Securing freedom of information in Vietnamese government and law

Abstract

This research concerns freedom of information (FOI) Vietnam already has several factors necessary for the establishment of a mechanism for information access. This means that Vietnam can adopt an FOI reform as part of broader ongoing democratic reform. By reforming FOI, a flow of information will be created, enabling public access to public information while eroding public administrative secrecy. Gradually, it is to be hoped, FOI will help strengthen good governance in Vietnam as transparency, efficiency and accountability in the operation of government increase.The research documents however that enacting a specific FOI law is just the initial step to reforming FOI. As the Vietnamese government and Vietnamese law have many distinctive attributes, the research suggests that it is unrealistic to unrealistic to proceed, initially, with an overly ambitious FOI act. Instead, the Vietnamese government could consider a reform aiming to 'push' public agencies to disclose more information and encourage the public to 'pull' public agencies to extract information. 3Such a reform, together with other efforts to improve the cultural, social, economic and political environment, should gradually increase information disclosure and make possible the formation of the free flow of information that is essential for good governance and protection of diverse social interests.As a tool for good governance, FOI cannot work alone but relies on interaction with other accountability, transparency and efficiency mechanisms and a supportive local context. This thesis emphasises that FOI reform in Vietnam should be accompanied by detailed strategies to accommodate the FOI legislation to its new environment and also to make local conditions more receptive.4