax: (84) (4) 772-1510; INMARSAT Tel: Located off-site-contact IPC to coordinate call; Workweek: M–F, 0800-1700; Website: http://www.usembassy.state.gov/vietnam
HO CHI MINH CITY (CG) Address: 4 Le Duan St. District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; APO/FPO: PSC 461, Box 500, APO, AP 96521-0002; Phone: (84-8) 822-9433; Fax: (84-8) 822-9434; Workweek: M–F, 8 am-5 pm
TRAVELConsular Information SheetSeptember 20, 2004 Country Description: Vietnam is a poor but developing agrarian country controlled by a Communist government. Tourist facilities are not well established, but are improving in certain areas, especially in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and some beach and mountain resorts. Entry/Exit Requirements: A valid passport and Vietnamese visa are required. A visa must be obtained from a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate before traveling to Vietnam; entry visas are not available upon arrival. Americans arriving without an appropriate Vietnamese visa will not be permitted to enter, and will be subject to immediate deportation. Vietnamese visas are usually valid for only one entry. Persons planning to leave Vietnam and re-enter from another country should be sure to obtain a visa allowing multiple entries. Even with a valid visa, some travelers have been refused entry to Vietnam. U.S. citizens are cautioned that the Vietnamese immigration regulations require foreigners entering Vietnam to undertake only the activity for which their visas were issued. Change of purpose requires permission from the appropriate Vietnamese authority in advance. U.S. citizens whose stated purpose of travel was tourism but who engaged in religious proselytizing have had religious materials confiscated and have been expelled from Vietnam. An American whose U.S. passport is lost or stolen in Vietnam must obtain both a replacement passport and a replacement visa. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General can issue limited validity emergency replacement passports in as little as one day, but the Vietnamese government requires three (3) working days to issue a replacement visa. Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Consulate General can expedite replacement Vietnamese visas. Current information on visa and entry requirements may be obtained from the Vietnamese Embassy, 1233 20th Street, Suite 400, NW, Washington, DC 20036, tel: 202-861-0737, fax: 202-861-0917, Internet: http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/; the Vietnamese Consulate General, 1700 California Street—Suite 430, San Francisco, CA 94109, tel: (415) 922-1707, fax: 415-922-1848, Internet: http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org, or from the nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate overseas. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated special procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure. Dual Nationality: In addition to being subject to all Vietnamese laws affecting U.S. citizens, individuals who also possess the nationality of Vietnam may also be subject to other laws that impose special obligations on citizens of that country. For additional information, see the Consular Affairs home page on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov for our Dual Nationality flyer. U.S. citizens born in Vietnam, former citizens of Vietnam and their children are required to obtain visas to enter Vietnam. In criminal matters, however, Vietnamese authorities treat them as Vietnamese nationals, and they also may be subjected to laws that impose special obligations upon Vietnamese nationals, such as military service and taxes. U.S. citizens of Vietnamese origin may be charged with offenses allegedly committed prior to their original departure from Vietnam. U.S. citizens of Vietnamese origin should refer to the paragraph on consular access regarding their rights. Specific questions on Vietnamese citizenship should be directed to the Vietnamese Embassy. Questions on dual nationality may be directed to the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, telephone: 202-647-5226. Safety and Security: Following the bombings in Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2002 and 2003, the U.S. Department of State is concerned that similar attacks may occur in other Southeast Asian nations. American citizens traveling to Vietnam should therefore exercise caution, especially in locations where Westerners tend to congregate, such as clubs, discos, bars, restaurants, hotels, places of worship, schools, outdoor recreation venues, tourist areas, beach resorts, and other places frequented by foreigners. American travelers in Vietnam—as in any other country—should remain vigilant with regard to their personal security. For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found. Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). In recent years, the Central Highland provinces have been the scene of ethnic minority protests. Official U.S. personnel and tourists are sometimes not authorized to travel to the Central Highland areas without prior consent from the Government of Vietnam. These travel limitations hinder the ability of the U.S. government to provide assistance to private U.S. citizens in those areas. Vietnamese security personnel may place foreign visitors under surveillance. Hotel rooms, telephone conversations, fax transmissions, and email Foreign visitors to Vietnam have been arbitrarily arrested, detained or expelled for activities that would not be considered crimes in the United States. Visitors deemed suspicious by Vietnamese security personnel may be detained, along with their Vietnamese contacts, relatives, and friends. Local security officials have called in some U.S. citizens of Vietnamese origin for "discussions" not related to any suspected or alleged violation of law. These meetings normally do not result in any action against the traveler, but are nevertheless intimidating. Foreign visitors are not permitted to invite Vietnamese nationals of the opposite sex to their hotel rooms, and police may raid hotels without notice or consent. An American traveling with a spouse who is a U.S. citizen of Vietnamese origin may be asked to present a Marriage Certificate to local authorities in order to stay together in a hotel or family residence. Involvement in politics, possession of political material, business activities that have not been licensed by appropriate authorities, or non-sanctioned religious activities (including proselytizing) can result in detention. Sponsors of small, informal religious gatherings such as bible-study groups in hotel rooms, as well as distributors of religious materials, have been detained, fined and expelled. Travel in Border Areas: U.S. citizens have been detained after traveling in areas close to the Vietnamese borders with China, Cambodia, and Laos. These areas and other restricted areas are not always marked, and there are no warnings about prohibited travel. Travelers should avoid such areas unless written permission is obtained in advance from local authorities. Travel Information for U.S. Veterans: Increasing numbers of U.S. military personnel who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War have returned to Vietnam on personal travel. Neither the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi nor the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City is aware of any Vietnamese government restrictions on former U.S. military personnel visiting Vietnam. Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Consulate General provides assistance in reaching battlefield sites. Visitors should understand that some battle sites are relatively inaccessible, and the Vietnamese government may deny access to battle sites. Accounting for U.S. armed forces personnel reported as prisoners-of-war or missing-in-action (POW/MIA) during the Vietnam War is one of the U.S. government's highest priorities. Military or civilian personnel with any knowledge of the location of possible personnel missing or killed in action are encouraged to contact the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) at: Detachment Two, JPAC; 58 Xuan Dieu Street; Hanoi; Telephone: (84-4) 719-8301; Fax: (84-4) 719-8304. You may contact the Casualty Resolution Office at Detachment 2 in Hanoi directly at JPAC, Det 2, email:vpmia@fpt.vn. Crime: Cities in Vietnam have the typical crime problems of other large cities throughout the world. Pick-pocketing and other petty crimes occur regularly and appear to be increasing. Although violent crimes such as armed robbery are still relatively rare in Vietnam, perpetrators have grown increasingly bold and the U.S. Consulate General has received recent reports of knives and razors being used in attempted robberies in Ho Chi Minh City. Thieves congregate around hotels frequented by foreign tourists and business people, and assaults have been reported in outlying areas. The evolving nature of incidents warrants caution on the part of the U.S. traveler. Travelers are advised not to resist theft attempts, and to report them both to police and to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Motorcyclists, mostly carrying passengers, frequently grab bags, cameras, and other valuables from pedestrians or passengers riding in "cyclos" (pedicabs) or on the back of rented motorcycles. Serious injuries have resulted when thieves snatched purses or bags, which were strapped across their victims' bodies, leading to the victim being dragged along the ground by the thief's motorcycle. In November 2003, an American citizen victim of a drive-by purse snatching was dragged to the ground and seriously injured in this manner. Passengers in cyclos may be especially prone to thefts of personal possessions by snatch-and-grab thieves, because they ride in a semi-reclining position that readily exposes their belongings and does not allow good visibility or movement. As some cyclo drivers have reportedly kidnapped passengers and extorted money, it may be risky to hire cyclos not associated with reputable hotels or restaurants. Travelers are strongly advised to keep passports and other important valuables in hotel safes or other secure locations. Travelers are advised to carry a photocopy of their passport with them when going out. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General. U.S. citizens must obtain a police report from the local police office in order to apply for a replacement passport and a Vietnamese exit visa. There have been occasional reports of incidents in which an unknown substance was used to taint drinks, leaving the victim susceptible to further criminal acts. Travelers are advised to avoid leaving drinks or food unattended, and should avoid going to unfamiliar venues alone. Travelers should also avoid purchasing liquor from street vendors, as the quality of the contents cannot be assured. Recreational drugs available in Vietnam can be extremely potent, and more than one American has died of an accidental overdose. Penalties for possession of drugs of any kind are severe (please refer to the Criminal Penalties section below). In Ho Chi Minh City, some U.S. citizens have reported threats of death or physical injury related to personal business disputes. The U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Consulate General do not provide personal protection services. U.S. citizens who do not have confidence in the ability of the local police to protect them may wish to depart the country expeditiously. