Thirty-three years after the war, how is live in Vietnam, despite so call: social-economic renovation policies "doi moi", there is a high percentage of Vietnamese people dissatisfaction with the county heading. Vietnamese in Vietnam has been waiting for improvement in standard living. The communist government is corrupted making lives more miserable for the people still stuck in Vietnam. After 1975 refugees were only the beginning, over the next 33 years, estimated more than 3 million people whom Vietnam, Laos and Cambodian including ~2 million Vietnamese Land refugee, Boat people, and H.O people have found United State, Australia, Canada and other Western countries as their adopted countries and many had lost their lives during deadly journey. Vietnamese refugees escaped Vietnam and left everything back in Vietnam and to search for freedom 8000 miles away. When they arrive to the new land with empty handed. We had to work hard despite all the struggling in their second homeland. The Vietnamese communities starting to build their lives and they never forget where they come from. Even though, they live in another countries, they never forget their customs, and who they are. Little Saigon in Orange county California is just one of the examples of Vietnamese far away from their homeland but every hearts of Vietnamese in America wants to keep their tradition and customs alive. Click here for more pictures Many Vietnamese who fled the communist regime and rebuilt their lives in the United States California. Most of Vietnamese still have the memories of hardship and angry against the North Vietnam communist because of the communist, more than 2 millions of Vietnam people had to flee their homeland to live in another countries and many lost their lives in the journey for freedom and democracy. The Vietnamese communities are still anger at the communist because the communist has taken their freedom away and dignities away. After 33 years, why the Vietnamese people who live in Vietnam are still struggling to make a standard living. Despite Vietnam economy has grown rapidly, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year 2007 was 8.5%, reached the highest level for the last 10th years. GDP for Tourism has increased to the highest level since the last 10 years to 8.7 % GDP, Constructions and manufacturing has increased 10.6%. Compared with many of its neighbors, Vietnam suffered three 'lost decades' of economic development due to war. But it is catching up fast. Notwithstanding a hiccup following the 1997 Asian economic crisis, Vietnam has boomed since the CPV turned away from communist economic policies and central planning in the late 1980s under its 'doi moi' (renovation) policy. Vietnam is now among the fastest-growing economies in Asia with a consistently high GDP growth rate of around 8% in recent years (8.48% in 2007). Vietnam's GDP from from 2003 to 2008 has been declined rapidly.  Please Click Here for PDF file. However, 2008 has been a challenging year so far, with inflation hitting 26% in the first half.  This is a result of both short-sighted domestic macroeconomic policies, and global economic turbulence.  Inefficient state-owned enterprises, and poor domestic investment by government remains a concern.  Reform of state-owned enterprises, to place them on a sounder economic footing, is happening - but slowly. Large amounts of lending by state-owned banks to unreformed state-owned enterprises has resulted in large numbers of non-performing loans on their balance sheets. Long term investors maintain that Vietnam's long term prospects are good, providing the government sticks to its reform plans, overcomes skills and infrastructure challenges, and tackles corruption. Vietnamese American and Vietnamese around the world are beginning to see opportunities in their home country; people invest, starting humanitarian organizations to improve the lives of who still live in Vietnam. No matter what happened to the war, Vietnamese refugee, specially Vietnamese American and have played very important jobs to improve the lives of their fellow Vietnamese currently live in Vietnam. Last year, Vietnamese American sent more than 4 million dollars to their homeland to help their families. Tourism is also play an important factor to improve the economy in Vietnam.  Complete Profile about Vietnam   Area: 331,689 km2 Population: 83 million Capital City: Hanoi (population 3.5 million) Largest City: Ho Chi Minh City (population 7.8 million) People: Kinh Vietnamese 85%, plus 53 other ethnic groups Languages: Vietnamese, minority languages Religion(s): mainly Buddhism, also Catholicism, Protestantism, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao religions Currency: Vietnamese Dong Major political parties: Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Government: Vietnam is a one-party communist state, led by a triumvirate of CPV General Secretary Mr Nong Duc Manh, State President Mr Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Mr Nguyen Tan Dung Foreign Minister: Mr Pham Gia Khiem Membership of international groupings/organisations: Vietnam is a member of the United Nations (currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Non-Aligned Movement, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). ECONOMY Basic economic facts (for 2007 - based on official statistics) GDP: US$70 billion GDP per head: approx. US$830 Annual Growth: 8.17% Annual growth target for 2008 reduced from 8.5% to 7% Inflation: 12.6% in 2007. In the first half of 2008, inflation reached 26%. Major exports: oil and gas, textiles, footwear, seafood, rice, coffee Exchange rate: £1 = approx 25,000 Vietnam Dong (January 2009) (In May 2008 £1 = approx 31,000 Vietnam Dong) Compared with many of its neighbours, Vietnam suffered three 'lost decades' of economic development due to war. But it is catching up fast. Notwithstanding a hiccup following the 1997 Asian economic crisis, Vietnam has boomed since the CPV turned away from communist economic policies and central planning in the late 1980s under its 'doi moi' (renovation) policy. Vietnam is now among the fastest-growing economies in Asia with a consistently high GDP growth rate of around 8% in recent years (8.48% in 2007). However, 2008 was a challenging year, with inflation hitting 26% in the first half: a result of both domestic macroeconomic policies, and global economic turbulence. Inefficient state-owned enterprises and poor domestic investment remains a concern.  