ABSTRACT
Thinh Liet commune in Vietnam came under revolutionary control in late 1954, but the decisive event that marked the beginning of its revolutionary transformation was the commencement of its land reform in December 1955. This chapter examines the conduct and consequences of Thinh Liet's land reform. The land reform, beyond simply redistributing land and disrupting previous structures of exploitation, introduced into Thinh Liet life a new way of thinking and talking about their society and the spaces around them; however, these ideas still had to cope with those that existed before the revolution. The Thinh Liet land reform began in a general climate of fear and anxiety. The chapter examines how cadres dealt with space during the land reform. Official control over space allowed them to remove the material foundation that had supported unsanctioned rituals, social groups, and economic activities, while simultaneously giving them the opportunity to introduce a new set of meanings associated with space.