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, help you find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlet, A Safe Trip Abroad, for ways to promote a trouble-free journey. The pamphlet is available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402, on the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/, on the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page, http://travel.state.gov/ or at the U.S. Embassy or the U.S Consulate General. Medical Facilities: Government medical facilities in Vietnam do not meet international standards, and frequently lack medicines and supplies. Medical personnel in Vietnam, particularly outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, may speak little or no English. Doctors and hospitals expect immediate cash payment for health services. International health clinics in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can provide acceptable care for minor illnesses and injuries, but more serious problems will often require medical evacuation to Bangkok or Singapore. Although many medications can be purchased at pharmacies without prescriptions, many common U.S. medications are not available in Vietnam. Travelers may obtain lists of local English-speaking physicians from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Travelers are reminded that neither office may recommend specific medical practitioners or hospitals. Medical Insurance: The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. U.S. medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Further, U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. However, many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas including emergency services such as medical evacuations. When making a decision regarding health insurance, U.S. citizens should consider that doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the U.S. may cost well in excess of $50,000 (payable through insurance or credit card). Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death. Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad, available via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page. Other Health Information: Travelers should be cautious when drinking non-bottled water and in using ice cubes in drinks. Travelers may wish to drink only bottled or canned beverages, or beverages, which have been boiled (such as hot tea and coffee). Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect-bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith. Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Vietnam is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance. Safety of Public Transportation: Poor Traffic in Vietnam is chaotic. Traffic accidents, mostly involving motorcycles and resulting in traumatic head injury, are an increasingly serious hazard. At least 30 people die each day from transportation-related injuries. Traffic accident injuries are the leading cause of death, severe injury, and emergency evacuation of foreigners in Vietnam, and are the single greatest health risk that U.S. citizens will face in Vietnam. Traffic moves on the right, although drivers frequently cross to the left to pass or turn, and motorcycles and bicycles often travel (illegally) against the flow of traffic. Horns are used constantly, often for no apparent reason. Streets in major cities are choked with motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and cyclos (pedicabs). Outside the cities, livestock compete with vehicles for road space. Sudden stops by motorcycles and bicycles make driving a particular hazard. Nationwide, drivers do not follow basic traffic principles, vehicles do not yield right of way, and there is little adherence to traffic laws or enforcement by traffic police. There are an increasing number of traffic lights in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but red lights are often not obeyed. Most Vietnamese ride motorcycles, and an entire family often rides on one motorcycle. Road conditions are poor nationwide. Numerous tragic accidents have occurred due to poor road conditions that resulted in landslides, and American travelers have lost their lives in this way. Travelers should exercise extra caution in the countryside, as road conditions are particularly poor in rural areas. Driving at night is especially dangerous and drivers should exercise extreme caution. Roads are poorly lit, and there are few road signs. Buses and trucks often travel at high speed with bright lights that are rarely dimmed. Some motor vehicles may not use lights at all, vehicles of all types often stop in the road without any illumination, and livestock are likely to be encountered. Motorcyclists and bicyclists are strongly urged to wear helmets. Passengers in cars or taxis should use seatbelts when available, but should be aware that Vietnamese vehicles often are not equipped with working seatbelts. The