Vietnam has become an economic success story in the region ever since it embarked on market based reforms two decades ago. Its record has even been held up as a beacon for other countries, by World Bank president Robert Zoellick.

It has achieved one of the fastest improvements in living standards in the world with a hefty reduction in poverty. And Vietnam has ambitious goals for the future ... to become a middle income country by 2010.

But while it's become an international player on the economic front, its human rights record is not so rosy. Human rights groups accuse the government of launching one of the worst crackdowns on peaceful dissent in 20 years, by criminalising such action.

Well Vietnam's president Nguyen Minh Triet was in Australia attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and he gave this rare interview to Helen Vatsikopoulos.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: President Triet, welcome to the program. Now Vietnam is an economic success story, you have enjoyed very good growth -annually up to 9 percent - entry into the WTO; now this is a whole hearted embrace of capitalism. Tell me is there any contradiction between this embrace of capitalism and the founding ideology of socialism in your country?

President Triet: The application of a market economy in our country is to use it as an economic tool for development. The market economy mechanism has been used as a tool for economic development in many nations. We view this mechanism as a tool for economic development and I think there is no contradiction in using it in a socialist society.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Now has Vietnam reached a level of development where its comfortable enough to allow its citizens to have greater freedom of expression?

President Triet: We are absolutely comfortable. Many forums or meetings have been held in Vietnam to gauge public opinion. Many opinions expressed were very honest, upfront and they revealed different views or even views contrary to the official one. This is quite normal. However, the legislation does not allow those with different opinions to organise lobbying or organise activities or schemes for the purpose of opposing the state of Vietnam.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Because I know you say that you like people to express themselves and the Party itself has called for criticism of its activities but we read from human rights groups like Amnesty International that there's been a major crackdown on people who do want to express themselves.

"The truth is, Vietnam has put on trial those who committed an offence against Vietnamese law. It's not a crackdown on dissidents who hold different political views."

President Triet: Those reports are completely false. The truth is, Vietnam has put on trial those who committed an offence against Vietnamese law. It's not a crackdown on dissidents who hold different political views.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: We also read that there were people from the countryside who came to protest, can you tell us how that was dealt with. They're allowed to criticise, but there's a very fine line they're not allowed to cross. How much expression is allowed?

President Triet: On this issue, these reports - based on wrong information - have exaggerated the facts. Vietnam nowadays is embarking on the process of industrialisation and urbanisation, so land has been reclaimed, compensation paid for construction sites and for building new factories. The protests have been mainly related to land use issues and compensation given to owners by the local administrators. Citizens lodging complaints is normal. But if they assemble in one location for an extended period of time, day after day, month after month, that kind of assembly for an extended time is not permitted. But what has happened is that people with complaints, simply seized government offices for months and this can't be tolerated.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Developing countries like Vietnam are hungry for energy, without it their progress is slowed. Now coal, oil and gas contribute to climate change. Vietnam, it's been announced will pursue nuclear energy, how will you go about that and will you be interested in buying uranium from Australia?

"We have been working on a strategy for the future with the possibility of building nuclear power plants ... we are still considering the options."

President Triet: Vietnam has considered this option, because there is a limit to the mining of coal and there is not much hydro-electric development to provide electricity in our country. We have been working on a strategy for the future with the possibility of building nuclear power plants. But this is still in the very early feasibility stage and we are still considering options.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: So if you were to pursue nuclear energy, Australia has a lot of uranium, would you be interested in buying uranium from Australia?

President Triet: It will have to be a decision made when the time comes.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Now during this APEC meeting you had a meeting with President George W. Bush I understand. Now the Vietnam war or the American war as it's known in Vietnam was devastating for your country. Recently President Bush made some comparisons between the Iraq war and the Vietnam war. Do you see that there are any parallels?

"...comparisons are so flawed. I think the best thing is that we should learn from the experience of the Vietnam war."

President Triet: I don't think any comparison is relevant because comparisons are so flawed. I think the best thing is that we should learn from the experience of the Vietnam war.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Did you and George Bush discuss any of these lessons that have been learned from the past?

President Triet: No, we didn't discuss that because President Bush did not mention it. We might have both wanted to put the past aside, to move towards the future.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: Vietnam has a very young population, three fifths of which is 27 years of age or under. Now surveys have shown that their heroes are more likely to be people like Bill Gates than heroes in Vietnam. How do you see the future of this very very young country?

President Triet: I think young people nowadays have many more options to choose from. Their heroes can be successful people in enterprise, or their heroes could be stars in the arts or entertainment. But the common thread to all these aspirations is their desire to study and to work hard for their own achievement and for the prosperity of the country.

Helen Vatsikopoulos: President thank you very much for your time. Thank you very much.

President Triet: Thank you.