ABSTRACT
In recent years, collectivized farming and cooperatives, land arrangements, and the behavior of authorities have been among the paramount issues in rural Vietnam. In most parts of the country, land that was previously collectivized has been redistributed to farming households, and agricultural cooperatives are being transformed; the National Assembly in July 1993 passed legislation that substantially changed the previous 1988 Land Law; and a major concern among villagers is the abusive and corrupt local authorities they encounter. This chapter highlights a range of rural activities concerning land use and land issues since the 1988 official endorsement of household-based farming and local authorities' improper behavior and suggests that official deliberations and activities seem to be "hearing" what rural people have been "saying." It concludes by suggesting the emergence of organizations that convey the concerns and interests of rural people.