Vietnamese government began mandating the use of motorcycle helmets on major roads leading to large urban centers in January 2001, but application and enforcement of this law have been slow and sporadic at best. New laws have been promulgated concerning the use of motorcycle helmets in urban areas as well, but have not been enforced. Child car seats are not available in Vietnam. Penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or causing an accident resulting in injury or death can include fines, confiscation of driving permits or imprisonment. U.S. citizens involved in traffic accidents have been barred from leaving Vietnam before paying compensation (often determined arbitrarily) for property damage or injuries. Emergency roadside help is theoretically available nationwide by dialing 113 for police, 114 for fire brigade and 115 for an ambulance. Efficiency of these services is well below U.S. standards, however, and locating a public telephone is often difficult or impossible. Trauma care is not widely available. The urban speed limit ranges from 30 to 40 km/h. The rural speed limit ranges from 40 to 60 km/h. Both speed limits are routinely ignored. Pedestrians should be careful, as sidewalks are extremely congested and uneven, and drivers of bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles routinely ignore traffic signals and traffic flows, and even drive on sidewalks. For safety, pedestrians should look carefully in both directions before crossing streets, even when using a marked crosswalk with a green "walk" light illuminated. International driving permits and U.S. drivers' licenses are not valid in Vietnam. Foreigners renting vehicles risk prosecution and/or imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license endorsed for the appropriate vehicle. Americans who wish to drive in Vietnam should contact any office of the Provincial Public Transportation Service of the Vietnamese Department of Communications and Transport to obtain a Vietnamese driver's license. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City cannot assist U.S. citizens in obtaining Vietnamese driver's permits or notarize U.S. drivers' licenses for use in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese travel within Vietnam by long-distance bus or train. Both are slow, and safety conditions do not approach U.S. standards. For additional information about road travel in Vietnam, see the U.S. Embassy Hanoi web site at http://hanoi.usembassy.gov, or the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City's web site at http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov. For additional general information on road safety, including links to foreign government sites, consult http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_roadsafety.html. Seasonal Flooding: Heavy rainfall during Vietnam's annual rainy season, usually June through September, and again during the typhoon season from October to December, coupled with outdated and poorly maintained infrastructure, places much of Vietnam at high risk for seasonal flooding and landslides. Northern Vietnam is most likely to experience seasonal flooding and landslides during the rainy season, while Central and Southern Vietnam are most likely to experience seasonal flooding and landslides from August to November. While minor flooding is fairly common in Hanoi, the source of any major flood in Hanoi is the Red River. In the event of a major flood, Vietnamese authorities would destroy a portion of the protective dike around the river well upstream from Hanoi. U.S. citizens living near the Red River upstream of Hanoi, should be aware of this potential risk. If a major flood is not diverted before striking Hanoi, experts predict the flood would be devastating. There is also a serious risk of flooding in Central Vietnam and in the Mekong River delta regions in Southern Vietnam. U.S. citizens living in flood prone areas are urged to plan a route to Prior to the onset of a flood, Vietnamese television channel VTV One (which broadcasts in Vietnamese) is a good source for weather information. The UN Development Program (UNDP) maintains an English-language flood web site at http://www.undp.org.vn/dmu/latest/en/frame.htm. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will make available any information they have on possible flood situations that could affect U.S. citizens residing in Vietnam. Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. and Vietnam signed a bilateral Air Services Agreement in December 2003 that will enable direct flights between the two countries. These services have not yet begun and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Vietnam's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with international aviation safety standards. For further information, travelers may contact the U.S. Department of Transportation at 1-800-322-7873, or visit the FAA's web site, http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm. For information on air security, travelers may contact the TSA at 1-866-289-9673, or visit the TSA's web site, http://www.tsa.gov/public/index.jsp. Passport Seizures/Exit Bans: The Vietnamese government has occasionally seized the passports and blocked the departure of foreigners involved in commercial disputes. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate General may issue a new passport to a U.S. citizen in such a situation, but the Vietnamese exit ban could remain in effect, preventing departure. It is common for hotels to retain a passport until checkout, but passports should never be used as security for rental of vehicles, collateral for hotel payments, etc. Customs Regulations: Vietnamese government authorities have seized documents, audio and video tapes, compact discs, literature, and personal letters they deem to be religious, pornographic, or political in nature or intended for religious or political proselytizing. The authorities are also increasingly detaining and expelling individuals believed to be engaged in such activities. Individuals arriving at airports with videotapes or materials considered to be pornographic have been detained and heavily fined (up to U.S. $2,000 for one videotape). Authorities may search rooms and luggage without notice or consent. It is illegal to import all kinds of weapons, ammunition, flammable and explosive materials, military equipment and tools, narcotics, drugs, toxic chemicals, pornographic and subversive materials, firecrackers, children's toys that have "negative effects on personality development, social order and security," and cigarettes exceeding the stipulated allowance. Vietnamese law prohibits the export of antiques, but the laws on the subject are vague and unevenly enforced. Antique objects are subject to inspection and seizure by customs authorities with no compensation made to owners/travelers. The determination of what is an "antique" can be arbitrary. Purchasers of non-antique items of value should retain receipts and confirmation from shop owners and/or the Ministry of Culture and the Customs Department to prevent seizure upon departure. Travelers are advised to contact the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington, DC or the Vietnamese Consulate General in San Francisco for specific information regarding customs requirements. In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products are illegal and bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines. A current list of those countries with serious problems in this regard can be found here. Currency: The Vietnamese currency is Vietnamese Dong (VND). Banks and hotels in Vietnam will exchange dollars, and there is an exchange facility at the airport. ATMs are available in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but are rare outside of these cities. Traveler's cheques are not commonly accepted in Vietnam. Foreign currency (including cash and travelers cheques) in excess of US$3,000, cash exceeding Vietnamese Dong (VND) 5,000,000, and gold exceeding 300 grams must be declared at customs upon arrival and departure. There is no limitation on either the export or import of U.S. dollars or other foreign currency by U.S. citizens, provided that all currency in excess of US$3,000 (or its equivalent in other foreign currencies) or in excess of VND 5,000,000 in cash is declared upon arrival and departure, and supported by appropriate documentation. If excess cash is not declared, it is confiscated at the port of entry/exit and the passenger may be fined. Vietnamese Civil Documents and Procedures: U.S. citizens who plan to marry a Vietnamese national in Vietnam should contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington, D.C., or the Vietnamese Consulate General in San Francisco concerning documentary requirements. Several documents will require notarization at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Obtaining a Vietnamese marriage certificate normally takes 45 days or more. For additional information about documentary requirements for getting married in Vietnam, see the U.S. Embassy Hanoi web site at http://hanoi.usembassy.gov, or the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City's web site at http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov. Children born in Vietnam to one or two U.S. citizen parents may apply for an adjudication of their child's claim to U.S. citizenship at the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General. Parents are required by Vietnamese law to choose citizenship for their child in order to obtain the child's Vietnamese birth certificate, Vietnamese law requires an autopsy before a death certificate may be issued for a deceased foreigner. In some cases this requirement may be circumvented with a diplomatic note from the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General, particularly if the deceased was elderly or in documented poor health and the cause of death can reasonably be ascribed to age or ill health. For assistance regarding this or any other issue relating to the death of a U.S. citizen in Vietnam, family members may contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General. Immigration through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Vietnam: U.S. citizens living in Vietnam who wish to file immigrant visa petitions should contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Ho Chi Minh City at 65 Le Loi, Saigon Center, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, telephone (84-8) 821-6237, fax (84-8) 821-6241. Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Vietnam's laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Vietnam are strict, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Foreigners have been executed for drug smuggling. The death penalty applies to anyone caught possessing 100 grams of heroin or five kilograms of opium. A Canadian national of Vietnamese origin was executed in early 2000 for drug smuggling. Both the sentencing and execution were carried out swiftly, without what would be considered due process in the United States. In 2004, a U.S. citizen was sentenced to death for trafficking in ecstasy tablets. Vietnamese authorities often detain foreign nationals for lengthy periods—months, if not years—before concluding their investigation into an alleged crime and sending the case forward for prosecution. The criminal justice process is also lengthy. Authorities may detain individuals under investigation for up to one year before filing charges, and are not required to provide access to a lawyer until charges are filed. U.S. citizens should be aware that many charges involving business or driving offenses that are considered civil charges in the U.S. are considered criminal charges in Vietnam. U.S. citizens of Vietnamese origin who left Vietnam may be subject to charges for any crimes they allegedly committed prior to their original departure from Vietnam, even if that departure was many decades ago. Under the PROTECT Act of April 2003, it is a crime, prosecutable in the United States, for a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country with a person under the age of 18, whether or not the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident alien intended to engage in such illicit sexual conduct prior to going abroad. Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998, it is a crime to use the mail or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including the Internet, to transmit information about a minor under the age of 16 for criminal sexual purposes that include, among other things, the production of child pornography. This same law makes it a crime to use any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including the Internet, to transport obscene materials to minors under the age of 16. Consular Access: A 1994 agreement between the United States and Vietnam provides for immediate notification of and reciprocal access within 96 hours to each other's detained citizens. Bearers of U.S. passports who enter Vietnam with a Vietnamese visa, including those of Vietnamese origin, are regarded as U.S. citizens by the U.S. Government for purposes of notification and access. Therefore, U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry photocopies of passport data and photo pages with them at all times so that, if questioned by Vietnamese officials, proof of U.S. citizenship is readily available. Despite the 1994 agreement, U.S. consular officers in Vietnam are rarely notified in a timely manner when a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained. There have also generally been very significant delays in obtaining access to incarcerated U.S. citizens. This has been particularly true when the U.S. citizen is being held during the investigatory stage that Vietnamese officials do not consider as covered by the bilateral agreement. The investigatory stage can last up to one year, and often proceeds without the formal filing of any charges. Americans should note that the problem of access has been particularly evident when the U.S. citizen is considered by the Vietnamese government to be a citizen of Vietnam, irrespective of proof of U.S. citizenship. U.S. citizens, even dual citizens, have the right, according to the 1994 agreement, to consular access if they were admitted into Vietnam as a U.S. citizen with their U.S. passport, and should insist upon contact with the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Consulate General. Property Issues and Lifting of Sanctions: On January 28, 1995, the U.S. and Vietnam signed agreements resolving diplomatic property issues and settling outstanding claims between the two countries. For more information, contact: The Assistant Legal Adviser for International Claims and Investment Disputes, Department of State, SA-44, Room 205, Washington, DC 20520, telephone 202-776-8360. Pursuant to the February 3, 1994, lifting of sanctions against Vietnam, Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children, international parental child abduction, and international child support enforcement issues, please refer to our Internet site at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html or telephone Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328. Registration/Embassy and Consulate Locations: U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Vietnam are encouraged to register online at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs. This free internet-based registration service allows U.S. citizens to record information about themselves, their emergency contacts, and their travel itinerary. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General can use this information to assist travelers in case of an emergency. