Hanoi orders self-criticism for troubled province

By Adrian Edwards

HANOI, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Vietnam's elite politburo has ordered party and state officials in a troubled northern province to undergo criticism sessions following recent serious unrest, a leading state daily reported on Tuesday.

The official Nhan Dan newspaper said party cells and state bodies across Thai Binh province had been issued with the instructions, which it said were aimed at restoring stability and reviving public confidence in the communist party.

``Each party member has to criticise, self-criticise, and give a correct account of the situation,'' it said.

``It is necessary to review the responsibilities of collectives and individuals... in allowing a small number of bad elements to take advantage of the situation and create disorder and violate laws, causing a very bad impact on political security, social order and safety.''

The report gave no details of the current situation in Thai Binh, which remains off-limits to foreign journalists almost six months after the troubles there first erupted.

Problems in the area, which lies in an area of Vietnam long considered the heartland of its communist revolution, began emerging in May as details surfaced of large demonstrations in the provincial capital.

The situation turned violent in the weeks that followed. Houses belonging to local officials were razed to the ground. Some reports have spoken of angry villagers detaining local officials and placing them on makeshift trial.

Residents said on Tuesday that the mood remained charged.

The reasons behind the troubles in Thai Binh have not been fully explained. Government officials say the problems are the result of what they obliquely refer to as a lack of transparency among low level officials.

Residents say the root cause is popular anger over corruption, and a high-handed officialdom. Both sides stress the issue is not one of discontent with central government.

Nonetheless Hanoi has taken the issue sufficiently seriously to despatch politburo members Pham The Duyet and Le Minh Huong occasions.

It has also announced policy measures aimed at improving farmers' incomes, and spoken of the need to tackle problems of growing social vice and declining morals in rural areas, which are home to 80 percent of Vietnam's 77 million population.

The English-language Vietnam news reported on Tuesday that Prime Minister Phan Van Khai had asked state food companies to buy rice from farmers across northern Vietnam as a means of boosting flagging prices of the staple.

It said the State Pricing committee and Finance Ministry had been authorised to use price stabilisation funds to support low interest bank loans to firms who purchase rice, and added that direct exports of unhusked rice to China, Laos, and Cambodia would be made tax-free.