Reform of state-owned enterprises, to place them on a sounder economic footing, is happening - but slowly. Large amounts of lending by state-owned banks to unreformed state-owned enterprises has resulted in large numbers of non-performing loans on their balance sheets. Long term investors maintain that Vietnam's long term prospects are good, providing the government sticks to its reform plans, overcomes skills and infrastructure challenges, and tackles corruption. HISTORY History since 1945 During World War II, Japanese forces displaced the French colonial rulers of Vietnam. Following Japan's surrender, the Viet Minh, a communist-dominated nationalist grouping under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, stepped into the power vacuum and proclaimed Vietnam's independence in September 1945. The French tried to re-establish their authority over Vietnam, however, and fighting erupted between their forces and the Viet Minh. Following their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the French agreed at the 1954 Geneva Conference to withdraw. Vietnam was effectively divided into a communist-controlled North (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and a Western-backed South (the Republic of Vietnam). After the South reneged on an agreement to hold nation-wide elections, the North began to strengthen the communist movement in the South with the aim of achieving national re-unification. The South became increasingly dependent on the USA. The US began direct military intervention in the early 1960s and increased its commitment in Vietnam as the war escalated, reaching over 500,000 US troops in 1968. Withdrawal began thereafter due to lack of military success and domestic US opposition to the war. The US and North Vietnam finally reached a peace agreement in Paris in 1973. At this point, many Western countries, including the UK, established full diplomatic relations with North Vietnam. The civil war continued, however, and in 1975 the southern forces were defeated. Vietnam was formally re-unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976 and admitted into the UN in 1977. But national re-unification did not lead to peace and stability. Relations with Cambodia's Khmer Rouge government and their Chinese backers soon deteriorated. After a series of provocative border incidents, Vietnam sent troops to Cambodia in 1978, removed Pol Pot's regime and installed a friendly government. Vietnam's intervention was widely condemned internationally. China launched a short punitive invasion into northern Vietnam in 1979, although quickly withdrew. Conflict in Cambodia continued into the 1980s as Vietnamese forces and their Cambodian allies faced attack from Khmer Rouge guerrillas. Vietnam endured a period of international isolation, supported only by the Soviet Union and its allies. Vietnamese forces finally withdrew from Cambodia in 1989. Vietnam's economy, sapped by over 30 years of war, was further weakened by the disastrous introduction of Soviet-style collectivist economic policies after reunification. As Vietnam neared economic collapse, hundreds of thousands of refugees (the 'Vietnamese Boat People') fled in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Vietnam's government, faced also with declining Soviet aid, was forced to make a drastic change in economic direction. In 1986, Vietnam introduced a ground-breaking new economic programme called 'doi moi' (renovation), which slowly introduced liberal market principles and set the foundations for today's rapid economic growth in Vietnam. Following formal settlement of the Cambodian conflict at the 1991 Paris Conference, Vietnam's international isolation ended. Vietnam normalised relations with China in 1991, with Japan in 1993 and (finally) with the US in 1995 - the same year Vietnam became a member of ASEAN. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Following years of isolation, Vietnam has sought to reach out and rejoin the world since the early 1990s. Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995 and, in 2004, hosted the Fifth Asia-Europe Meeting of world leaders in Hanoi. Vietnam hosted the APEC Summit in November 2006 and joined the WTO in January 2007. Vietnam took its place on the Security Council in January 2008, a seat it will hold for two years. Vietnam's relations with its neighbours Vietnam's relations with their largest neighbour, China, are complex. One thousand years of Chinese rule of what is now northern Vietnam, ending in the 10th century, had a deep impact on Vietnamese culture and the Vietnamese psyche. In recent times, the political relationship has swung back and forth, from Chinese support for Ho Chi Minh during the war against the French to a short Chinese invasion of northern Vietnam in 1979. Communist solidarity between the two nations still sometimes takes a back seat to narrow national interests. Sovereignty over the