History of Vietnam

The Republic of Vietnam National Police was officially created by President Ngô
Đình Diệm's national decree in June 1962 from a conglomerate of smaller internal
security and paramilitary agencies raised by the French Unionauthorities during
the First Indochina War between 1946 and 1954. These included the
Vietnamese Sûreté, the Saigon Municipal Police, elements of the colonial National
Guard of South Vietnam (French: Garde Nationale du Viet Nam Sud – GNVS, or
VBNV in Vietnamese), a rural Gendarmerie force or 'Civil Guard' (French: Garde
Civile), the combat police (French: Police de Combat) and various provincial
militia forces made of irregular auxiliaries (French: Supplétifs). Transferred to
South Vietnamese control in 1955, all the aforementioned security units were
integrated in the early 1960s into a new national police force with the exception of
the Civil Guard, which was placed under the Ministry of Defence. The CSQG had
an initial strength of only 16,000 uniformed and plainclothes agents, being
essentially an urban constabulary with no rural Gendarmerie component to counter
the threat posed by the increasing Viet Cong (VC) insurgency in the countryside.

Politics of Vietnam
The politics of Vietnam are defined by a single-party socialist
republic framework, where the General Secretary of the Communist Party of
Vietnam is the Party leader and head of the Politburo, holding the highest position
in the one-party system. The President of Vietnam is the head of state, and
the Prime Minister of Vietnam is the head of government in a one-party system led
by the Communist Party of Vietnam.[1] Executive power is exercised by the
government and the President of Vietnam. Legislative power is vested in
the National Assembly of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Quốc hội Việt Nam).
The Judiciary is independent of the executive. The parliament adopted the
current Constitution of Vietnam; its fifth, on 28 November 2013.
The President (Chủ tịch nước) is elected by National Assembly for a five-year term
and acts as the commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and
Chairman of the Council for Defence and Security. Moreover, the president has the
right to decide on executive brands. The government (Chính phủ), the main
executive state power of Vietnam, is headed by the Prime Minister, who has
several Deputy Prime Ministers and several ministers in charge of particular
activities. The executive branch is responsible for the implementation of political,
economic, cultural, social, national defence, security and external activities of the
state. The National Assembly is a unicamerallegislative body. The National
 Assembly has 500 members, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The
legislature is, according to the constitution, the highest organ of the state. Its
powers includes the enactment and amendment of the constitution and laws; the
adoption of the government budget; supervising the Government of Vietnam and
other holders of public powers responsible to the National Assembly; and
appointing members of the judiciary. The Vietnamese constitution and legislation
provide for regular elections for the office of the President of the Socialist
Republic, the National Assembly and the People's Councils.
Vietnam has a judicial system governed by the Constitution of Vietnam and
national legislation enacted by National Assembly. The Supreme People's
Court (Tòa án Nhân dân Tối cao) is the
highest court of appeal in Vietnam. There are other specialised courts in Vietnam,
including the Central Military Court, the Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the
Appeal Court. The Supreme People's Procuracy observes the implementation of
state organs and makes sure that Vietnamese citizens follow the law.

Traditions & Customs in Vietnam

 Ancestor Worship. Vietnamese ancestors are believed to continue to live in another
realm, and that it is the duty of the living beings to meet their needs. ...
 Burning votive paper. ...
 Animist beliefs. ...
 God of Wealth Worship in business. ...
 Visiting the pagoda by the beginning of year. ...
 Lunar New Year reunion (Tet holiday)

Criminal Justice of Vietnam

These include the Criminal Court, Civil Court, Economic Court,
AdministrativeCourt and Labour Court. Under the law, Vietnamese courts render
their judgments independently.

Vietnam National Police Rank Classification

 Police General
 Police Senior Lieutenant Genaral
 Police Lieutenat General
 Police Major General
  Police Colonel
 Police Senior Lieutenat Colonel
 Police Lieutenant Colonel
 Police Major
 Police Captain
 Police Senior Lieutenant
 Police Lieutenant
 Police Sub Lieutenant

