World Notes Viet Nam

Even among Communist regimes, Viet Nam has long been known for the unchanging roll call of its top ranks. That reputation abruptly changed last week when Radio Hanoi announced that eight Cabinet ministers in the Pham Van Dong government, which has been in power since the unification of North and South Viet Nam in 1976, had been either fired or reassigned. It was the biggest government shake-up in Hanoi since the Communists came to power in North Viet Nam in 1954.

The firings were the result of widespread disappointment with the government's economic failures. The prime victim of the purge was Deputy Premier To Huu, 66, who is believed to have been responsible for last year's 90% devaluation of the currency. Said a Western diplomat in Bangkok: "Criticism from the grass roots has been mounting, and the leadership had to do something."