Spratley Islands in the South China Sea and border disagreements continue to lead to occasional incidents - including rare, small-scale demonstrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at the end of 2007. Vietnam enjoys close political relations with its former allies and fellow ASEAN members in the governments of Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam's relations with the US The Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the US established diplomatic relations in 1995. Following a visit by President Clinton and the signing of a US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement shortly thereafter, bilateral relations appeared to take off. The relationship was further strengthened by a landmark visit to the US by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in July 2005 and, more recently, Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet paid an official visit to the US in June 2007 and Prime Minister Dung visited in June 2008. There remain irritants, however, notably trade disputes and human rights. Many US-based NGOs and Vietnamese-Americans are vocal in their criticism of Vietnam's human rights record. US-Vietnam cooperation on the search for US MIAs (soldiers missing-in-action) is good. US President George W. Bush visited Vietnam for the APEC Summit in November 2006. Vietnam's relations with the UK The UK has had a diplomatic presence in Hanoi, now capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, for nearly 60 years. We opened a Consulate in Hanoi in 1946, which was upgraded to a Consulate-General in 1954. It remained open throughout the American war (at the same time, a British Embassy was also open in what was then Saigon, capital of South Vietnam). Following the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1973, our Consulate-General in Hanoi was upgraded to an Embassy. As well as an Embassy, we now have a Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), British Council offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and a DFID office in Hanoi. The UK/Vietnam bilateral relationship has developed greatly since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1973, and now encompass a wide-range of issues, including high-level political contacts, through growing trade and investment links, cooperation against terrorism, international crime and illegal migration, education, to a fast growing DFID development assistance programme. In May 2004, Mr Tran Duc Luong, the then President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, paid the first official visit by a Vietnamese Head of State to the UK. This historic visit marked a new high point in the relationship between the UK and Vietnam. The first-ever visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the UK took place in March 2008, which was a great success and laid a firm foundation for further UK- Vietnam cooperation.  At their meeting in London on 5 March 2008, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Gordon Brown agreed to work together on five priority areas: trade and investment; development (including good governance, accountability and rule of law issues); international issues (including reform of international architecture, Security Council co-operation and climate change); education and tackling illegal migration and organised crime. In October 2004, the British Deputy Prime Minister Rt. Hon John Prescott MP - the most senior representative of the British Government to pay an official visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – made his second visit to Vietnam to represent the UK at the ASEM V Summit of Asian and European leaders. In June 2006, HRH The Duke of York made his second visit Vietnam, in his capacity as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment. Bill Rammell, UK Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education visited Vietnam with a delegation of University and College leaders in February 2007. Parliamentary under Secretary of State for International Development, Shahid Malik, visited Vietnam in September 2007 to review DFID’s expanding programme. The Secretary of State for for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, John Hutton, visited in June 2008.  HRH the Duke of York visited and the Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, both visited  in September 2008.   Inter-parliamentary links are also growing. In September 2004, the newly-formed British All-Party Parliamentary Group visited Vietnam. In March 2005, Mr Nguyen Van An, then President of the Vietnamese National Assembly, consolidated inter-parliamentary links with visits to Westminster and the Welsh Assembly. The Deputy Leader of the House of Commons Mr Nigel Griffiths MP visited Vietnam in October 2006. Most recently, in October 2007, seven members of the British All-Party Parliamentary Group visited Vietnam, when they met with the newly-elected Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly. UK Development Assistance Vietnam is among the poorest countries in the world with GDP per head of around US$833 as of 2007. Its economy is still largely agricultural, with about two thirds of the population dependent upon agriculture for a living. However, Vietnamis a development success story. The Government has made poverty reduction a central development goal since introducing its 'doi moi' (renovation) economic policy in 1986. The proportion of people Vietnam living in poverty decreased from 58% in 1993 to 15% in 2007. Poverty has fallen across Vietnam, although less so in the mountainous ethnic minority areas in the Central and North West Highlands. The UK's bilateral development programme in Vietnam, implemented