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Tag: Human Rights

  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Seeks To Strengthen Cooperation With The United States On Multiple Fronts

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Seeks To Strengthen Cooperation With The United States On Multiple Fronts

    The Vietnam Briefing, which is released every Monday morning Vietnam time, looks at Vietnam’s social and political developments of the past week.

    Source:  The Vietnamese Magazine .

    Vietnamese billionaire arrested on market manipulation charges

    • Vietnam’s state media on March 29 reported that the investigation unit of the Public Security Ministry had arrested Trinh Van Quyet, a Vietnamese billionaire and director of the local real estate developer FLC, for further investigation in connection with  his alleged activities of “manipulating the stock market” and “concealing personal stock exchange activities.”
    • Quyet’s activities were allegedly in violation of Vietnam’s Article 211 of the 2015 Penal code, which has a maximum sentence of seven years of imprisonment for activities that undermine the country’s stock market exchange regulations.
    • State media also quoted police sources who said that other individuals at FLC were also under investigation for similar charges. Quyet’s arrest was a result of his selling of more than 70 million FLC stocks on January 1 without disclosing the transaction information and notifying the authorities in charge and investors of such activities.
    • The FLC director was fined 1.5 billion dong (US$65,677) and banned from making transactions for a period of five months. In 2017, he also received a 65 million dong fine for the same misconduct.
    • Quyet’s real estate conglomerate FLC was also accused by some of Vietnam’s environmental organizations, such as the Save Tam Dao, of colluding with local authorities to clear natural forests for real estate development projects, such as building golf courses. For example, FLC’s plan to cut down the Dak Doa pine forest in Gia Lai Province for golf course development in 2021 has caused a public stir. The project was reportedly suspended after Trinh Van Quyet was arrested.

    Vietnam’s automaker Vinfast signs a deal to build an electric automobile factory in the United States

    • Reuters on March 29 reported that the Vietnamese automaker Vinfast had signed a deal to invest US$2 billion to build a factory in North Carolina for the manufacture of its electric buses, SUVs, as well as batteries for electric vehicles.
    • Vinfast, owned by Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup, said that it plans to have a total investment of US$4 billion in the U.S.-based factory complex which is expected to finish by July 2024. It added that the initial manufacturing capacity will be 150,000 units per year.
    • In an official statement, U.S. President Joe Biden praised Vinfast’s investment in North Carolina as “the latest example” of his economic strategy at work. Biden also added that the electric SUV manufacturing investment is in line with the U.S. government’s efforts to build a clean energy economy as he encouraged other companies to make more in America and rebuild the supply chains domestically.
    • In 2021, Vingroup established its Singapore-based holding company called Vinfast Singapore and transferred a total of 51.5 percent of its stake to its subsidiary. The move was seen as part of the company’s plan to list shares of its car units in the United States, Reuters reported.
    • Despite its increasing global recognition, Vingroup and its subsidiary Vinfast are also a target of criticism in Vietnam for their opaque economic relationship with the Vietnamese government, where cronyism and favoritism are said to be the main drivers of their fast expansion.
    • Last year, Vinfast made headlines after the company announced that it would report one of its car buyers to the police after the customer uploaded videos on Youtube complaining about several technical problems with his newly bought Vinfast car. The Vietnamese automaker claimed that the uploaded videos contained “untrue content” which “affected the reputation of VinFast.”
    • Tran Van Hoang, the car owner, later decided to take down his video, but a Vinfast statement said that they “saved all the evidence” and subsequently sent their complaints to the police. “If a similar incident were to occur when operating in the United States, we will also submit a request to the authorities in accordance with local law, and to protect our legal rights,” the company said.

    Counselor of the U.S. Department of State visits Vietnam, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region

    • Counselor of the U.S. Department of State Derek Chollet made a visit to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan from March 28 to April 2 as he sought to consolidate the U.S. commitment to its Indo-Pacific allies and partners, according to a statement from the State Department’s spokesperson.
    • While in Hanoi, Counselor Chollet is expected to meet with senior government officials to affirm the United States-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership and the U.S. commitment to ASEAN, discuss the ongoing crisis in Burma and talk about regional economic and security cooperation, as well as highlight the importance of respect for human rights, according to the statement.
    • At a press conference on April 1, Chollet said that Vietnam is an important partner of the U.S. in the region and he vowed to work closely with Vietnam to ensure freedom of maritime in the South China Sea, also known as the East Sea in Vietnam, and to promote cooperation.
    • On March 30, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper spoke at the reception ceremony for his new position, saying that the United States “will make every possible effort to support Vietnam.”
    • Knapper pledged to develop mutual cooperation between the United States. and Vietnam on multiple fronts, from helping the Southeast Asian country’s economy recover from COVID-19, boosting the effectiveness of its climate change response, in addition to providing Vietnam with workforce training and digital transformation programs.
    • Also at the ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh claimed that Vietnam wished to work together with the United States on the basis of “respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, political institutions, and differences.”