Capability to Control Crime

CRIME IN VIETNAM
Vietnam has a relatively low crime rate and Vietnamese are generally a very law-
abiding people. Violent crime is uncommon but petty crime occurs. There is some
theft in the big cities. There is also some banditry, illegal drug activity and
insurgent activity in some areas in the countryside. Foreigners are generally not
victimized by violent crime. If they are and the criminals are caught they are dealt
with harshly. Police and other authorities generally do not hassle foreigners to
much or shake them down for bribes.
The crime rate in Vietnam is among the lowest in Southeast Asia which itself is
known for having a low crime rate. Prostitution and drug abuse are common in
Vietnam. Thieves are active in Ho Chi Minh City. Tourists and foreigners are
generally not affected by crime in Vietnam. The punishments for criminals that
involve or target foreigners can be quite severe.
According to the U.S. State Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security:
"Although most travelers in Vietnam feel relatively safe, pick-pocketing and petty
crimes occur. Violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnappings, and murder
against westerners or tourists remain rare. Drug use, which contributes
significantly to the crime rate, is an increasing problem in Vietnam, particularly the
increasing use of methamphetamine and intravenous drugs. Petty theft, purse
snatching, and pick pocketing are most common in the areas frequented by
foreigners such as major hotels, tourist sites, airports, and public parks. One
common method of purse snatching used throughout Vietnam employs two people
on a motorcycle with the passenger snatching the victim’s bag, camera, cellular
phone, etc., often while traveling at the same speed or faster than street traffic. This
method can be especially dangerous to victims if the straps of the bag are over the
shoulder or around the neck, as the victim can be pulled down or dragged by the
strap until it breaks. This is an ongoing and often dangerous trend. In some cases, a
knife or other sharp cutting instrument is used by the perpetrators to cut the strap or
to make a hole to reach in and steal valuables. [Source: OSAC />/]
Pick-pocketing, snatch and grabs, and petty thefts are the most frequent types of
crime reported in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). HCMC has seen an increase in
violent crimes in recent months, which prompted the government to send
additional police officers in order to ensure a safe Tet holiday season. />/ In 2012,
there were many reports of U.S. government permanent and temporary duty
employees losing their cellular phones, bags, and purses to thieves. />/
In October 2013, Thanh Nien reported: The Minister of Public Security that crime
in Vietnam is becoming a more serious and better organized problem due to rising
unemployment and lax law enforcement. Tran Dai Quang said basic crimes like
murders and robberies had reduced in number from last year, but they were more
serious in nature. He said there were not as spontaneous as in the past but were
now operations run by organized gangs. "Protection" rackets, loan-sharking, debt
collection, extortion, and gambling were all controlled by criminal organizations
now. The gambling problem was particularly bad online and in border areas, he
said.[Source: Thanh Nien, October 29, 2013 :::]
"The minister said the poor economy that sent many people out on the street
jobless had complicated the public security situation. He also pointed to a rise in
pornographic and violent content on the internet.But he also blamed "limited"
capacity of law enforcement forces in preventing crimes. He said they have not
met the people's demands. Officials from the Justice Committee at the legislature
(National Assembly) said the ministry machine is leaning more towards punishing
crimes than preventing them. "Many crimes were happening in day light and could
not be ended by the local authorities," the committee chairman Nguyen Van Hien
said, without specifying." :::
Drugs and Drug Smuggling, See Drugs

Scams in Vietnam
Clare Arthurs of the BBC News wrote: “Vietnam's state-controlled media has run
several articles suggesting an official campaign to stamp out the scams that are rife
in the country, or at least make people more aware of them. Counterfeiting, piracy
and smuggling are all common in Vietnam, and there are many people who are
willing to take an easy chance to make money or to take home a bargain. The latest
scam to get attention is the simple art of making fake bus tickets. Real tickets are
photocopied and sold. [Source: Clare Arthurs, BBC News, July 25, 2003 <<<]
“The Hanoi Transport Company has put security guards on the city's buses. Many
of them are martial arts experts or ex-commandos which seems to raise the stakes
of trying to trick the ticket collector. Risky too is the metals business. A man who
used cow fat and paint to pass off a lump of iron as bronze was himself tricked.
The buyers paid him, but with counterfeit notes. <<<
“Another scam which has re-emerged this week involves swindlers who try to
attract investors into buying chemicals to clean what they say are disguised United
States dollars. The investors are told they will double their money, but in fact the
dollars are fake. Two other recent cases involve fake people - a man who allegedly
posed as a journalist for seven years to collect gifts and money, and another who
posed as a former military commander who could help set up business deals. This
week police arrested a trade official who had been selling rubber stamps containing
official signatures and university degrees. He had reportedly been sacked from
another job for incompetence. He had been a policeman.” <<<

