Vietnam
Following the conflict that ended in 1975, the political and military situation in Vietnam has remained relatively stable. Currently, the country's main challenge is the high level of weapons and ammunition trafficking within its territory and across borders.1 Significant amounts of ammunition, landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from the war also continue to pose a threat and require clearance work; as a result, large parts of the territory remain unsafe for civilians.2
The UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) and Nonviolence International are working on the ground to support the through-life management of ammunition, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence. Efforts have included organising regional training sessions for national forces on preventing the diversion of ammunition, developing regional and national mechanisms to regulate weapons and ammunition, and sharing best practices on ammunition management.3
1 Philip Alpers, Vietnam – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law (GunPolicy.org, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, 2022), https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/vietnam.
2 “For a Vietnam Free from Mine Accidents," UN Development Programme, May 16, 2019, https://www.undp.org/vietnam/news/vietnam-free-mine-accidents.
3 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, numerous accidental explosions have been reported in Vietnam.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Vietnam (1979–2021)
| Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
| 2018 | Dak Doa | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Da Nang | State (military) | 1 | 10 |
| 2007 | Minh Son | State (military) | 3 | 4 |
| 2004 | Ho Chi Minh City | N/A | 1 | 10 |
| 2003 | Thay Nguyen | State (military) | 2 | 31 |
| 2001 | Thuy Hoa Vien | State (military) | 0 | 4 |
| 1997 | Ho Chi Minh City | State (military) | 2 | 40 |
| 1988 | Ho Chi Minh City | State (other) | N/A | N/A |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2018 in Vietnam.
Table 2. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives in Vietnam since 2018
| Year | Location | Description |
| 2018 | Krong Bong | A police officer stole one CZ83 pistol and its ammunition from an arms depot. |
| 2018 | Krong Bong | A police officer stole two K59 pistols, one CZ75 pistol, one K54 pistol and their ammunition from an arms depot. |
Source: “Vietnamese Policeman Arrested for Stealing, Selling Guns from Arms Depot,” Tuoi Tre News, May 3, 2018. https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20180503/vietnamese-policeman-arrested-for-stealing-selling-guns-from-arms-depot/45391.html.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Vietnam.
Needs
No needs have been reported for Vietnam.
Source: Vietnam, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Viet Nam to the UN, 2006), https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/poa-reports-le/2006%40211%40Viet%20Nam.pdf.