    Social networking platforms reportedly removed “toxic content” upon the Vietnamese government’s request

    • Vietnam’s state-owned media on March 29 quoted official statistics and reported that foreign social networking sites, including Facebook, Youtube, and Tiktok, had complied with the government’s request to remove thousands of pieces of content that “defy the Communist Party and the Vietnamese government.”
    • The social networks have reportedly removed up to 90 percent of “anti-state posts” requested by the Vietnamese authorities.
    • According to government statistics, from January 1 to March 21, 2022, Facebook blocked and removed more than 525 posts that “publish false information and distribute information defying the Party and the government.”
    • At the same time, local authorities claimed that Google had removed 2,678 videos on its video-sharing platform Youtube while Tiktok deleted around 71 pieces of content that “promote false information and negative content which undermine [Vietnam’s] COVID-19 prevention strategy.”

    Former state journalist being tried for “defame provincial leaders”

    • Vietnam’s state-run media reported that the Quang Tri provincial court on March 30 held a trial for the former journalist Phan Bui Bao Thy, along with Le Anh Dung and Nguyen Huy, on charges of “abusing democratic rights and freedom to infringe on State and individual interests” under Article 331 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code.
    • According to their indictment, Thy, Dung, and Huy had written, edited, and posted information that “distort and defame several leaders of Quang Tri Province.” This information has consequently “created public skepticism towards the political qualities, morality, lifestyle, and capabilities of these individuals,” it added.
    • Thy got arrested on February 5, 2021, and was previously set to be tried on October 31. However, at that time, the Quang Tri court returned his case to the Procuracy’s Office for further investigation due to the lack of evidence.
    • On March 31, the Procuracy said it had gathered “well-grounded evidence” to prosecute and announced its suggested sentencing for the defendants. According to its suggestions, Thy and Dung are expected to receive from 9 to 12 months in prison, while Huy is expected to receive correctional training for up to 12 months.

    A truck driver was sentenced to 1 year in jail for expressing opinions on Vietnam’s COVID-19 strategy

    • Le Minh Tai, 38, a truck driver living in the southern province of Ca Mau, was convicted of “abusing democracy rights and freedom” and sentenced to one year in prison, State media reports.
    • According to his indictment, from September 17 to November 27, 2021, when Vietnam imposed strict lockdowns to combat spiking COVID-19 infections, Tai used his personal Facebook account to publish a total of “28 posts and nine videos” to complain about how the Ca Mau authorities’ stringent antivirus strategy had negatively affected the livelihoods of many truck drivers.
    • Tai’s online posts were regarded by local authorities as “containing negative information” as well as “distorting, defaming and slandering provincial leaders.” Last June, he was also fined 10 million dong for “using social networks to provide distorted information and defame other individuals’ reputation.”

    Vietnam publishes its voluntary midterm report on the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

    • The State-controlled VietnamPlus on March 31 reported that the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had published the country’s voluntary midterm report on the implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) third cycle recommendations, in addition to announcing Hanoi’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.
    • According to Do Hung Viet, Vietnam’s Assistant Foreign Minister, Vietnam “has been actively engaged with the UPR process” and the country’s efforts and accomplishments have been recognized while its shortcomings and challenges have also been identified.
    • Viet added that Hanoi has received and accepted “hundreds of recommendations” from the international community and these guidelines are important for Vietnam to “further improve the enjoyment of all human rights” in the country.
    • Nevertheless, the Vietnamese government has been widely condemned for the serious violation of the basic human rights of its citizens, including freedom of expression, movement, press, and association.
    • Human Rights Watch in February released a report documenting Hanoi’s systematic restriction of the rights to freedom of movement of political and human rights of activists, claiming that these unlawful activities from the Vietnamese government are “serious infringements on basic rights.”
    • The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) last December also urged the Hanoi authorities to “immediately release” human rights defenders Trinh Ba Phuong, Nguyen Thi Tam, Do Nam Trung, the independent author Pham Doan Trang, and citizen journalist Le Trong Hung, as well as “many others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression.”
    • “All the cases follow similar worrying patterns that raise serious issues concerning the presumption of innocence, the legality of their detention, and the fairness of their trial,” said  Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the OHCHR.

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Climate change accelerates US-Vietnam cooperation

    Asia Times/ James Borton/ March 30

    “Hanoi’s political leadership recognizes that Washington can increase its financial and technical assistance to help the nation meet climate challenges and support its renewable-energy developments. The Vietnam Green Growth Strategy (VGGS) has set targets to achieve low-emission development and help the nation’s efforts to mitigate climate change.