Scams in Vietnam
Gregory Rogers wrote in About.com: “Always confirm before getting inside any
taxi that the driver will use the meter. If getting a ride from one of Vietnam's
famous "cyclos" or bicycle-taxis, agree on a clear price before getting inside; you
have lost all your bargaining power once the journey starts. Confirm whether the
price is total or per person and assume that any price you are given is one-way.
Prices for rides can usually be negotiated. Do not rely on information about a
particular hotel or restaurant being "closed" - this is usually the driver's attempt to
take you to a friend's restaurant instead. [Source: Gregory Rogers. About.com]
“A more-dangerous scam in Hanoi consists of drivers pretending to be taxis, then
driving their passengers outside of the city unless they agree to fork over money
and valuables. Exercise caution by only using official taxis, easily identifiable in
Vietnam. There have been reports of airport taxi drivers operating on the coupon
system who demand more money once at your destination. The driver will hold
your luggage hostage in the trunk until you pay the difference. Keep your bags on
the seat with you!
Be wary of anyone that approaches you around the entrance of bus and train
stations - most are there to target tourists. Con-artists will tell you that the train or
bus is delayed or offer to book a ticket for you. Train tickets in Vietnam do not
have the class printed on them. Travel agents may charge you for a soft-sleeper
class berth then give you a ticket that is only good for a less-comfortable class to
pocket the difference.
Acid Attacks and 'Thugs'-for-Hire on the Web in Vietnam
Nga Pham of BBC News reported: A group of youngsters who allegedly used a
website to offer services including violence and intimidation has been arrested in
Vietnam, reports say. Police in the city of Buon Ma Thuot suspect the gang of
several attacks, the Lao Dong newspaper reported. The gang apparently offered to
"threaten with violence, beat up or even maim people for a negotiable price", the
paper claimed. The police closed the website down and reportedly arrested four
people. The paper said the ringleader and three gang members were caught with
knives and machetes. Police discovered and promptly shut the gang's website,
where "potential customers" were invited to place their orders online. [Source: Nga
Pham, BBC News, November 7, 2007]
Lao Dong's reporter, Dang Ba Tien, told the BBC from Buon Ma Thuot that there
were 30 youngsters in the gang. He said: "The internet is becoming more and more
popular in Vietnam, but this is the first time it's being used by criminals like a
marketing tool. "Luckily their website was closed down just days after it was
launched." He added that he believed the gang had been active for only a few
months.
In 2001, Reuters reported: "Doctors in Vietnam are alarmed by a surge in
horrifically disfiguring acid attacks on women and have called for the crime to be
treated like murder, a state-run newspaper reported. The weekend edition of the
Phu Nu (Women) newspaper said there were 12 reported attacks involving
sulphuric acid in Ho Chi Minh City in the first two months of this year, mainly
provoked by sexual jealousy. It quoted Tran Doan Dao, a doctor at Ho Chi Minh
City's Cho Ray Hospital, as saying most of the victims were women. In such
attacks the highly corrosive acid is usually thrown in the face of the victim leaving
them horribly disfigured. The paper said the city had 33 reported acid attacks last
year and that as well as the high cost of treatment, the victims often need
psychological help. It said the price for 0.8 litre of acid was only about 2,200
Vietnamese dong (15 U.S. cents). The chief judge of the Ho Chi Minh City
People's Court, Bui Hoang Danh, told the paper that under prevailing law, acid
attacks carry a maximum sentence of 20 years for intentional wounding. Murder
carries a maximum penalty of death by firing squad. [Source: Reuters, March 26,
2001]

Multiple Murders and Serial Killers in Vietnam

In 2004, Reuters reported: "Vietnam is set to try a 48-year-old woman who
confessed to poisoning 13 people in what might be the country's first prosecution
of a serial killer. Le Thanh Van told police she used cyanide to murder her victims
— who included her mother-in-law and brother-in-law as well as her foster mother
— in order to steal their possessions, state media reported on Monday. The other
victims included Van's acquaintances as well as lovers. The killings took place
between 1998 and 2001, said the state-run Phap Luat (Law) newspaper. Police are
also investigating whether Van, a mother of two who did not work outside the
home, murdered her businessman husband. Serial killers are practically unheard of
in Vietnam, where newspapers have eagerly published accounts of Van's alleged
crimes. [Source: Reuters, August 23, 2004 /~/]
"The newspaper report said Van took all the victims to hospital after administering
the poison in an attempt to cover up her involvement. After the victims died, she
faked their wills and other documents to steal their possessions, estimated at a total
of 300 million dong ($19,073), the report said. Van will appear in a court in
southern province Binh Duong along with her boyfriend, who is 20 years younger
and who is accused of aiding her crime spree. They are charged with murder and
robbery, both punishable by death by firing squad." /~/
In 2002, Associated Press reported: "Police are searching for a mentally ill man
who stabbed seven people to death and wounded five in a rampage in northern
Vietnam. Police identified the assailant as Nguyen Tai Kiem, 44. They said he had
been diagnosed with mental illness a decade ago. He escaped after fatally attacking
a man, two women and four children in Bac Me District in Ha Giang province, 370
kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Hanoi, said a provincial policeman. He
wounded another three women and their two children, aged 2 months and 7 years.
The five were hospitalized in stable condition, he said. The victims were all Dao
ethnic minority. Police in Ha Giang and the neighboring province of Tuyen Quang
are still hunting for Kiem, the police official said. [Source: Associated Press,
December 24, 2002]

