Vietnam has imposed strict limits on the number of wreaths that can be laid at officials’ funerals and banned civil servants from burning “ghost money” in a bid to assuage public anger over government waste.
Ghost money — fake banknotes or papier mache replicas of highly prized consumer goods such as iPads and sports cars — are burnt during funerals and to venerate ancestors during public holidays or on special occasions.
The amount burnt often reflects a person’s wealth or status, while senior officials are routinely honored at their funerals with huge piles of ornate, expensive wreaths.
“Funerals must be solemn, civilized [and] thrifty, to match the country’s socioeconomic situation,” stated a decree, signed on Monday by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, but made public on Thursday.
“We must limit and eventually eliminate customs that are backward and extravagant,” the decree added.
Vietnam’s authoritarian government, which has launched an anti-corruption campaign in recent months, is struggling to contain growing public discontent over a weak economy and a string of scandals linking high-level officials to graft and wasteful spending.
The ban applies to civil servants, politicians, party officials, state-owned enterprise employees and anyone else paid by the state.
The number of floral wreaths at funerals will be restricted to between five and 30, depending on the rank of the deceased, the Web site of the Lao Dong newspaper reported yesterday.
The decree also bans state employees from commissioning glass windows in the tops of coffins to allow mourners to see the deceased one final time.
Lavish funerals are common in Vietnam and some officials questioned the wisdom of the new rules and whether the government would be able to implement them.
“Vietnamese lawmakers are good at drafting regulations, but some of them seem pretty unrealistic,” police officer Nguyen Quy Dung, 52, said. “Limiting flowers to prevent wasteful spending makes sense. But banning ‘ghost money’ and glass-topped coffins? I find this weird.”
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS