Hoàng Minh Chính
Encyclopedia
Hoàng Minh Chính also Trần Ngọc Nghiêm, was a Vietnamese
politician
and dissident
. He was one of the best-known figures and ideologists of the Vietnamese Communist Party during the 1960s and held several key governmental positions. In the late 1960s, he criticized decisions made by his own party and was sent to jail three times.
during the late 1950s.
He was opposed to any military action against the southern half of Vietnam during the Vietnam War
and called for more democratic procedures within the ranks of the party. He would later become a member and the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Vietnam
until it was dissolved in 1986 (together with Socialist Party, the other legal 'non-communist' party in Vietnam).
In 1967, Hoang wrote a 200-page document criticizing the policies made by the Communist Party and was jailed twice for a total of eleven years and was under house arrest until 1990. However, he criticized once more his party and he was jailed for a third time in 1995 and remained under house arrest until his death. Despite constant government surveillance and his house arrest, he would continue to be involved in pro-democracy movements during the late 1990s.
In June 2006, he reactivated the Democratic Party of Vietnam
.
to receive treatment for pancreatic cancer and was able to return to Vietnam despite opposition from the media after he made a speech in Congressional Committee at the United States House of Representatives
on the situation in Vietnam
and his criticism of the country repression on pro-democracy activists and its human rights record. After his return to Vietnam, there were reports that groups attacked him at his home. Briefly he returned as a member of the DPV.
on February 7, 2008, aged 85, on the first day of the Tet Lunar New Year
.
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
. He was one of the best-known figures and ideologists of the Vietnamese Communist Party during the 1960s and held several key governmental positions. In the late 1960s, he criticized decisions made by his own party and was sent to jail three times.
Early life
Hoang was born in 1922 in the province of Nam Ha and joined the communist revolution in 1937. He was later trained in politics in the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the late 1950s.
Political career
From 1960 to 1967, he was named during his political tenure in various key positions inside the government including vice-minister of education and director of the Marxist Institute of Philosophy.He was opposed to any military action against the southern half of Vietnam during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and called for more democratic procedures within the ranks of the party. He would later become a member and the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Vietnam
Democratic Party of Vietnam
The Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified...
until it was dissolved in 1986 (together with Socialist Party, the other legal 'non-communist' party in Vietnam).
In 1967, Hoang wrote a 200-page document criticizing the policies made by the Communist Party and was jailed twice for a total of eleven years and was under house arrest until 1990. However, he criticized once more his party and he was jailed for a third time in 1995 and remained under house arrest until his death. Despite constant government surveillance and his house arrest, he would continue to be involved in pro-democracy movements during the late 1990s.
In June 2006, he reactivated the Democratic Party of Vietnam
Democratic Party of Vietnam
The Democratic Party of Vietnam was a political party in North Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was founded on 30 July 1944 to unite petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. It joined Vietminh. From 1954 to 1975, it was active in North Vietnam and from 1975 to 1988 in the re-unified...
.
Later life
In 2005, he began to experience health problems. In a surprise move from the government, he was allowed to go to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to receive treatment for pancreatic cancer and was able to return to Vietnam despite opposition from the media after he made a speech in Congressional Committee at the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on the situation in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and his criticism of the country repression on pro-democracy activists and its human rights record. After his return to Vietnam, there were reports that groups attacked him at his home. Briefly he returned as a member of the DPV.
Death
He died at his home in HanoiHanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
on February 7, 2008, aged 85, on the first day of the Tet Lunar New Year
Tet
Tet can mean:*Tết or Tết Nguyên Đán, the Vietnamese new year**Tet Offensive, a military campaign that began in 1968*Têt in Roussillon, France*Equal temperament, abbreviated as 12-TET, 19-TET and so on...
.