DEMOCRACY (dân ch?) understood simply means “The people (dân) are truly the owner-director (ch?)”; the Government, as Uncle Ho has termed, “is the servant of the People”; thus, when the terms are broadcast on national television, discussed, analysed, openly debated, the People feel like the words are music to their ears and that they are floating on cloud Nine.

Democracy is an evident truth enshrined in the Constitution, but why does, when one’s name is mentioned, one feel so excited and anxious?

Is it because one is the owner-director, sometimes one takes it so for granted that one forgets one’s function and position?!

Is it because one is the owner-director, thus one automatically gives oneself the privilege to let the SERVANT usurp the people’s autonomous power ?

Is it because one is the owner-director, one can behave in anyway one pleases, and nobody has the right to judge?
That is a really difficult situation.

However, on careful searching and deep digging, it will be found that in remote highland villages and hamlets, DEMOCRACY still exists palpably and completely on voluntary basis.

In these highland village communities, how does Democracy work? Where is this Democracy originated from and brought about by whom? How can this democracy operate and flow on quietly like the daily pursuit of livelihood by each villager and by the whole community? How does it permeate into all aspects of the community: at festivals and ceremonies, weddings, house building, funerals, in conflict resolution, in the course of living and in time become the cultural practice of the community?

The television broadcasters need to begin to somehow conceptualize democracy with a plethora of events as exemplified by the social life of minority ethnic communities.

SPERI calls these traditional civil societies - lifestyles, or cultural patterns that are truly democratic and still actually existing in our country. In deliberately forgetting and avoiding their great role and mission in the night of progress towards socialism along a socialist direction, out people do not have a clue, however, of what socialism is, nor about what kind of direction the socialist direction could be. Meanwhile, they lack the awareness and understanding of the DEMOCRATIC role and responsibility of every citizen and therefore have pushed back their standard of living to an alarming degree.

Tran thi Lanh