Internet Love Triangle Leads to Murder Plot in Vietnam

In 2002, Deutsche Presse Agentur, "A Vietnamese man rejected by a woman he
met in an Internet chat room hired two hitmen to kill his rival, whom the woman
also met in cyberspace, state media reported. Tran Hong Giang, 27, was arrested
and charged with conspiracy to murder, according to the daily Cong An Nhan dan
(People's Police) newspaper. The arrest came after two men attacked Nguyen Hai
Dang, 23, with knives as he was talking to his fiancee in Hanoi. Dang was
hospitalized with deep slashes to his face, arms and torso. Both men had developed
a relationship on the Internet with a young woman from the south central province
of Binh Thuan, the newspaper said, adding Giang occasionally travelled to Hanoi,
and would meet with both. [Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur, August 19, 2002
<>]
"The woman is very beautiful, and both men fell in love with her," the newspaper
said. Earlier in August, the woman accepted a job in Hanoi and both men proposed
to her. She chose Dang. An enraged Giang asked a friend to help him get revenge,
and the two hired hitmen who carried out the botched attack on Dang. 12. Giang,
who works for the Asian Institute of Technology, was arrested three days later. The
hitmen are still at large.

Pirate Attacks in Vietnam

The International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in
the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships;
numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and
while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in
East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast ad rift. [Source: CIA World
Factbook]
There is a lot of piracy off the southern coast Vietnam, especially where there are
conflicting territorial claims between Vietnam and Cambodia. Tran Dinh Thanh
Lam of Inter Press Service wrote: "As the number of incidents of armed pirates
attacking fishing boats in the sea southwest of Vietnam near the border with
Cambodia have increased, the country's coast guard have been scrambling to keep
the sea safe for fishermen. Nguyen Thanh Kiet was hijacked in July by armed
pirates off the Vietnamese coast. "We were operating offshore in Song Doc Sea
when 15 gunmen on a motorboat approached us and ordered us not to resist," said
Kiet, a fishing-boat owner in Vietnam's Ca Mau province. Unarmed, Kiet and his
crew could do nothing more than surrender. The bandits towed Kiet's fishing boat
to Hon Thom island near Cambodia, where they demanded ransom totaling
US$4,500. They never got the money and the episode ended with the pirates
sailing off with a 100-amp battery and 120 liters of gasoline from the fishing boat.
[Source: Tran Dinh Thanh Lam, Inter Press Service, November 12, 2002 **]
Between January and October 2002 "there were 14 cases of piracy on the Song
Doc Sea separating Ca Mau province and Cambodia," said Major Luu Hoang Ha,
chief of the coast guard post at Song Doc. According to locals, several organized
pirate groups dominate the local waters - some are from Cambodia but others come
from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. However, all claim to be the sole "power"
governing the seas. **
 "Indonesian pirates are the worst because they never ask for ransom. They simply
kill the crew and take their fishing facilities," said Tran Thuan, a 35-year-old
fisherman who in late August escaped one of the worst pirate attacks on record
here. "Fifteen masked gunmen on two motorboats landed on our boat, killed
Nguyen Van Be [the captain of the boat] and ordered us to jump off board," Tran
said. The bandits then tried to make their way to Cambodia on their boat but were
forced to abandon the ship when the engine broke down. **
"Pirates are adopting more and more violent tactics against fishing boats operating
along Vietnam's coast, especially on waters between Vietnam and Cambodia," said
Nguyen Van Chau, head of the Protection of Marine Resources Department under
the Ministry of Fisheries (MoF). "The situation has become especially critical in
the last seven years with at least 74 cases of piracy, eight people killed and 12
injured," he said, speaking at a seminar organized on October 28 in Hanoi to
review the protection of marine resources and the fishing industry in Vietnam. **
"However, observers believe Chau's figures to be overly conservative. According
to figures compiled from newspaper reports, during 2001 and the first two months
of 2002, there were 150 cases of fishing boats being attacked by pirates in offshore
Ca Mau province. Forty-five fishing boats were attacked by pirates operating
between Kien Giang province in Vietnam and Kep in Kampot province in
Cambodia during the first half of 2002, newspaper reports suggested. But only
three arrests for sea piracy were recorded during the same period according to
police and coast guard records.