by DFID, began in 1992. In 2003, DFID established its own fully devolved office in Hanoi. Recognising Vietnam’s strong commitment to poverty reduction and Vietnam’s continued needs, the UK through DFID has signed a ten year Development Partnership Arrangement with the Government of Vietnam committing at least £50 million per year from 2006 to 2010 to help Vietnam reduce poverty further, as it becomes a middle income country. There is a unique opportunity to help Vietnam make the most of overseas aid before it becomes less important as a source of funding for public expenditure. Through our new Country Assistance Plan (2007-2011) the UK has committed to: • supporting Vietnam to implement its World Trade Organisation commitments while ensuring that the poor participate in opportunities provided by Vietnam’s integration into the global economy; • improving the quality and inclusiveness of services for the poor and vulnerable; • building on joint objectives with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to engage more effectively on governance, anti-corruption, rights and climate change; • assisting the Government in strengthening the financial system by providing technical advice on financial management and helping the Government tackle corruption; • helping the Government strengthen the impact of international aid, including the effectiveness of the UN and other international organisations; and • increasing its focus on monitoring, evaluation and results. DFID expects to scale back funding to Vietnam once the country officially achieves middle income country status around 2012 but  will continue to engage with Vietnam on the “beyond aid” agenda in close cooperation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Recent Visits High-level Visits to the UK 2004 5-8 March: Mr Vo Hong Phuc, Minister for Planning & Investment 3-6 May: Mr Le Van Bang, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs 22-26 May: Mr Tran Duc Luong, State President 6-9 September: Mr Le Hong An, Minister of Public Security 2005 6-9 March: Mr Le Duc Thuy, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam 19-23 March: Mr Nguyen Van An, President of the National Assembly 2006 1-4 September: Mr Le Hong Anh, Minister of Public Security 5-7 October: Mr Vo Hong Phuc, Minister for Planning & Investment 15-16 October: Dr Nguyen Thien Nhan, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education and Training 2007 1-4 February: Mr Vu Van Ninh, Minister of Finance 4-9 February:General Tran Van Thao, Police Commissioner 2008 5-3 March:  Mr Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister 16-20 June: Mr Ha Hung Cuong, Minister of Justice 16-20 June: Mr Pham Khoi Nguyen, Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Hoang Tuan Anh, Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism 7-10 October: Mr Pham Binh Minh, Standing Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs High-level Visits to Vietnam 2004 15-19 March: Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of the General Staff 16-18 March: Mr Mike O'Brien MP, Foreign Office & Trade Minister 20-24 September: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vietnam 7-9 October: Rt. Hon. John Prescott MP, Deputy Prime Minister 13-17 October: Mr Digby Jones, Director General, Confederation of British Industry 28-20 October: Mr Des Browne MP, Home Office Minister 2005 3-6 April: Rt. Hon. Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister of Wales 3-6 July: Alderman Michael Savory, Lord Mayor of the City of London 2006 5-7 June: HRH The Duke of York, UK Special Representative for International Trade & Investment 19 September: Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development. 29 October – 3 November: Mr Nigel Griffiths MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons 2007 6-7 February: Bill Rammell MP, UK Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education 28 - 30 August: Shahid Malik, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, DFID Hanoi 27 - 28 September: Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment 2008 2-3 June: John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 8-10 September: HRH Duke of York 11-13 September: Jack Straw MP, Secretary of State for Justice GEOGRAPHY In area, Vietnam is slightly larger than the UK and Ireland. It stretches 1,600km north to south, but is only 40km wide at its narrowest point in the centre. It is predominantly mountainous, with densely-populated fertile plains in the north and south around the Red River and Mekong deltas respectively. The Vietnamese consider that Vietnam has 3 regions, the north, the centre and the south. Spoken Vietnamese differs considerably between them. Vietnam’s 53 ethnic minorities are primarily concentrated in mountainous areas in the north and central highlands. Climate varies considerably from north to south, but is generally hot (bar a cool winter in the north), humid and – during rainy season – wet. TRADE AND INVESTMENT Trade and Investment with the UK UK - Vietnam trade has registered consistent double-digit growth over the past decade and currently stands at nearly £1 billion. In 2007, UK imports from Vietnam were valued at £793.9 million, while the UK’s exports to Vietnam were worth approximately £113 million. However, we envisage these figures to rise significantly when final figures for 2008 are in, exports possibly by as much as 33%. UK exports to Vietnam are, of course, supplemented by goods and services delivered via third countries. There is no UK measure of invisible earnings from Vietnam from the delivery of banking and financial services, which the UK plays a leading role. Major UK exports are in medicinal and pharmaceutical products, miscellaneous manufactured articles, leather, leather manufactures and dressed furskins, telecommunications and sound recording equipment plus professional, scientific and control instruments. Major imports from Vietnam include footwear, clothing and accessories and furniture. The value of UK investments across a range of sectors in Vietnam is approximately USD$1.4 billion. This makes theUK the 14th largest overall foreign investor as well as the 3rd biggest European investor in Vietnam. There are over 100 UK companies with registered offices in Vietnam, including Prudential (the largest foreign employer of Vietnamese workers), HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, BP, Shell and Tate & Lyle. UK Trade & Investment has two teams in Vietnam.  