Some Recommendations Affecting the Prospective Role of Vietnamese Highlanders in Economic Development

Review of the history of relations between the Vietnamese Highlanders and the central government since 1955 and recommendations concerning the role of the Highlanders in future economic development. Economic development schemes for South Vietnam almost invariably emphasize the importance of the highlands as a source of agricultural and mineral wealth. This paper suggests programs to improve the cultivation of field and garden crops with a view toward initiating cash cropping and expanding existing cash cropping. A system of investment and credit is described for Highlanders already engaged in more advanced activities and who need a source of credit for expanding production. Other recommendations pertain to the Highlanders' place in economic development: land claims, resettlement of Vietnamese into the highlands, and programs for relocating Highlanders' villages. Appendixes contain relevant information on past and present economic development schemes for the highlands and data on historical trade patterns between Highlanders and lowland groups.