VietNamNet Bridge – Overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs and intellectuals who returned home to attend the conference of the Vietnam Fatherland Front last week expected that the Constitution more strongly protect their freedom of business and research in Vietnam.

Conference launches public poll on Constitution

Dr. Nguyen Trong Binh, Vietnamese American, said that the Constitution should provide stronger protection for academic freedom...

Ms. Phan Bich Thien, a Vietnamese in Hungary, expressed her appreciation for the collection of overseas Vietnamese’s opinion on the draft amendment of the 1992 Constitution.

"Inviting overseas Vietnamese to contribute opinions on the draft amended Constitution is an important thing, which show that the State sees overseas Vietnamese is an inseparable part of the nation and it is a step forward in the great national unity," she said.

She welcomed the revised draft Constitution’s provision on "the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam protects Vietnamese citizen in foreign countries."

However, this business woman wondered: Article 18 of the draft states that "The citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are people who have Vietnamese nationality" is progress regardless of their residence, but the provisions on the election and running for the election to the National Assembly, the People's Council is not specified for the case of Vietnamese citizens residing abroad, causing difficulties in the practical implementation.

Mr. Bui Dinh Dinh, former Vietnamese Ambassador in Russia, currently the Vice President and General Secretary of the Overseas Vietnamese Business Association, noted the provisions "Vietnamese citizen cannot be deported from the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to deliver to other countries."

According to him, in fact there are many cases where Vietnamese citizens with foreign nationality, residing there, but when they violate the law, they flee to Vietnam.

"The editors should consider fitting the practices and international laws and regulations. Such a hard provision may make it difficult for both sides and make Vietnam stands against the international practices," Mr. Dinh said.

Businessman Nguyen Tai Phuong, Vietnamese American.

Businessman Nguyen Tai Phuong, Vietnamese American, proposed: "The State shall protect the rights of the Vietnamese people residing in foreign countries participating in the study of science, technology, construction and development of the country."

Dr. Nguyen Trong Binh, Vietnamese American, said that the Constitution should provide stronger protection for academic freedom, to facilitate overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to organize workshops and seminars in the country, contributing to the scientific, history, legal basis... for the national construction and protection of territorial sovereignty.

Nguyen Hoai Bac, Vietnamese Canadian, said the draft provision on "The overseas Vietnamese community is an inseparable part of the Vietnamese people" is not shown the importance of expatriates.

He suggested changing that provision into: "Overseas Vietnamese directly investing in Vietnam in accordance with the provisions of the law are entitled to the rights and obligations as citizens of Vietnam."

Chung Hoang