May 2016 News and Events

What happened in May 2016: socio-cultural, literary, and political news and events relating to Vietnam and to the Vietnamese diaspora. [Comments (in brackets “[ ]”) are the opinion of the poster and does not reflect the view of diaCRITICS]


■ News from the Diaspora ■

Congregants are divided by allegations concerning sexual and financial misconducts by the temple’s spiritual leader.Congregants protesting


• Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, a former refugee, has been appointed to lead the Australian Diocese of Parramatta.Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen


Viet Thanh Nguyen and Maxine Hong Kingston, his former professor, met to discuss writing about war and peace.Maxine Hong Kingston and Viet Thanh Nguyen


Andrew Lam: “This seeming indifference to the Vietnamese struggle for true political reform while giving public lip service to human rights is damaging.”Lip service is damaging


■ News from Việt Nam ■

Suboi raps for U.S. President Obama. See the whole speech.Suboi raps


President Barack Obama urged Vietnam’s government to ease their human rights abuses.President Obama


• Thailand’s plan to sell its rice stockpile will mean “harsh competition” for Vietnamese rice exporters.Rice for export


• President Barack Obama lifts the U.S. embargo on selling arms to Vietnam.Barrack Obama and Tran Dai Quang


With the U.S. arms embargo lifted, Vietnam will have access to the latest US military technologies and equipment to counter China’s martial aggression.Honoring Pres. Obama


• Vietnamese authorities interrogate Tran Thi Hong, wife of pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, because she met with a U.S. religious freedom delegation.Tran Thi Hong


• The Central Highlands’ ethnic minority groups in Vietnam have maintain “extraordinary native architecture.”Long House


• Ex-US senator’s role in new university opens wartime wounds due to his involvement in a massacre of civilians.Grave site of massacre


■ Other ■

Vietnam’s developing healthcare sector provides investors and foreign healthcare businesses exciting growth opportunity.ASEAN Health Care Spending


Few people understand the “so-called Southeast Asian startup ecosystem.”Tech in Asia: Anh-Minh Do


• The 26 January 2016 release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) text is available at this site.Trans-Pacific Partnership


Special thanks to Viet Thanh Nguyen for providing some news items.


RP

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