On January 23, at Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, State President Vo Van Thuong and his wife attended the official welcoming ceremony of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife who paid a state visit to Vietnam. The German President visited Vietnam for 2 days, meeting with 3 figures of the four pillars, except General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, because Trong wasted his energy in the National Assembly meeting 8 days earlier.
Germany is the largest economy in the EU. At the same time, in Germany there are many people wanted by the Communist government who are hiding here, including Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan. The Vietnamese side is in dire need of the German side’s help in many aspects, including economic issues and cooperation in extraditing criminals.
The German President’s visit is an opportunity for Vo Van Thuong to arrange for To Lam to meet, because this is an opportunity to propose to the German side to extradite Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, although there has been a request in the past but was rejected. In negotiations, it is normal to be rejected, then resume negotiations and then accepted. However, this time the German President came to Hanoi, Mr. To Lam was not present.
So where did he go?
On January 23, the day the German President arrived in Vietnam, was also the day that Minister of Public Security To Lam went to Phnom Penh, visited and worked with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Sar Sokha. It is worth mentioning that the Vietnamese top security official also visited Cambodia for exactly 2 days, coinciding with the German President’s schedule. When the German President had just boarded the plane to return home, To Lam also returned to Vietnam. This is considered an act of “avoidance” by To Lam when the German President visited.
The story about Trinh Xuan Thanh is a fait accompli, Trinh Xuan Thanh has been convicted and is serving his prison sentence. There will be no way for the Communist government to return Trinh Xuan Thanh to Germany so that Germany can comply with the provisions of German law. If Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong had kind intentions, he would not have allowed To Lam to kidnap people. Because this is the action of a criminal gang, not of a proper government.
Germany’s relationship with Vietnam is also only about economic issues, in which many German investors want the German government to get closer to Vietnam, to facilitate their investment. Vietnam plays with Germany because it also wants to have a narrow slot to enter the EU market and earn foreign currency for the Party. Each side has its own interests, however, Germany is a law-governed state, they cannot accept a government behaving like a criminal. Perhaps that is the reason why the German President will not accept shaking hands with a “criminal,” even if that person is a minister.
To Lam went to Cambodia to get away from the German President, which shows that he knew he was considered a “criminal” and of course, he also knew that his actions 7 years ago were criminal actions in German territory.
Minister of Public Security To Lam’s hands are already dirty in Germany. If To Lam becomes General Secretary, it is unclear how he will receive the heads of state from Germany and Slovakia. Because in Slovakia, To Lam defrauded the Government of this country, rented a plane to transport Trinh Xuan Thanh, and then “shunned” the rental fee, which is also the action of a criminal.
Assuming that if To Lam becomes General Secretary, this would be an unprecedented case in the history of the Communist Party. A “criminal” in another country, but standing at the pinnacle of power in Vietnam.
Vietnam will still be entangled with Germany because of the Trinh Xuan Thanh case, at least until To Lam is no longer in power. Accustomed to being haphazard and working in defiance of the law in Vietnam, when stepping onto the world stage, people see him as a criminal. It’s humiliating for a state that calls itself “Socialist rule of law.”
===
Involving in abduction in Berlin, Minister To Lam not allowed to meet German President
Vietnam will still be entangled with Germany because of the Trinh Xuan Thanh case, at least until To Lam is no longer in power. Accustomed to being haphazard and working in defiance of the law in Vietnam, when stepping onto the world stage, people see him as a criminal. It’s humiliating for a state that calls itself “Socialist rule of law.”