One is based in the British Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and the other in the British Embassy in Hanoi. They provide advice and assistance through a range of services to UK-based companies seeking to develop their business in Vietnam. UK Trade & Investment also provides advice to Vietnamese businesses on how to invest or set up a presence in the UK. POLITICS Political System Vietnam is a one-party state in which the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) decides all major policy issues, which are then implemented by the government. The country is led by a triumvirate of CPV General Secretary, State President and Prime Minister. Although the National Assembly is increasingly powerful, it remains firmly subordinate to the CPV. No legal opposition to the regime is permitted in Vietnam, but neither is there much sign of widespread popular opposition. The CPV still enjoys popular support following its success in defeating the French colonialist rulers, resisting American intervention, re-unifying the country, opposing Chinese encroachment and - most importantly - creating and maintaining peace and stability. In addition, liberal economic policies pursued since the late 1980s have delivered average GDP growth of around 8% in recent years and increasingly high living standards for most of the population. Vietnam's record on poverty reduction is excellent – the proportion of people living in poverty (under US$1 per day) has fallen from 58% in 1993 to 15% in 2007. For their part, the younger generation are greatly interested in their economic prospects, and are becoming increasingly vocal and open to debate. As Vietnam has opened to the world, ordinary people enjoy much more personal freedom on a day-to-day level than previously. But an ever-present, effective security apparatus keeps an effective watch on society. Elections There are no free elections in Vietnam. Candidates for election to the National Assembly and local People's Councils must in practice be approved by the CPV. There is, however, an increasing minority of elected representatives who are not CPV members. Vietnam's main legislative body is the National Assembly, which convenes twice per year. It has developed, in recent years, from little more than a 'rubber stamp' body to one increasingly able to scrutinise legislation and hold government to account. It has, on paper at least, wide powers over the state budget and its Members, 25% of whom are full time, are increasingly professional. Ultimately, however, the National Assembly remains firmly under the control of the CPV and thus is still far from being a proper democratic legislature. Elections to the 500-Member National Assembly are held every five years. The last election was in May 2007. Recent Political Developments In April 2006, the CPV convened its Tenth Party Congress, which set Vietnam's future direction and leadership until 2010. Vietnam joined the WTO in January 2007, which has brought both benefits and challenges for the government and the Vietnamese economy.  FDI and exports have grown, but post-WTO reforms have been slow and, as the economy has been exposed to increasing scrutiny and international competition.   In the biggest international event ever held in Vietnam, Vietnam was also host to the APEC Summit in November 2006 attended by Heads of State/Government including China, Russia and the United States. Vietnam successfully secured a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for a two-year term from January 2008/09, assuming Presidency of the Council for the month of July 2008. It will take up the Presidency role again in October 2009. The CPV has stated its wish to tackle the high level of corruption in Vietnam, which it perceives as a threat not only to economic growth but also to the popular legitimacy of the political system. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has declared corruption a top priority, establishing a new anti-corruption agency under his direction.  The Deputy Prime Minister has been tasked to lead the Government's anti-corruption effort. Following a major corruption scandal within the Ministry of Transport in 2006, involving accusations of embezzlement, bribery and nepotism, action by the authorities led to some high-level resignations and a number of arrests.  The Vice Minister of Transport, along with a number of officials were imprisoned, although some – including the Vice-Minister - have been released before completing their sentences.  In a recent development, two leading journalists were sentenced, along with two police officers, for their role in reporting on the case.  