Armament of Vietnam Police

Vietnam - Information and Communication Technologies

This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview
and trade data.

Overview
Vietnam’s ICT market is expected to continue its growth between 2018 and 2020,
due to the government’s desire to turn Vietnam into an ICT power. In 2015 and
2016, the government issued fourteen important documents including six
governmental degrees and eight Prime Minister decisions instructing Ministries
and provincial governments to promote the application and development of IT to
meet the objectives of sustainable economic growth and successful international
integration. A recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report shows that demand
in the ICT sector in 2017 was estimated to reach $12.7 billion and forecasted to
grow to $13.4 billion in 2018. To meet this market growth, Vietnam imports the
bulk of IT hardware and software, as Vietnamese manufacturers are still relatively
new and may not be able to offer the same range of solutions and services as
foreign suppliers. This trend is expected to continue and offers good opportunities
for U.S. suppliers.

Also per the EIU, spending on IT was estimated at $6.4 billion in 2017, and
forecasted to grow to $6.5 billion in 2018, an increase of 2.5 percent, a lower rate
compared to 8.1 percent growth in 2017 and 2016. In 2017, spending on IT
hardware continued to represent the largest share (88.8 percent) of total spending,
with software and services representing 4.6 percent and 6.6 percent of the market.
Key players in the hardware market include suppliers from Taiwan, China, the
U.S., and Japan. Major players in the software market include suppliers from the
U.S., Germany, China, Russia, and Vietnam. The World Economic Forum’s
Global Information Technology Report in 2016 ranked Vietnam at 79 of 139 in
Networked Readiness Index (NFI), an increase of 6 grades in comparison with
2015. In addition, as Vietnam has become a member of ASEAN’s Economic
Community, enterprises are expected to increase spending to upgrade their IT
infrastructure to improve their operational efficiency and business competitiveness.

Telecommunications
Total telecom service revenue in 2017 was expected to reach $6.9 billion. Mobile
data services own the major share (36.8 percent) of the sector. Viettel, Mobifone,
and VNPT-Vinaphone (all State-Owned entities or SOE’s) continue to dominate
Vietnam’s telecom market, with over 90 percent of the market share. Viettel is the
largest player and is forecast to be the market leader through 2020. As of October
2016, these three major operators had been granted 4G/LTE licenses, and 4G
service began in Vietnam in 2017.

Mobile Phone Networks

At present, there are five mobile operators in Vietnam; VNPT-Vinaphone,
Mobiphone, Viettel, Vietnammobile, and Gtel. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of
Information and Communications, there were 128 million mobile phones
subscribers, of which, 63 million were Viettel, 34.6 million Mobiphone, 20.5
million VNPT-Vinaphone, 5.9 million Gtel, and 3.6 million Vietnammobile.

Telephone Main Lines

According to EIU, there were over 14 million land telephone lines in Vietnam in
2017, an increase of 6.3 percent y-o-y.

Internet
As of 2017, the number of fixed broadband internet subscribers was 11.5 million,
while the number of mobile broadband internet users via 3G network is nearly 47.2
million. Per Business Monitor International, the internet market in Vietnam is
forecasted to grow at an annual pace of 9 percent for the next few years due to the
strong growth of applications, e-commerce, and internet TV.

Leading Sub-Sectors

Smart Cities
From 2010 to 2015, urbanization in Vietnam grew at 3.4 percent per year, and
currently one in three Vietnamese people live in urban areas. The United Nations
projects that half of the Vietnamese will live in cities by 2040, placing an
increasing burden on municipalities. Ho Chi Minh City is already outpacing
population growth predictions with 12 million residents in 2017 and an urban
density comparable to Tokyo. Hanoi is also rapidly growing with over 8 million
residents. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and many smaller Vietnamese cities are already
experiencing the challenges associated with rapid urbanization, including
delivering basic city services, constructing public transportation systems,
delivering safe potable water, improving waste management, and ensuring food
safety. Vietnamese governments at both central and city levels have established
their strong support of smart city development in Vietnam to help improve services
to the growing urban areas while reducing or maintaining costs.
The governments in each city are exploring intelligent traffic solutions to manage
traffic flows and reduce the growing air pollution problem. Both cities will need to
invest in urban planning to better utilize their road resources as people transition
from motorbikes to cars. Ho Chi Minh City has the added challenge of urban
flooding during the rainy season. Many cities are proposing developing e-
government solutions to better manage city services and increase transparency.
Danang recently completed the first stage in its city-wide IT infrastructure project
that built new data warehouses and installed Wi-fi access points across the city of
1.5 million residents.

