Former may of Ho Chi Minh to stand trial as anti-corruption drive sweeps Vietnam
Today begins the ten-day corruption trial of Dinh La Thang, a former Vietnamese Politburo member and executive at the state-owned oil company PetroVietnam.
Previously sentenced to 13 years in prison after a separate trial in January, Thang’s fall from power is part of conservative Prime Minister Nguyen Pho Trong’s crackdown on large-scale government corruption. Last year more than 50 corporate executives were arrested, along with dozens of journalists and critics.
Although the anti-corruption campaign has brought Vietnam’s persistent problem of corruption into the spotlight, it has also rid the ruling party of its opposition. With Trong’s hold over the government now stronger than ever, many accuse him of having used the campaign as a guise to purge his rivals—much like Xi Jinping’s efforts in China.
With Thang facing trial and arrests still being made, Trong will likely continue to secure his position this year. Although suspicions of infighting may decrease investor confidence, expect the government to continue its economic liberalisation and further divest from its state-owned enterprises.
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