The "Make in Việt Nam" Colonialism

“A thousand years under Chinese rule,

A hundred years under French reign,

Thirty years of civil war day after day.

The mother’s legacy -

what she leaves her children -

The mother’s legacy:

a sorrowful Việt Nam…” 

​These lyrics from the late musician Trịnh Công Sơn’s song, “A Mother’s Legacy,” encapsulate a millennium of Vietnamese history. To this poignant summary, one could now add a new line: “Eighty years under Communist rule.” 

While Việt Nam is officially a socialist republic, the country remains dominated by a foreign-born ideology and a political system that, in practice, differs little from past colonial rule.

Power and Ideology Imposed from Abroad

It must be emphasized that both communism and colonialism were systems imposed upon Việt Nam from the outside. Communism, ironically, took root under the banner of nationalism, first as a movement against French colonialism and later against the United States. 

Yet, this nationalist framing masks a fundamental contradiction: communism is an internationalist ideology that places the interests of the proletarian class above those of the nation. By adopting it, Vietnamese communists imported a foreign doctrine—one that originated in Europe and was shaped by thinkers from the very colonial power they fought—instead of drawing upon Việt Nam’s own history and culture. [1] 

While the two systems rest on different ideological foundations, they share strikingly similar characteristics in practice.

Authoritarian Rule

​Communist theory envisions a classless society where the collective holds power over the state. [2] In reality, communist regimes typically evolve into authoritarian systems where power is concentrated within a small ruling elite—the party leadership and its loyal allies. [3] This structure mirrors the autocratic model of colonial rule, in which a small group of colonizers governed a vastly larger native population. 

After nearly fifty years of communist governance in Việt Nam, this parallel holds true; true popular sovereignty remains an illusion. As long as fundamental rights like freedom of speech, association, and the press are suppressed, the people’s “ownership” of the state will be nothing more than a hollow promise.

Exploitation of the Economy and Natural Resources

Both colonialism and communism result in severe economic exploitation, albeit through different mechanisms. Colonial powers directly extracted resources from occupied territories to serve the economic interests of the metropole. [4] In communist states, the government’s total control over economic activities leads to the exploitation of labor and the inefficient allocation of resources. 

The consequences of this state-led model are apparent in Việt Nam. A decade ago, the exploitation of natural resources had already reached an “alarming level,” [5] and the problem persists today, with “illegal mining activities continuing to occur nationwide.” 

Ultimately, whether justified by colonial profit or communist ideology, the outcome is the same: environmental destruction and widespread economic injustice and inequality.

Cultural Suppression

​Both colonial and communist regimes practice cultural suppression to consolidate power. Under colonial rule, colonizers frequently suppressed local cultures by imposing their own language, religion, and customs upon indigenous populations. [6] Similarly, communist states often subordinate or even purge traditional practices, religious beliefs, and artistic expressions that do not conform to the ruling ideology. [7] In both cases, a uniform culture is enforced as a means of maintaining absolute control over the populace.

Discrimination

​Both colonialism and communism practice institutionalized discrimination, though their justifications differ. Colonialism is characterized by a racial hierarchy that deems the colonized inferior, treating them as second-class citizens in their own land through discriminatory laws and policies. In communist states, a parallel form of discrimination manifests as political repression. Those labeled enemies of the state or who fail to conform to its ideology face bias based on political belief, social class, and, in some multiethnic nations, ethnic origin.

​A passage from Hồ Chí Minh’s The Black Book of French Colonialism (1925) applies as aptly to French colonial rule as it does to today’s Socialist Republic of Việt Nam. [8] One only needs to replace “Europeans” with “Communist leaders”:

“In administration and law, there exists a vast gulf between Europeans and the natives. The Europeans enjoy every freedom and rule as absolute masters; the natives, muzzled and led by the leash, possess only the right to obey. They must not complain—if they dare to protest, they are instantly branded rebels or revolutionaries and punished accordingly.”

Methods of Control

​Both colonial and communist systems rely on a dual strategy of physical repression and ideological indoctrination to maintain power. When faced with resistance, both regimes have resorted to harsh measures, including violence, imprisonment, and large-scale purges. Whether justified as “maintaining colonial order” or “defending the revolution,” the goal is the same: to silence dissent and preserve their grip on power through force.

​Alongside this physical coercion, both systems use propaganda to legitimize their rule. Colonial powers promoted narratives of a “civilizing mission” and their own cultural superiority. [9] Similarly, communist states monopolize information to promote revolutionary ideals while suppressing any dissenting views. In both cases, controlling the narrative is as crucial as controlling the population.

Which Path for Việt Nam?

​While founded on different ideologies, colonialism and communism have produced strikingly similar outcomes in Việt Nam: authoritarian rule, economic exploitation, cultural repression, and discrimination. 

This reality poses a difficult question: what pride can be taken in our wars of resistance if we have only shackled ourselves to another form of colonialism, marked by the same patterns of repression and injustice?

​A true path to self-determination would be built not on a foreign ideology, but on Việt Nam’s own traditions, spiritual heritage, and sense of community. The nation must continue its unfinished journey of decolonization by reclaiming fundamental human and civic rights—starting with freedom of expression, freedom of association, and local self-governance. 

These issues were once passionately debated during constitutional reform movements over a decade ago through petitions like “Together Writing the Constitution” and “Petition 72.” [10][11] Civil society has long spoken, only to be suppressed. The final question remains: is a nation with four thousand years of civilization destined to endure this colonial-style rule forever?

Phạm Mai wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Aug. 25, 2025. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyright of its English version.