The growing Internet and mobile phone penetration is helping to drive smart city
development and e-government solution deployment. It is estimated that 52 percent
of the population uses the internet. The country has 128 million mobile phone
subscribers. Significant financing support provided by international donors, like
the World Bank, is behind some of the growth in this area. As the Vietnamese
government continues to encourage and facilitate public-private partnerships in
urban infrastructure projects, more funding will become available for the
development of smart cities in the larger cities.

Due to their state-of-the-art technology, lifecycle cost efficiency, and customer

support services, U.S. suppliers have significant opportunities to sell their products
to several market segments in Vietnam. The segments of vertical industry markets,
including education, electricity, healthcare, transport, and water/wastewater, all
present good opportunities. These sub-sectors will offer potential for U.S. suppliers
of servers, network equipment, cybersecurity equipment and software, and
application software including Customer Relations Management (CRM), and
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

e-Commerce
Vietnam is estimated to have over 50 million internet users in 2018, 91% of the
population possess smart phones, and an average Internet access of 25 hours/week,
makes this a potentially ideal market for e-Commerce. In fact, the market has
raised the interest of many e-Commerce tycoons in the world. Alibaba has invested
over $2 billion into Lazada, a popular e-Commerce site in Vietnam, owning over
83% of the firm.

Mobile Phones
Coupled with growing e-commerce and over-the-top applications, the rising
income of the tech-savvy population in Vietnam is expected to drive the market for
mobile phones at an estimated 12-13 percent from 2015 to 2018. The major
suppliers of mobile phones in Vietnam include Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Asus,
Sony, HTC and Oppo.

Cyber Security Equipment and Software

After Vietnam Airlines’ computer system was hacked and the personal information
of some 400,000 of its customers was published online in July 2016, and the
international ransomware attack in May 2017, the Vietnamese government and its
enterprises have increasingly paid attention to cyber security. U.S. suppliers of
cyber security equipment and software are expected to see market opportunities as
virtually all mobile operators and internet service providers in Vietnam are
increasingly making investments to protect and keep their customers. All mobile
phones users are required to register with the government through one of the state-
owned companies.

Opportunities
The U.S. Commercial Service along with well-known U.S. information and
communication technology (ICT) companies, have organized several smart city
conferences in Vietnam. These companies are introducing smart city technologies
and solutions to Vietnamese authorities and municipalities while at the same time
educating them on the benefits of applying smart technology to planning and
managing infrastructure and providing better public services.
U.S. suppliers will continue to find significant business opportunities between
2017 and 2020 as the government and businesses are modernizing their IT
infrastructure. The following large-scale projects will present high-value
opportunities for U.S. suppliers.

 Da Nang City’s Sustainable City Development Project, $272.2 million

 Digitization of Vietnam’s Broadcast Industry, $200 million, 2015-2020
 Five Prime Minister-approved hospital projects: Bach Mai (Ha Nam
province), Viet Duc (Ha Nam Province), Oncology 2 (HCMC), Pediatrics
(HCMC), and Military Hospital 175’s Trauma and Orthopedics Center
(HCMC)
 HCMC’s Flood Risk Management Project, $435 million, 2016-2020
 HCMC’s Green Transport Development Project, $124 million, 2015-2019
 Saigon Water Corporation’s ICT Upgrade Project, $27 million (phase 1) and
$50 million (phase 2)
 Secondary Cities Development Program (Green Cities), $176 million
  Strengthening Sustainable Urban Transport for Hanoi Metro Line 3, $53
million Da Nang City’s E-Government Phase 2 Project, $60 million
 Urban Environment and Climate Change Adaptation Project, $140 million
 Water Sector Investment Program PFR4, $235 million

Singapore recently took the initiative to establish the ASEAN Smart Cities
Network (ASCN), which is envisioned as a collaborative platform where cities
from each ASEAN nation work towards the common goal of smart and sustainable
urban development. For Vietnam, the three participating cities are Hanoi, Ho Chi
Minh City, and Danang. The collaborative platform aims to facilitate cooperation
on smart cities development, catalyze bankable projects with the private sector, and
secure support from ASEAN’s external partners.

THE OFFICE OF INVESTIGATION POLICE AGENCY

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM

The Viet Nam People’s Police Force (PPF) is part of the People’s Public Security
Forces (PPSF) of Viet Nam. During the past 70 years, the PPF has been trained
and cared for by the Communist Party, late President Ho Chi Minh and the
Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Consequently, the PPF have developed and
matured in all aspects of policing. They have successfully fulfilled their duty of
maintaining public safety and order and contributed to the process of building and
defending the Fatherland.

