The current 2008 Law on Cadres and Civil Servants regulates the ethics of civil servants when performing their duties, clearly stating: “Officers, civil servants and public employees shall not take advantage of their functions and duties to harass or cause trouble for profiteering; Do not drink alcohol during working hours or lunch breaks;…”
VietnamNet newspaper reported on November 3, with the headline, “Review of cadastral officials who go out drinking and did not process documents for people.” The newswire said “A commune cadastral officer in Dak Lak – Mr. Y.S.N went out to eat and drink at noon, then was absent during working hours, and is being asked to reflect and learn from his wrongdoing.”
It is known that Mr. Y.S.N, whose real name is Mr. Y Sieng Nie, was criticized for: “… using alcohol and alcoholic beverages during the lunch break of the working day; being absent during working hours without a legitimate reason, not receiving documents when people come to contact him to handle administrative procedures in the land field.”
According to local people, the People’s Committee of Hoa Phu commune, Buon Me Thuot city, Dak Lak province, did not process people’s documents because the commune’s cadastral officials were busy with “resolution meetings“. In front of this person’s office door, on the afternoon of October 11, people saw a sign hanging: “This afternoon, officials have a meeting to learning party’s resolution, work will resume tomorrow, thank you.”
However, verification results showed that Mr. Y Sieng Nie went out to eat and drink at the house of a Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hoa Phu commune, and this Vice Chairman also asked for permission to take a day off from work.
Many people sat patiently waiting for Mr. Y Sieng Nie to finish the meeting and return to handle paperwork for them. But by late afternoon of that working day, this cadastral officer was still nowhere to be found.
People said that Mr. Y Sieng Niê had planned in advance to “drink too much and come home early in the morning” so he had prepared a sign to hang in front of his office door to deal with it. And this is not the first time Mr. Y Sieng Nie has posted a notice board for a resolution meeting in that way.
The situation of “stealing” working hours of officials and civil servants, including leaders, for personal work or drinking has become common for a long time in most state agencies. Even during working hours, leaders of state agencies “innocently” invite each other to drink beer at restaurants, which is a very normal thing.
But compared to the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the provisions on 19 things that party members and cadres are prohibited from doing, these things are completely abnormal.
Recently, the story of Colonel T.Đ.V – former Director of Quang Tri Police – and a “senior official from the Ministry” participating in an offensive drinking party that caused a stir in public opinion, is an example.
In a clip widely shared on social networks, it shows the former Director of Quang Tri Provincial Police, Head of the Provincial Police Organization Department, and a “senior official from the Ministry” at a “fun” drinking party, there are waitresses serving. The image in the clip shows that “the official in the Ministry” was sitting next to a woman, when he suddenly got excited, pulled the girl close, and kissed her directly on the mouth full of emotion. As for the Director of Quang Tri Provincial Police at that time, he continuously pulled out VND500,000 banknotes from a lump of money on the drinking table and gave them to the girls standing and singing…
It is worth mentioning that these depraved scenes have become normal in society in general, and among leaders and civil servants in Vietnam today in particular.
Many years ago, in a famous corruption case that occurred at a state-owned corporation, state media said that a leader in this unit used to organize parties so decadent that, to a beautiful young naked girl sat in a large transparent glass barrel, filled with beer and the party guests ladled the beer out of the barrel and drank it together happily.
These are prohibitions that everyone knows, and in official documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam, they are called “expressions of moral and lifestyle degradation.”
The question is, why is this deterioration becoming deeper and wider, and becoming so normal, with corrupt officials and party members?
Perhaps, the reason is like the folk song:
“The person above is not on the right throne
Making those us below arrogant
The person above cannot live seriously
Causing the person below to somersault upward.”
This shows an alarming situation where corruption and degradation of the lifestyle and ethics of officials have become too normal. That showed a rottenness, an abnormality, but it was all too normal in Vietnam.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
