Viet Paper Assails Poor Conditions, Corruption in Army

Vietnamese soldiers lack the necessities for decent living, and some corrupt officers have stolen from their troops, the Vietnamese army newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan said.

In an undated article quoted Wednesday by Radio Hanoi, the newspaper said military leaders are failing in their “greatest and most specific responsibility” by providing inadequate living conditions for their troops. The charges follow the dismissal of Defense Minister Van Tien Dung, the hero of the victory over South Vietnam, in a Cabinet reorganization earlier this month.

“In quite a number of units, leaders and commanders are currently failing to develop fully their sense of responsibility in caring for troops’ living conditions,” the article said. “They still work in the casual spirit of living from hand to mouth.

“It is even more culpable that while units are in short supply of everything to meet the troops’ living demands, some cadres are corrupt and wasteful and have even shortchanged the troops’ rations,” it said.

The army paper admitted that the country’s economic difficulties--runaway inflation, poor distribution and slow growth--have made it difficult for leaders and commanders to raise living standards.