State Livelihood Planning and Legibility in Vietnam's Northern Borderlands: The "Rightful Criticisms" of Local Officials
Author(s):
Turner, Sarah; Kettig, Thomas; Dieu, Dinh Thi; Cu, Pham Van
Format:
Journal article
Citation:
Journal Of Contemporary Asia, Volume 46, Issue 1 (1/2/2016). pp. 42-70.
Language:
English
Abstract:
Macro-level policies frequently transform and reconfigure local livelihood options. While there is a small but growing body of ethnographic work regarding ethnic minority livelihoods in Vietnam's mountainous borderlands, there is far less research examining the state decrees and policies implemented there and the opinions of state workers who have to apply them. This article starts to address this gap. First, we examine contemporary Vietnamese state legislation regarding upland livelihoods. We focus on the directions found in 82 livelihood-related state decrees, examining their scope and edicts while critiquing what they overlook regarding upland livelihood needs and approaches. Then, from in-depth interviews with state officials in Ha Giang Province, a mountainous upland region with a proportionately large ethnic minority population, we explore the opinions of those charged with the implementation of these decrees. Building on O'Brien's earlier work on rightful resistance in China, we suggest that a form of rightful criticism has emerged among upland state officials, allowing us to reveal the contours of political power in Vietnam's borderlands. Moreover, we draw attention to the lack of acknowledgement of ethnic diversity in these uplands within policy and official practice.