[Vnbiz] Local People's Voice in Development Projects

[Tran Dinh Hoanh]

Dear CACC,

Below is a small piece of news that reflects a huge policy issue.  The news
is: A group of villagers in xa Quang Tho, Quang Trach district, Quang Binh
province surrounded the home of the chief of xa Quang Tho, and beat him and
his family members.  The chief was beaten till unconscious and had to be
hospitalized.

The reason for the beating:  There was information that Quang Phuc Cement
Project is going to be moved from xa Quang Phuc into xa Quang Tho.  Quang
Tho villagers believe that they will lose their land and their environment
will be polluted.  So they beat the chief (probably for allowing the Cement
Project to move into the area).

So, what does this piece of news tell us, everyone?  (If you could just stop
reading now, and do about 5 minutes of thinking before continuing, that
would be a good exercise).

Here is my answer:

1.  Villagers are terrified about losing their land and their environment.
2.  Government doesn't care about the villagers' feelings.
3.  Government never allows the villagers a voice in the decision making
process. It simply imposes its decision on the villagers.

And please don't tell me that this is only a lowly chu tich xa and that the
provincial governments and national government behave much better.

This small example goes into the heart of what we all, including the VCP and
the government, call "grass root democracy" (dan chu co so).  Grass root
democracy means only one thing:  The local people at the grass-root level
must have a voice in governing local affairs.

In the NGO area, this democratic approach is called
"participatory development," which is based on the "people-centered"
philosophy, and has been refined to a high art.

But when for-profit economic projects are involved, the people very much
become irrelevant.  Party bosses quietly make decisions with investors.
People just have to obey the bosses' decision, even when it means the
people will lose their farm land or their clean environment.  And of course,
when investors can just deal with party bosses and keep the people aside,
corruption money may flow much easier.

So what do we do about it?

Have a great day!

Hoanh

______________

http://vnexpress.net/GL/Xa-hoi/2008/06/3BA031C6/

Một chủ tịch xã bị đánh bất tỉnh

Ngày 7/6, một đám đông quá khích đã bao vây nhà ông Trần Xuân Nghiêm, Chủ
tịch UBND xã Quảng Thọ, huyện Quảng Trạch, tỉnh Quảng Bình. Họ đập phá, hành
hung những người trong gia đình ông.

Riêng ông Trần Xuân Nghiêm bị đánh bất tỉnh phải đưa đi cấp cứu tại bệnh
viện.

Nghe tin dự án xi măng Quảng Phúc được di dời từ xã Quảng Phúc, Quảng Trạch
về xã Quảng Thọ, một số người dân quá kích động cho rằng sẽ bị mất đất và bị
ô nhiễm nên đã có hành vi manh động.

(Theo *Người Lao Động*)

-- 
Tran Dinh Hoanh, Esq., LLB, JD
Washington DC
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