A respected community figure joins border patrols with the Buon Don Border Guard (Dak Lak province) Respected people among ethnic minority communities - A distinctive social force
Throughout the history of the formation and development of ethnic minority groups, there have always been individuals who exert a significant influence on their communities. These include village elders, village heads, heads of lineages, religious dignitaries, folk artisans, prominent intellectuals and pioneers in labor and production… By virtue of their personal credibility recognized by the community, they are able to shape perceptions, influencing social behavior and fostering community consensus. They serve as a bridge between the Party and the State and ethnic minority communities, contributing to the preservation of traditional culture, the strengthening of national unity, the assurance of national defense and security and the promotion of local socio-economic development. These individuals are collectively known as “Respected people” within ethnic minority communities.
In order to uphold and leverage the role of influential figures within ethnic minority communities, the State has issued numerous policies specifically targeting this group. Notable among these are Decision No. 12/2018/QD-TTg and Decision No. 28/2023/QD-TTg, which amends and supplements certain articles of Decision No. 12/2018/QD-TTg.
However, current realities are giving rise to a number of new issues: the increasing diversity of communication and information-gathering methods; the growing impact of social media; the urgent need for rapid, sustainable socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and the preservation of cultural identity, all while ensuring national defense and security and strengthening the political system in ethnic minority areas… In oredr to adapt to rapidly changing times, the credibility of an individual within ethnic minority communities must stem not only from traditional factors such as age, social status, or traditional titles, but also from their competence, conduct, level of contribution, and ability to effectively address specific community issues. Alongside these qualitative requirements, it is essential to refine the systems and policies regarding remuneration and benefits for these influential figures.
In order to meet these demands and further enhance the role of “respected people” in the new context, the Government issued Decree No. 307/ND-CP. This Decree sets out regulations regarding the selection, recognition, and policies applicable to persons of prestige in ethnic minority areas, as well as policies concerning visits, congratulations, gift-giving, encouragement, meetings, commendation and honoring of specific ethnic minority organizations and individuals. The Decree takes effect on September 20th, 2026, replacing Decision No. 12/2018/QĐ-TTg and Decision No. 28/2023/QĐ-TTg.
Notable new features
The Government’s issuance of a Decree, a legal instrument of a higher rank represents a change in legal form to ensure compliance with the 2025 Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents and the 2025 Law on State Budget. The Decree introduces several noteworthy new provisions.
(i) Pursuant to Decision 12/QĐ-TTg and Decision 28/QĐ-TTg, “respected people” are selected from villages, hamlets, residential groups, and equivalent units. The Decree maintains this selection method while incorporating the principles of ensuring democracy, openness and transparency, with the aim of substantively enhancing the role of the residential community as the master of its own affairs.
(ii) The criteria for selecting “respected people” have been expanded to place greater emphasis on competence and practical contributions. Previously, this designation was typically associated with village elders, village heads, senior citizens, heads of clans or individuals who had held positions within the political system and retired locally. However, alongside changes in socio-economic life, individuals who enjoy the community’s trust increasingly come from diverse backgrounds and hold varied roles. They may include Party cell secretaries, village heads, heads of village-level Fatherland Front working committees, prominent public figures, intellectuals, businesspeople, artisans, educators, healthcare practitioners, farmers, skilled production workers, exemplary youths, as well as dignitaries, officials and clergy members from State-recognized religious organizations… Thus, a person's credibility stems not only from age, position, or traditional status but also from their competence, way of life and tangible contributions to the community.
The Decree also stipulates that a “respected people” must be a local resident, replacing the requirement of “legal residence in Vietnam” to focus on individuals living directly within the locality; priority is given to selecting ethnic minority individuals as persons of prestige to facilitate communication and the dissemination of the Party and State’s guidelines and policies to the community; The criterion of “having the ability to disseminate the Party’s guidelines and policies, as well as State laws and regulations” is being added because this is a crucial task for “respected people”. It also addresses the community's desire for representatives who not only understand local customs, languages, and the community's mindset but also possess the knowledge and the ability to apply it, to resolve the diverse and complex issues of daily life.
(iii) There have been significant adjustments to the policy on providing information support to “respected people”. Under Decision 28/QĐ-TTg, persons of prestige are provided free of charge, with one newspaper published by the state agency responsible for ethnic affairs and one local newspaper. The Decree has been amended to provide that “respected people” are to be supplied, free of charge, with one press publication from a central-level press agency, specifically one with a mandate and mission focused on in-depth information and dissemination regarding ethnic affairs, ethnic policies, beliefs and religions, along with one local newspaper or another form of information service as determined by the province. The new regulations establish two tiers of information. One tier consists of in-depth information at the national level, disseminated through a central-level newspaper or magazine whose mandate, mission, and purpose are dedicated to the in-depth coverage and promotion of ethnic affairs, ethnic policies, beliefs and religion. The second level consists of local information linked to specific issues arising in the areas where these respected people reside. This approach is more logical, given that the State views information as a resource enabling these respected people to better fulfill their roles. Furthermore, the Decree allows provincial People’s Committees based on local conditions, to study and propose that provincial People’s Councils enact policies providing information support with greater volume and frequency, as well as information via digital platforms or other appropriate forms”. This is because influential figures today operate within an environment defined by the explosion of the Internet and social media, a landscape vastly different from traditional communication methods. In this new context, simply providing information through documents for self-study or holding one-way dissemination meetings is insufficient; instead, it is essential to equip them with the skills to identify misinformation, verify sources, and explain issues to the community using accessible language. This represents a new yet highly practical requirement for grassroots mass mobilization affairs.
(iv) Policies providing material support to “respected people” such as visits, gift-giving, and assistance during times of hardship caused by illness, natural disasters, or fires, alongside provisions for meetings and commendations have been enhanced. Allowances for Festival (Tet) or traditional festivals have been raised to a maximum of 1 million VND per person per occasion (up to three times a year) and supporting levels for illness are determined based on the level of medical treatment; these measures demonstrate the State’s strong commitment to ensuring that prestigious individuals can carry out their roles with peace of mind.
(v) The Decree assigns the authority to approve the list of “respected people” as well as to remove, replace, or add individuals to that list, to the Chairperson of the commune-level People’s Committee, aligning with requirements for decentralization and the two-tier local government model. Furthermore, as the commune level is the tier of government closest to the people, assessments made at this level will more accurately reflect reality./.
References
1. Government (2026), Decree No. 307/ND-CP dated August 4th, 2026, stipulating the selection, recognition and policies regarding respected people in ethnic minority areas, as well as policies on visiting, congratulating, gifting, encouraging, meeting, commending and honoring certain ethnic minority organizations and individuals.
2. Prime Minister (2018), Decision No. 12/QĐ-TTg dated March 6th, 2018, on criteria for the selection and recognition of and policies towards, respected people among ethnic minority communities.
3. Prime Minister (2023), Decision No. 28/QĐ-TTg dated November 23rd, 2023, amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decision No. 12/QĐ-TTg dated March 6th, 2018, about criteria for the selection and recognition of respected people and policies towards respected people among ethnic minority communities.
