Delegates attending Vietnam’s once-in-five-years Communist Party congress, which began on Monday, have been placed under strict security measures. They were issued Samsung tablets that operate only on the congress intranet, were cut off from mobile phone networks, and are required to stay in designated accommodations throughout the week.
The congress, where 1,600 delegates will select the country’s top leader and approve the party’s resolutions for the next five years, has heightened security measures compared with previous events. Mobile signals were jammed at the Hanoi venue and surrounding areas, and delegates will not be allowed to carry phones from Tuesday onward, rendering personal communication nearly impossible.
Preparations and Voting
Delegates met on Monday for a preparatory session in a red-carpeted hall featuring a towering statue of Ho Chi Minh and portraits of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. During the congress, the delegates will vote to elect a 200-member Central Committee and approve the final congress resolution.
The pre-set tablets are strictly limited to intranet functions, allowing access only to internal documents necessary for the proceedings. These measures ensure that sensitive information remains controlled, consistent with the one-party state’s strict approach to information.
Accommodation and Oversight
Representing approximately 5.6 million party members in a nation of 100 million, delegates are required to remain in assigned housing throughout the congress. The foreign ministry has emphasized compliance, and journalists covering the event face similar restrictions: no mobile phones and limited internet access, connected only to the event network.
Guidelines for reporters stress that coverage must avoid harming the image or reputation of Vietnam, its leadership, or delegates. This underscores the highly controlled and secure nature of the event, reflecting both the sensitivity of leadership decisions and the party’s emphasis on maintaining order during the congress.
With information from Reuters.
