Le Duc Anh
Encyclopedia
Lê Đức Anh is Vietnam
ese general and politician. He was president
from 1992 until 1997 after leading the Vietnamese forces in Cambodia
throughout the 1980s. He is regarded as conservative
and advocated maintaining tight party control over domestic policies.
He was born in Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province
.
.
As a general Le Duc Anh was the commander of the Vietnamese forces in the People's Republic of Kampuchea
in the 1980s. He formulated five key points for the defence of Cambodia against Khmer Rouge re-infiltration and was the architect of the unpopular K5 Plan
.
During his time as Defence Minister General he was already a major conservative voice in Vietnam's political system. In 1989, after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, he warned about the threat of the West undermining Vietnam's Communist Party, arguing for more army involvement in politics "at a time when Vietnamese socialism was under attack".
In 1991 (until 1993) Anh gained control over the policy towards Cambodia
and China
at the expense of foreign minister Nguyễn Cơ Thạch
and therefore was involved in the normalisation of Vietnam's relations with China in November 1991.
He is the first Vietnamese president to visit Beijing
in 38 years since an official visit in November 1993 to discuss economic relations and territorial disputes in the South China Sea
; however, consensus was achieved only on the former issue.
In September 1992 he was elected to the new post of state president, replacing a collective presidency. Although a mostly symbolic position, the presidency became much more important during his tenure.
Lê Đức Anh was the ideologically most conservative among the three political leaders during his tenure. Prime Minister
Võ Văn Kiệt
was associated with the reform camp and therefore often disagreed with Anh. Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Đỗ Mười was ideologically more flexible and effectively came to be seen as representing the middle ground between Anh and Kiệt, but seems to have tended towards conservative positions.
Anh's opposition to Kiệt's reform ambitions are part of a long-lasting rivalry. In 1991, Anh had joined Đỗ Mười to support him in his candidacy for party leadership against Võ Văn Kiệt
. The Kiệt camp later spread rumours about wrongdoings Anh was said to be involved in in Cambodia.
In mid-November 1996, he was hospitalized after a major stroke. This was at a time when the reform camp that he opposed was in decline and for some time his illness seemed to change the dynamics within the political leadership, weakening the conservative camp and reinvigorating the reform camp. However, Party leader Đỗ Mười led a counter-attack against the reform camp, warning of the dangers of the 'current market economy'. The conservative camp gained further momentum when President Anh surprisingly recovered in April 1997.
He stepped down as president in September 1997 after the Communist Party Congress and was replaced by Trần Đức Lương.
He was an Advisor of the Party's Central Committee from December 1997 to 2001.
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 –...
ese general and politician. He was president
President of Vietnam
The President of Vietnam is the head of state of Vietnam, although the functions of the President are often ceremonial...
from 1992 until 1997 after leading the Vietnamese forces in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
throughout the 1980s. He is regarded as conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
and advocated maintaining tight party control over domestic policies.
He was born in Phú Lộc District, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province
Thua Thien-Hue Province
Thừa Thiên-Huế is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quang Tri Provice to the north and Da Nang City to the south, Laos to the west and the South China Sea to the east. The province has 128 km of coastline, 22,000 ha of...
.
Military career
Le Duc Anh led Vietcong combat units during the Vietnam WarVietnam 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...
.
As a general Le Duc Anh was the commander of the Vietnamese forces in the People's Republic of Kampuchea
People's Republic of Kampuchea
The People's Republic of Kampuchea , , was founded in Cambodia by the Salvation Front, a group of Cambodian leftists dissatisfied with the Khmer Rouge, after the overthrow of Democratic Kampuchea, Pol Pot's government...
in the 1980s. He formulated five key points for the defence of Cambodia against Khmer Rouge re-infiltration and was the architect of the unpopular K5 Plan
K5 Plan
The K5 Plan, K5 Belt or K5 Project, also known as Bamboo Curtain, was an attempt between 1985 and 1989 by the government of the People's Republic of Kampuchea to seal Khmer Rouge guerrilla infiltration routes into Cambodia by means of trenches, wire fences, and minefields along virtually the entire...
.
Political career
Later he entered politics and he held a succession of government postsDuring his time as Defence Minister General he was already a major conservative voice in Vietnam's political system. In 1989, after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, he warned about the threat of the West undermining Vietnam's Communist Party, arguing for more army involvement in politics "at a time when Vietnamese socialism was under attack".
In 1991 (until 1993) Anh gained control over the policy towards Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
at the expense of foreign minister Nguyễn Cơ Thạch
Nguyễn Cơ Thạch
Nguyễn Cơ Thạch was a Vietnamese revolutionary, diplomat, and politician. He was Foreign Minister of Vietnam from February 1980 to July 1991.Thạch was seen as pragmatic and influential ....
and therefore was involved in the normalisation of Vietnam's relations with China in November 1991.
He is the first Vietnamese president to visit Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 38 years since an official visit in November 1993 to discuss economic relations and territorial disputes in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
; however, consensus was achieved only on the former issue.
In September 1992 he was elected to the new post of state president, replacing a collective presidency. Although a mostly symbolic position, the presidency became much more important during his tenure.
Lê Đức Anh was the ideologically most conservative among the three political leaders during his tenure. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Vietnam
-Office:The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the head of the executive branch of the Vietnamese government. The Prime Minister presides over the Vietnamese cabinet, and is responsible for appointing and supervising ministers...
Võ Văn Kiệt
Vo Van Kiet
Võ Văn Kiệt was a Vietnamese politician and statesman. He was a veteran fighter in the long war against French and then American military forces in South Vietnam, and lost his first wife and two children to US bombing...
was associated with the reform camp and therefore often disagreed with Anh. Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam , formally established in 1930, is the governing party of the nation of Vietnam. It is today the only legal political party in that country. Describing itself as Marxist-Leninist, the CPV is the directing component of a broader group of organizations known as the...
Đỗ Mười was ideologically more flexible and effectively came to be seen as representing the middle ground between Anh and Kiệt, but seems to have tended towards conservative positions.
Anh's opposition to Kiệt's reform ambitions are part of a long-lasting rivalry. In 1991, Anh had joined Đỗ Mười to support him in his candidacy for party leadership against Võ Văn Kiệt
Vo Van Kiet
Võ Văn Kiệt was a Vietnamese politician and statesman. He was a veteran fighter in the long war against French and then American military forces in South Vietnam, and lost his first wife and two children to US bombing...
. The Kiệt camp later spread rumours about wrongdoings Anh was said to be involved in in Cambodia.
In mid-November 1996, he was hospitalized after a major stroke. This was at a time when the reform camp that he opposed was in decline and for some time his illness seemed to change the dynamics within the political leadership, weakening the conservative camp and reinvigorating the reform camp. However, Party leader Đỗ Mười led a counter-attack against the reform camp, warning of the dangers of the 'current market economy'. The conservative camp gained further momentum when President Anh surprisingly recovered in April 1997.
He stepped down as president in September 1997 after the Communist Party Congress and was replaced by Trần Đức Lương.
He was an Advisor of the Party's Central Committee from December 1997 to 2001.