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Remaking markets in the mountains: integration, trader agency and resistance in upland northern Vietnam

2014; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 41; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03066150.2014.905471

1743-9361

Christine Bonnin, Sarah Turner,

China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance

AbstractAs part of an ongoing agenda by Vietnamese lawmakers and local state officials to accelerate market integration in the northern mountains, rural marketplaces are being physically and managerially restructured according to standard state-approved models. Moreover, these market directives are coherent with the 'distance demolishing technologies' that James Scott (Citation2009) suggests the state has implemented to bring these uplands more directly under its panoptic gaze. This integration strategy seldom meshes well with upland livelihood needs. In this paper we examine a number of power contestations currently unfolding as upland market traders – both Vietnamese and ethnic minorities – negotiate or resist these developments while striving to maintain meaningful livelihoods.Keywords: Vietnamethnic minoritiesmarketplace trademarket integrationresistance We are grateful to the many marketplace traders and officials who took the time to talk with us. Sincere thanks to Hoai, Chi, Lang, Lan, Chau, Yau, Mang, Ly Ta May and Thu for research assistance in the field. Christine would also like to thank Kirsten Endres and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology for its support. This work was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.Notes1Ethnonyms used here are the most widely recognized in international usage, based on ethnolinguistic divisions. In Vietnam, Hmong and Yao are officially named 'H'mông' and 'Dao' (Zao) respectively. For ethnological information on Vietnam's national minorities see Condominas (Citation1978) and Michaud (Citation2006).2But see Leshkowich (Citation2005) writing on Kinh traders in urban south Vietnam.3There is no Grade 1 market in Lào Cai province, while there are 13 Grade 2 markets, five in Lào Cai city and one each in the capital towns of the remaining seven districts. There are 57 Grade 3 periodic markets located within the 163 communes (Dept. of Culture provincial representative, interview).4Lào Cai provincial authorities have continued the colonial French system of a fixed weekly market schedule, whereas pre-colonial market days followed the lunar calendar.5These include the 10-year (2001–2010), five-year (2006–2010), and current draft version (2011–2016) SEDPs.6Additionally, since 1998, the main national poverty alleviation programme (Program 135) has stressed the planning and development of markets in upland areas (Vu Tuan Anh Citation2005). Under this programme, by the end of 2003, of the 2362 communes covered, 48 percent had either constructed or improved market halls (CEM Citation2004). Aside from state and private investments, key sources of funding for marketplace development have been the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank (Department of Industry and Commerce official, interview).7In Lào Cai, official interviewees recognized that market management officials have poor work conditions. They are often employed part-time with low pay, with a high turnover rate and frequent staff transfers between different markets (Department of Industry and Commerce official, UBND Lao Cai 2012). Moreover, in many periodic markets, there is no dedicated market management board, with staff from the commune People's Committee doubling as managers (Department of Industry and Commerce official).8One could hypothesize that the widely acknowledged kickbacks available in the construction industry in Vietnam may be linked to this eagerness to start construction.9All names are pseudonyms.10This is less the case for Giáy traders, many of whom have become full-time traders. This is not surprising given that the Giáy, part of the Tai-Kadai linguistic group, have an important history as trade intermediaries between upland groups such as the Hmong and Yao and lowland Kinh (Michaud Citation2006).Additional informationChristine Bonnin is a lecturer of human geography in the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy at the University College Dublin, Ireland.Sarah Turner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, McGill University, Montréal, Canada. Email: sarah.turner@mcgill.ca