Vietnam - Between communism and capitalism | DW Documentary

With its booming economy, Vietnam is considered Asia's next tiger economy. Since the communist government decided to replace Marxism with capitalism, the country has undergone a transformation.

Vietnam has a growing number of millionaires, and signs of growth are everywhere. But this prosperity comes at a price: anyone who dares to criticize the official policy of the Communist Party risks losing everything.

The only political organization permitted under the Vietnamese constitution is the Communist Party. It has over 5 million members, but the real power lies with the Central Committee, headed by General Secretary To Lam.

One of the richest women in the country is Le Hoang Diep Thao, aka the "Queen of Coffee.” She proudly shows us around her plantations. But she does not own any of this fertile land: Because there is no private ownership of land in Vietnam, she leases it from the government. If she were to criticize their policies, she could lose everything.

In 2017, Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton was arrested by the police. After a sham trial, he was sentenced to 12 in prison for "propaganda against the state.” His real crime was attempting to defend individual freedoms and human rights. His health has deteriorated dramatically in prison.

While most political opponents have sought asylum abroad, some children of Vietnamese migrants are returning. Anthony TK Nguyen, an American of Vietnamese descent, has returned to his homeland with his brother to try his luck there. In Nha Trang, a popular seaside resort, he runs one of the hottest nightclubs around - and hopes to profit from the economic boom.

The documentary looks at the meteoric rise of Vietnam — a country currently performing a difficult balancing act between capitalist ambitions and communist-style control.

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