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi is located at 6 Ngoc Khanh, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, telephone: (84-4) 831-4590; after hours emergency telephone number: (84-4) 772-1500; fax: (84-4) 831-4578, Internet home page: http://hanoi.usembassy.gov The Consular section's business hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Consular Section provides the full range of services for U.S. citizens (passport services, consular reports of birth abroad, notarial services) and non-immigrant visa services (except K-1 fiancée visas). The U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City is located at 4 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, telephone: (84-8) 822-9433; fax: (84-8) 822-9434; web site, http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov. The Consulate General's business hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Consulate General provides the full range of consular services for U.S. citizens (passport services, consular reports of birth abroad, notarial services) and the full range of immigrant and non-immigrant visa services. All immigrant visa processing in Vietnam, including visas for adopted children and fiancé/e visas, is conducted solely at the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. It is advisable to check the Consulate's web page to see which services require an appointment, and for a list of holiday closings and public hours, at http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/wwwhcits.html Callers from the U.S. should note that Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 11 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. A copy of the U.S. citizen registration form is on the Embassy website and may be downloaded and faxed to the Embassy's Consular Section or to the Consulate General, along with a copy of the traveler's U.S. passport biographic page. International AdoptionJanuary 2005 The information below has been edited from a report of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. For more information, please read the International Adoption section of this book and review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family. Disclaimer: The information in this circular relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign counsel. Important Information: Irregularities in the methods used to identify children for adoption in Vietnam make it difficult to classify some children as orphans under U.S. immigration law. Several instances of payment to birth mothers to induce them to give up a child have been documented. As a result of these irregularities, you are advised that if you proceed to finalize an adoption of a Vietnamese child you wish to immigrate as an orphan, you should be prepared for a lengthy wait before a thorough investigation is concluded. Further, if it is uncovered that the child does not meet the orphan definition under U.S. law, your orphan petition to classify the orphan as an immediate relative (I-600) will be denied by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security. Availability of Vietnamese Children for Adoption: The total number of visas issued to Vietnamese orphans adopted by U.S. citizens has steadily increased since the United States and Vietnam normalized relations in 1995. Year: IR-3 Immigrant Visas Issued to Vietnamese Orphans Adopted Abroad, IR-4 Immigrant Visas Issued to Vietnamese Orphans Adopted in U.S. FY-1995: 2, 316 Regulations: U.S. citizens may legally adopt in Vietnam. All adoptions must be initially submitted to the adopted child's home province. In cases where the adopting parents have not yet identified a child for adoption, the adoption request must be submitted directly to the Ministry of Justice in Hanoi. The Ministry will assist in locating a suitable child and then refer the case to the provincial Justice Department of that child's According to the Vietnamese "Law on Marriage and the Family" adoptive parents must be at least 20 years older than the children they wish to adopt. Children up to and including the age of 15 can be adopted. If over nine years of age, a child must consent in writing to his or her adoption under Vietnamese law. Vietnamese law does not define "orphaned" or "abandoned". Children with two living parents are sometimes placed in orphanages by families who claim not to have the economic wherewithal to support their offspring. The decision to accept such children rests chiefly with the orphanage director, and often depends whether space is available in the orphanage. Documentation: Vietnamese documents are not generally reliable and regulations regarding civil documentation are frequently not followed. Births are to be registered within 30 days, but often are not, especially in the countryside. Late registration is legal. Births are supposed to be registered with the local People's Committee. The birth certificate format is standardized, but non-standard "birth certificates" made by the orphanages themselves are sometimes submitted with orphan cases. These are inevitably late registered. All abandoned children are supposed to have their births registered by the local People's Committee. Please review current reports online at www.travel.state.gov/family for more details. Procedure: When an adoption agency receives a request from a client to identify a child available for adoption, the agency contacts an orphanage (generally an orphanage it supports). When an agency has identified a child acceptable to the adopting parent(s), the agency asks the orphanage to release the child for foreign adoption. If one was not already on file, the orphanage obtains an unconditional release for foreign adoption from the child's parents or guardian or from whoever has legal custody of the child. The orphanage director then signs a document stating that the orphanage consents to release the child, either to the adoptive parents or their agents. The adoptive parents' names should be specified in the Vietnamese version of this document. After the agency or adopting parents have obtained all the documents required for the adoption, the case is presented to the provincial Justice