Vietnam has come a long way since the war that ripped apart the country. It now has one of Asia's fastest growing economies. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, the new Vietnam. Also, the hi-tech sweatshops that make Nike sneakers, and the story of a Vietnam veteran.
Vietnam is a magnet for multinational companies looking for cheap labor. United Nations consultant Dara O'Rourke tells Steve Paulson about the appalling work conditions in Nike factories, where women are exposed to toxic fumes and are sometimes beaten. Also, journalist David Case tells Judith Strasser how the Vietnamese government is trying - unsuccessfully - to control information over the Internet.SEGMENT 2:
Unlike most American soldiers who served in Vietnam, Robert Olen Butler loved his time there. Butler, a Pulitizer Prize-winning author, tells Jim Fleming about his recent trip back. Also, Karin Muller tells some amazing stories about hitchhiking alone in Vietnam. Muller talks with Judith Strasser about her book "Hitchhiking Vietnam."SEGMENT 3:
Pol Pot's recent death closed a chapter on one of history's worst genocides. For the last six years, historian David Chandler has been digging through the archives of Pol Pot's notorious death chamber, the secret S-21 prison. He tells Steve Paulson about the horrors he has uncovered.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 98-05-03-A.
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