On 3rd February 1930, the Communist Party of Viet Nam was born, marking the
turning point of the revolutionary history of Viet Nam. At this time, the Party led
the people to conduct the NgheTinh Soviet Movement in 1930 - 1931, which
signaled the collapse of the colonial - feudalist government. During this time, the
‘Red Safeguard’ teams - the forerunner of thePPF, were established. They led the
way in the fight against terrorists and in suppressing revolutionary traitors in order
to maintain security and peace. On the 15th May 1945, the BacKy Party
Committee established ‘The Team Against Evils’ later renamed to ‘Viet Minh
Team’.
On the 19th August 1945, the first organization of the PPF was formed after the
success of the revolution. A number of key departments were established including
the Secret Service, the Police Service in the North, the Surveillance Service in the
Center, the ‘National Safeguard’ unit in the South as well as police departments in
almost every province. The intelligence services and the police forces made
considerable contributions towards the protection of the leaders of the Communist
Party, the State and President Ho Chi Minh himself as they moved from the safe
base in the Northern area to Ha Noi. They then cooperated with other forces to
provide security and protection for the historic Independence Day of the
Democratic Republic of Viet Nam on the 2nd September 1945.

In order to unify the nationwide forces, on the 21st February 1946, President Ho
Chi Minh signed Decree 23 which merged all Police Departments and Secret
Services into the Viet Nam Public Security Service (VNPSS). This was an
important historical milestone marking the growth of the PPSF in general and the
PPF, in particular. Although newly formed and lacking staff, capacity and
facilities, the PPF demonstrated absolute loyalty to the Party, to the motherland
and to the people. They overcame hardships and difficulties to fulfill all their
duties and won many outstanding victories. The most prominent of which
belonged to the VNPSS (including surveillance force and volunteer police) when
they attacked the headquarters of ‘the Viet Nam Nationalist Party’ at No 7 On
NhuHau street (now called Nguyen GiaThieu Street, Ha Noi) and dismantled a
conspiracy to cause rioting in the streets with the intention of overthrowing the
government.

In February 1953 President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 141/SL to upgrade the
VNPSS to the Sub-Ministry of Public Security (an organization headed by a Vice
Minister). This was in response to new requirements to protect national security as
well as maintaining public order and safety. This order identified its organizational
structure and included seven departments and divisions. One of these was the
Department of Security and Public Order Administration which was the
predecessor of the PPF.

At the session of the Government Council presided over by President Ho Chi Minh
from the 27th to 29th August 1953, the Sub-Ministry was upgraded to the
‘Ministry of Public Security’. As a result of the wars, the PPF suffered many
hardships and difficulties but gained many outstanding achievements which played
an important part in the protection of the young revolutionary government. In June
1956, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam issued Directive
30/CT-TW on the establishment of the PPF. Immediately afterwards, the Prime
Minister signed Decision 982/TT to establish the People's Police Department under
the MPS. This directive was signed to assist in the fight against criminals and
revolution traitors, to maintain public order and to support the Southern
battlefields. Recognizing the growth of the PPF, on the 20th July 1962, President
Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 34/LCT to announce the Ordinance that stipulated the
functions and responsibilities of the PPF and defined the ranks of commissioned
and non-commissioned officers in the PPF. This is an important event marking an
historical moment in the history of the PPF and demonstrates the trust and esteem
in which the PPF was held by the Communist Party, the Government and the
People.

On the 12th June 1981, after considering the new requirements of the country after
unification, the Prime Minister issued Decree 250/CP which defined the authority
and responsibilities of the Ministry of Interior (now the Ministry of Public
Security), including the General Department of Police (GDP). Right after that, the
Minister of Interior signed Decision 12-QD/BNV that prescribed the duties,
powers and structure of the GDP with 12 subordinate units. To meet the
requirements in different regions of the country, the GDP changed its
organizational structure four times to enhance its effectiveness in preventing
crime, combatting hostile enemies, maintaining political stability, as well as
ensuring public order and safety. In particular, the system employed by
investigation agencies at all levels is defined under the Ordinance of Criminal
Investigation Organization in 2004. Many functional units were established,
including: The Department of Police Politics, the Departmentof Logistics, the
Department of Police Archives (1987), the Viet Nam Interpol Office (1995), the
Department of Drug Crime Investigation (1997), the Standing Office on Drug
Control (1998), the Department of Environmental Police (2007), the Department of
High-Tech Crime Investigation (2010), the Department of Fugitive Pursuit (2010),
the Department of National Population Data Management (2012) and
the Department of Anti-Smuggling (2015).

