Human rights of Vietnamese people from Hong Duc Code to Gia Long Code

Human rights of Vietnamese people from the Hong Duc Code to the Gia Long Code is the scientific research work of the lawyer couple Phan Dang Thanh and Truong Thi Hoa over the past 30 years.

Lawyer Phan Dang Thanh (right cover) and lawyer Truong Thi Hoa (middle) at the book launch - Photo: HOAI PHUONG

On the morning of August 19, the magazine Xua va Nay organized a discussion about the book Vietnamese Human Rights from the Hong Duc Code to the Gia Long Code by authors Phan Dang Thanh and Truong Thi Hoa, published by the Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House.

Attending the book launch were many researchers, historians, law lecturers...

Decades of research by Phan Dang Thanh

The book Vietnamese Human Rights from the Hong Duc Code to the Gia Long Code with more than 400 pages, is divided into 5 chapters.

Accordingly, chapters 1 and 2 introduce the history, value and content of the Hong Duc Code .

In which, lawyers Phan Dang Thanh and Truong Thi Hoa raised 24 rights to promote human rights such as: the right to national self-determination, the right to life, the right to equality, the right to freedom of residence and movement, the right not to be forced into slavery, the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right to access information...

In the remaining three chapters, the two authors discuss the basic content of the Gia Long Code (Nguyen Dynasty).

Lawyers Phan Dang Thanh and Truong Thi Hoa pointed out that the Gia Long Code inherits and develops the human rights values of the Hong Duc Code through analysis and specific provisions on rights.

Lawyer Phan Dang Thanh said the Hong Duc Code is considered the first human rights code of the Vietnamese people.

After 30 years of gestation and implementation, the book was released.

Controversy over whether the Gia Long Code was copied verbatim?

At the seminar, lawyer Phan Dang Thanh shared that he had read more than 100 books and documents on ancient law and Vietnamese history .

In particular, refer to the book Hoang Viet Luat Le - A New Approach , a doctoral thesis in Chinese characters by author Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, at Wuhan University (China) with the content "Comparing Gia Long Code with Dai Thanh Luat Le".

This research thesis also concludes that the Gia Long Code was not copied in its entirety, but was revised and had some progressive points.

Present at the discussion, historian Nguyen Dinh Dau said that for a long time, many researchers have considered the Gia Long Code of the Nguyen Dynasty to be just a copy of the laws of the Great Qing Dynasty.

But the author analyzed and cited each specific law and regulation, showing complete contrast to the opinions of copying it verbatim.

The Gia Long Code inherited and developed human rights values from the previous Hong Duc Code at a higher level.

Historian Nguyen Dinh Dau shares at the book launch - Photo: HOAI PHUONG

“It can be said that this book is basically a convincing defense, participating in defending before the national historical court for the Gia Long Code which has been criticized for centuries. It seems that for a long time, the Gia Long Code (Hoang Viet Luat Le) has suffered injustice” - historian Nguyen Dinh Dau shared more.

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