On August 3, the National Academy of Music in Vietnam announced its decision to take disciplinary action against two singers Anh Tho and Trong Tan, for failing to meet their commitment to perform in Laos, to celebrate the Year of Unity and the signing of the Friendship Treaty between Vietnam and Laos.
Artists Anh Tho and Trong Tan, who are also teachers in the institute, were scheduled to perform in Vientiane from July 17 to 19 to celebrate the Year of Unity and the signing of the Friendship Treaty between Vietnam and Laos. The grand event was attended by leaders and high-ranking officials from both the countries.
After a successful concert on July 17, they were supposed to stay back in Laos to perform the next day. However, the two singers decided to abandon the show and return to Vietnam, saying they had a previous contract to perform in Ninh Binh Province on the night of July 18.
According to Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry had earlier sent a report to Ninh Binh authorities requesting them to allow the two singers to stay in Laos, since the diplomatic event was far more important.
At the same time, the ministry had also asked the director of the National Academy of Music in Vietnam to appoint other artists to replace the duo in Ninh Binh.
“With all due respects to the artists, we spent two hours convincing Tho and Tan to stay back and perform in Laos on July 18 and promised to compensate them for any loss incurred with Ninh Binh police,” Tinh said.
However, the two singers deliberately ended their performance in Laos and returned to Vietnam.
Thus on July 18, Nguyen Van Tinh, director of the Department of International Cooperation signed a report of misconduct on the part of Ms Le Thi Tho and Vu Trong Tan. “This is an act showing poor political awareness, and disrespect for political tasks of their country. They must be disciplined for what they’ve done, in all fairness.”
The Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently asked the Performing Arts Department to temporarily ban the two singers from performing in any domestic or international event, for abandoning their performance in such an important international event.
On July 27, the director of the Institute decided to appoint a council to consider disciplinary action against the two employees, who are alas lecturers in the Faculty of Singing in the National Academy of Music in Vietnam.
After receiving a hearing to explain the actions of Anh Tho and Trong Tan, the Disciplinary Council in turn analyzed the case in an objective manner and decided to take disciplinary action against the two singers in a secret ballot.
The two singers had showed a negligent attitude and poor awareness of politics and considered their ego more important than the country, the council concluded.
Results showed that all five council members recommended disciplinary action against Anh Tho and Trong Tan, for a period of 12 months starting August 2012.