The international community expressed its strong concern over the arrests, and the signal this gave about the government’s commitment to tackle corruption and to improving media freedoms. Another major issue facing Vietnam is the under-development and high poverty in remote, ethnic-minority regions, and the flux of unregistered internal migrants flocking to major cities. Despite fast economic growth, poverty among some ethnic minority groups in remote areas remains far above the national average. Human Rights Human rights in Vietnam are an issue which have attracted considerable public attention from NGOs and Parliament in recent times. In its 2007 Annual Report on Human Rights, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office cited Vietnam as a country of particular human rights concern. Overall, the great majority of Vietnamese people enjoy greater security, prosperity and personal liberty than previously in their history. Vietnam has also made great strides in terms of economic and social rights over recent decades. However, notwithstanding gradual improvements over recent years, Vietnam’s record on civil and political rights remains poor. Restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of the media, freedom of religion and the continued application of the death penalty are particular causes for concern. There are tight controls on freedom of expression, including internet and media freedoms, in Vietnam. A number of dissidents have been imprisoned for expressing opinions (unwelcome to the government), often advocating multi-party democracy. Over 20 outspoken pro-democracy activists were arrested and imprisoned in early 2007.   All domestic media in Vietnam remains state controlled. However, the number of publications has rapidly expanded, internet use is growing steadily (20% of the population have access to the internet) and the increasingly vocal blogging community continues to grow.  Three main internet news sites exist, all of which remain state controlled.  Other websites, including discussion fora, are rapidly growing in number. Reporting on sensitive issues is not permitted, and remains subject to censorship and self-censorship.  Foreign journalists also face restrictions, with the government continuing to censor some foreign publications and news broadcasts, and blocking certain foreign websites.  The Government of Vietnam will be considering revisions to its media law, as well as new blogging regulations, in 2008.  The international community is engaging with them to encourage such regulations to promote, rather than restrict, further media development. Vietnam is thought to have among the highest execution rates per capita in the world. Death penalty statistics are officially secret, but – until recently - executions were thought to number around 80-100 per year. It is unknown whether recent falls in the number of executions reported in the state-controlled media reflect a real fall or just greater under-reporting. Most executions are for drug offences, but economic crimes (eg, corruption) may also attract the death penalty. There are concerns that Vietnam's legal system does not offer fair trials in many cases. In a positive move, Vietnamese Ministers have spoken of reducing use of the death penalty and, although there is no immediate prospect of abolition, several legal reform bills are currently passing through the National Assembly, including proposals to reduce the scope of death penalty application. While individuals, by and large, enjoy freedom of religion in Vietnam, there are restrictions on non-authorised religious groups. Non-recognised Protestant groups, particularly in the Northern and Central Highlands regions, have faced severe restrictions and – at times - repression. The leaders of the breakaway Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam remain under de facto house arrest. In positive (if modest) steps forward, a 2004 Ordinance on Belief & Religion sets out a legal framework for official recognition of religious groups, while restrictions on some Protestant groups have been eased. In November 2006, the US removed Vietnam from its list of Countries of Particular Concern on religious freedom. Vietnam has also started discussion with the Vatican on reestablishing diplomatic ties. The UK raises its human rights concerns with Vietnam both bilaterally and, with EU partners, through twice-yearly EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue meetings. The EU also maintains a List of Prisoners/Detainees of Concern, whose cases are brought up regularly with the Vietnamese authorities. We  seek to help Vietnam constructively improve its human rights performance through targeted project-work with Government and other state bodies. What is Human Rights? Human rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled. Examples of rights and freedoms which are often thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education. Human rights law is a system of laws, both domestic and international, designed to promote human rights. Human rights law is made up of various international human rights instruments - treaties which are intended to punish some violations of human rights such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. There are also a number of international courts which have been constituted to judge violations of human rights including the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court. An important concept within human rights law is that of universal jurisdiction. This concept, which is not widely accepted, is that any nation is authorized to prosecute and punish violations of human rights wherever and whenever they may have occurred.Some customary peremptory norms of human rights are also recognized, and these are considered binding on all nations, whether party to a human rights treaty or not Human rights law is related to, but not the same as International Humanitarian Law and Refugee Law.