Agree to Differ

[

] 132

Language is among the elements that the Vietnamese

Government focuses on to nurture cultural rapprochement for

the solidarity and unification of the ethnic groups. In order to

safeguard and develop the ethnic languages, the Government

has issued a number of policies. Ethnic groups have a right to

use their own language in their life, education, cultural and

political agenda and economic development. Article 42 of the

Vietnamese constitution of 2013 states that “Citizens have

their right to identify their own ethnicity, use their mother

tongue, and choose their language for communication.” The

Government has issued decree number 05/2011/NĐ-CP on

an “ethnic mission” that is “to ensure the preservation of the

spoken and written languages, cultural identities of ethnic

groups, and to promote customs, traditions and good cultural

traits of each ethnic group.” Article 7 of the Education Law

regulates that “The Government enables ethnic people to learn

in their languages and writing systems in order to stimulate the

development of cultures and assist children of ethnic groups

to learn easily at schools and other educational divisions.” In

the recent resolution of the 9th Central Conference (Term XI)

on the building and development of the Vietnamese culture

and people to meet the demand of the sustainable development

of the country, the aim is clearly confirmed to “preserve and

promote the cultural heritage of ethnic groups, especially the

spoken and written languages, customs and traditional festi-

vals.” Also, ethnic language is one of the elements of intangible

cultural heritage identified in the Law on Cultural Heritage in

Article 21: “The Government has its policies and creates favour-

able conditions to protect and develop the spoken and written

languages of ethnic groups in Viet Nam.”

Among the 53 ethnic minority groups in Viet Nam the

Chinese, Cham and Khmer have their own spoken and

Vi-Giam singing in the corn field

Image: Phan Manh Duong

gree

iffer