INTRODUCTION

Economically, Vietnam is introducing a market economy, but politically it holds fast to socialism. Therefore organizations outside the government are placed under the guidance of either the government or the Communist Party, and such being the case, one would expect that basically neither the non-governmental organization (NGO) concept nor NGO activities could exist. But in fact international NGOs constitute the heart of the NGO sector and play a sustaining role in Vietnam's social development. Why and how does Vietnam accept and host international NGOs? The answer to this question reveals the relationship between the state and NGOs in this country.

THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL NGOs IN VIETNAM

Before Vietnam's Unification (up to 1975)

Activities by international NGOs in Vietnam go back to the days of the Vietnam War, before North-South unification. International NGOs were active in both the former North Vietnam and South Vietnam during the resistance to the United States in this war, which was also known as the Second Indochina War. When the country was still split into North and South, the activities of international NGOs in North Vietnam, a socialist country under the leadership of the late Ho Chi Minh, consisted of the same kind of humanitarian aid conducted even now in regions with conflicts and other disturbances. Those activities did not go beyond sending in relief supplies, providing special donations, and the like, and had hardly any influence either politically or economically. By contrast, international NGO activities had a major influence in South Vietnam under the Ngo Dinh Diem government, said to be an American puppet regime, and the U.S.-supported free economy. American NGOs in particular received enormous sums of money from their backers in the United States and carried out development assistance programmes in South Vietnam.

Building of a Socialist State (1976–86)

But a momentous change occurred when the Vietnam War ended in 1975. The official unification of Vietnam's northern and southern parts in June 1976 also unified the activities of international NGOs, but that turned into a major trial for them.