Implementing the Party's new policies, the PPF actively drafted and recommended
many legal documents to the MPS leaders to improve and reform aspects of
policing to maintain public safety and order and to fight against crimes (especially
organized crime). In particular, in 2003 the PPF successfully explored the case
Truong Van Cam and his accomplices. This was a criminal organization operating
likes ’gangsters’ in Ho Chi Minh City. The Police force also investigated and
discovered many economic crime cases.
As the PPF has developed and grown, its achievements have been recognized by
the Party and the State of Viet Nam which has honored it with many remarkable
awards. These have included a Gold Star Order in 2003, Hero of People's Armed
Force in 2007, Ho Chi Minh Orders and thousands of prizes for both individuals
and groups of the PPF. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the PPF, the
State Council presented it with a commendation flag bearing the words ‘Viet Nam
Police: smart, brave, sacrifice for sake of the country, of the people’. This was not
only a great honor but also provided positive encouragement for the PPF of Viet
Nam.

Overview of the People’s Police Academy of Vietnam

The People’s Police Academy of Vietnam (PPA) was established in 1968

under the Ministry of Public Security. The Academy is operated under the national

tertiary education system. It is now being the largest police training institution of

the Vietnamese Police Force. The main tasks of the Academy are providing the

undergraduate, graduate courses for police officers; organizing specialized courses

for high-ranking police officers; and carrying out the international cooperation in

police training.

Undergraduate courses are provided for the police cadets in a 4-year training

program. At the graduation, the cadets are granted the Bachelor Degree and ranked

police second lieutenant. There are 7 majors for the cadets to choose at the

entrance examination, they are reconnaissance investigation, criminal

investigation, state management on security and order, forensic science, correction

and prison management, advisory and leadership, and foreign language.

 Graduate courses are provided for the police officers and other law

enforcement officers with the Master degree and Doctoral degree. There are two

specialties namely state management on security and order and criminology -

criminal investigation. Candidates for Master and Doctoral degree programs could

earn their diplomas in 2 years and 4 year respectively.

Specialized courses including title-based courses for provincial police

departments, police division chief and professional-based courses such as drug

control, human trafficking, money laundering courses… These training courses are

organized on the annual basis basing on the demand of the departments.

For the international police training cooperation, the Academy provides

undergraduate and graduate training for police force of Lao PDR and the Kingdom

of Cambodia. Specialized training courses are also provided under the bilateral

cooperation plan with the two above mentioned counterparts as well as others such

as Thai Royal Police Cadet Academy, Korea National Police University. The

Academy is currently running a join educations cooperation program with the

University of Maryland, USA.

Promote Policing Researching

Being the national leading police educating institution, PPA is assigned with

two roles, provide police training and carry out police researching. The academy

has two research centers namely Research Center for Criminology and Research

Center for Traffic Safety.

To help in enhancing capacity for the teaching staff, the academy puts into

its plan one of the important issue that is promote the teachers in doing scientific

research on various policing matters. Every year, many teachers from the academy

involve with the scientific research at the ministerial level and national level. The

participating in the researching programs helps the teaching staff at the academy to

build up the relationship between academic teaching and police researching. At the

same time, provide more opportunities for the teachers to enhance their researching

skills, further involving in police teaching and police policy maker.

The retirement age in Vietnam, currently 60 for men and 55 for women, may be

gradually raised to 62 and 60 respectively, the labor ministry has said in a new

proposal. The labor ministry suggested a step-by-step approach by adding six

months to the current retirement age every year starting from 2021.
 Recruitment of Teaching Staff

Teaching staff recruitment is considered as an important role in the PPA’s

development strategy. PPA is currently based on three sources of recruitment. The

first source is its graduated police students. The students who have high study

results would be invited to become police teacher at the academy. They will be

provided with further training including teaching skills and strengthening their

knowledge gradually. The second source is the experts from civil sector, which

involving in the police career such as law, informatics, technology, etc. After being

recruited, they will be provided further training on policing and professional skills

needed for the police officers. The third source is staff of the public security sector.

They recruitment would be law enforcement officers who are capable and willing

to work for the police force as a teacher. They would be also provided with further

training so as to help them in fulfilling the requirements for the professional police

teachers. The diversity in the recruitment sources has facilitated PPA in developing

strong group of teaching staff on its development process.

In order to ensure the quality of recruitment, all the rules set out by the

Ministry of Public Security and by PPA are strictly applied during the recruitment

process. In order to become a police teacher, the applicants have to be assessed by

the Board of Recruitment comprised experience experts. Besides reviewing the

necessary knowledge for the police teacher, they would consider various criterions

such as inter-personal skills, appearances, etc.

 Comparative
Models in
Policing
(Vietnam)
Daria, Jun Carlo T.
BSCRIM-2112
PROF/RET.POLICE MAJOR
Rodolfo Aguilar