Thousands in Vietnam disciplined

Thousands in Vietnam disciplined

HANOI (Reuters): More than 2,000 Communist Party members and officials have been disciplined in a northern Vietnam province that saw serious unrest three years ago, the party newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Nhan Dan (People) daily blamed bad management, bureaucracy, corruption and a lack of democracy for the unrest in November 1997 in Thai Binh province, 80 kilometers south of Hanoi. It said complaints against officials had accumulated there in recent years.

At the height of the troubles in November 1997, farmers at a commune in the province's Quynh Phu district held 23 police officers hostage for five days.

In July 1998, a court sentenced more than 30 farmers to jail for offenses ranging from causing public disorder to illegally detaining local police and beating officials.