Department. The Justice Department coordinates with the local Public Security Bureau (police) to review the application. The Public Security Bureau must investigate the proposed adoption within 30 days from the date of the initial request from the Justice Department. This limit can be extended by 15 days if additional investigation is required. Following its review of the case, the Justice Department gives the completed paperwork to the provincial People's Committee for review, together with its recommendation. The People's Committee decides within 60 days to accept or reject the application for adoption. If further investigation of the case is needed, the People's Committee can delay its decision an additional 30 days. Please note that, in actual practice, these general time periods may vary greatly from province to province. Once the provincial People's Committee approves the adoption, the child is formally relinquished in a "giving and receiving" ceremony held at the provincial Justice Department attended by at least one of the adopting parents, and by representatives of the orphanage, the People's Committee and the Justice Department. A "Giving and Receiving" document signed by the Justice Department is issued and the adoption is recorded in an adoption registration book. U.S. Immigration Requirements: Please see the International Adoption section of this book for more details and review current reports online at travel.state.gov/family Issues: Vietnam has a rapidly-growing population and a per capita income of about $200 a year. In these circumstances, families may be tempted to release their children inappropriately for adoption. The Vietnamese appear to have a more elastic definition than the U.S. of what constitutes an "orphaned" or "abandoned" child. Children are sometimes relinquished to orphanages by two living, healthy parents who claim they are not economically able to care for the child. At present, Vietnamese law requires foreigners adopting Vietnamese children to adopt a child from a government facility, such as an orphanage or hospital. In many cases in which a child has been adopted directly from a natural parent or parents, he is not eligible under U.S. immigration law to receive an immigrant visa. Therefore, the Consulate would not encourage prospective adoptive parents to attempt such direct adoptions. Although U.S. citizens are not required by Vietnamese law to work through an adoption agency, the Vietnamese bureaucracy is difficult to navigate, and the required paperwork may take months to complete. For this reason, the Consulate and the Vietnamese government both recommend that families wishing to adopt a child from Vietnam use the services of an adoption agency having experience in Vietnam. Agencies are able to locate an orphan and complete U.S. Adoption Procedures: Comprehensive information regarding international adoptions by U.S. citizens is available through the State Department's Consular Affairs Bureau and through the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (BCIS). For U.S. citizens who adopt in Vietnam, BCIS notice of approval is sent from the BCIS Office in Ho Chi Minh City to the IV Unit of the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. If an I-600A was filed in the U.S., an I-600 may be filed with the BCIS Office in Ho Chi Minh City once a child has been identified. Once the I-600 has been approved, the child is eligible for an immigrant visa interview at the Consulate. Questions regarding procedures for filing these forms should be directed to the BCIS Office in Ho Chi Minh City: Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security; Saigon Centre, 9th Floor; 65 Le Loi Street; Tel: (84-8) 821-6237, (84-8) 821-6238,; Fax: (84-8) 821-6241. American citizens seeking to adopt a child in Vietnam should feel free to contact the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City if they encounter difficulties in completing Vietnamese government procedures or have other serious problems. Upon arrival in Vietnam, U.S. adoptive parents should also register at the American Consulate, Consular Section, American Citizens Services. The Consulate will be able to provide information about any outstanding travel advisories and to provide other information about Vietnam, including lists of physicians, attorneys, interpreters and translators. Questions: Specific questions regarding adoptions in Vietnam may be addressed to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You may also contact the Office of Children's Issues with specific adoption questions. Contacting the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City: While in Vietnam, inquires should be addressed to: U.S. Consulate General; Immigrant Visa Unit; #4 Le Duan St.; District 1; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Tel: (84)(8) 822-9433; Fax: (84)(8) 822-0938. U.S. Mailing Address: U.S. Con-Gen; PSC 461; P.O. Box 5400; FPO AP 96521-0002; Home page: http://usembassy.state.gov/vietnam/ Contacting the Vietnamese Embassy in the U.S.: Embassy of Vietnam; 1233 20th Street, N.W.; Suite 400; Washington, D.C. 20036; Tel: (202) 861-2293 or (202) 861-0694; Home page: http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 - Novelguide.com. All Rights Reserved.
To print this page, please use Internet Explorer.
To cite information from this page, please cite the date when you
looked at our site and the author as Novelguide.com.
Copyright Information -- Terms Of Use -- Privacy Statement