    USAID continues to play a supporting role in Asia’s Low Emission Development Strategy partnership, which provides training, knowledge sharing, and cooperation to more effective use of LEDS tools and practices in development decision-making and financing.”

    Vietnam’s Mediascape Amid the War in Ukraine: Between Method and Mayhem

    Fulcrum/ Hoang Thi Ha/ March 30

    “In contrast to mainstream media’s disciplined coverage, social media, especially Facebook and YouTube, provide the platforms for many Vietnamese to express their ‘wild and loud’ opinions and share information that has often been labeled by different groups as mis- and dis-information. Dozens of new Facebook groups with memberships ranging from a thousand to around 200,000 have been created to focus on the war in Ukraine while many YouTube posts covering the war by both individuals and quasi-private media outlets draw thousands to millions of views. This buzz on Vietnam’s social media platforms suggests that the disciplined approach of Vietnam’s mainstream media in their coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war has not been able to satisfy the hunger for alternative news sources and commentary among many Vietnamese.”

    Vietnam and the Russian ties that bind them

    Southeast Asia Globe/ Govi Snell/ March 17

    “A 2019 study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found Vietnam imported 84% of its total arms from Russia between 1995 and 2019. The submarines, tanks, fighter jets, and assorted weaponry totaled $7.4 billion during the time period.

    Sanctions also could impact Vietnam with a disruption in remittances for Russian transactions, problems for Vietnamese nationals living in Russia, and lost tourism revenue.”

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    More from The Vietnamese Magazine.
  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Sentences Former Citizen Journalist To 5 Years In Prison

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Sentences Former Citizen Journalist To 5 Years In Prison

    The Vietnam Briefing, which is released every Monday morning Vietnam time, looks at Vietnam’s social and political developments of the past week.

    Source:  The Vietnamese Magazine

    Vietnam sentences former citizen journalist to 5 years in prison

    • Le Van Dung, an independent journalist also known by his pen name Le Dung Vova, was sentenced to five years in prison and five years probation for “distributing anti-state materials” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s former 1999 Penal Code during a two-hour trial at the Hanoi’s People Court on March 23.
    • Le Dung Vova runs an independent Youtube channel called “Chan Hung Nuoc Viet TV” (Reinvigorating Vietnam Television). In 2017,  he posted videos and hosted talk shows on the channel discussing various social and political issues. He also nominated himself as an independent candidate in Vietnam’s 2021 National Assembly elections but was eventually disqualified by the Vietnamese authorities.
    • One day before the trial, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Hanoi’s move to prosecute Le Van Dung and urged Vietnamese authorities to drop all charges and release him. “International donors and trade partners of Vietnam should press Hanoi to listen to its critics instead of persecuting them,” said Phil Robertson, HRW’s deputy Asia director.
    • Meanwhile, the press freedom advocate Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on March 23 pushed Vietnam to “release journalist Le Van Dung immediately and stop imprisoning members of the press.” “If Vietnam wants to be taken seriously as a responsible global actor, it must stop treating journalists as criminals,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative.

    Vietnam upholds activist’s conviction for “distributing anti-state materials”

    • On March 24, the Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Court upheld activist Do Nam Trung’s conviction for “creating, storing, and disseminating information, documents, items, and publications opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code.
    • Last December, Trung was sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years of probation for his advocacy of the protection of human rights, the environment and Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty.
    • Meanwhile, Trinh Thi Nhung, wife of local dissident blogger Bui Van Thuan, said that an investigator of the Thanh Hoa Police’s investigation unit threatened to arrest her if she did not limit her posts regarding the activism of Thuan on social media.
    • Previously, Nhung received a police summons on March 16 and was requested to present herself at the provincial police station.
    • The investigator also demanded Nhung provide the verification of the ownership of Thuan’s and her Facebook accounts for their investigation. Nhung said the police later threatened that they had all the evidence to prosecute her after she refused to comply with their demands.
    • Dissident blogger Bui Van Thuan was arrested in 2021 and also prosecuted under Vietnam’s Article 117 for “distributing anti-state propaganda.”  Thuan is now being held in pretrial detention in Thanh Hoa Province.

    Family of land rights activist Can Thi Theu allowed to visit her in prison

    • On March 24, the family of the Duong Noi land activist Can Thi Theu was allowed to visit her after she was transferred from Hoa Binh provincial police’s detention center to Thanh Hoa’s Camp 5 prison last month, according to her daughter Trinh Thi Thao. Theu had not been allowed to write, call or visit her family for a total of 21 months, Thao added.
    • Thao wrote that Theu’s overall health remained stable, but she looked skinnier since the first instance trial. She also added that her mother was subject to different types of mental and physical torture while in custody at the Hoa Binh provincial police detention center.
    • According to Thao, the torture methods deployed by Vietnamese authorities included the isolation of her mother with HIV-infected prisoners, sending her to solitary confinement with unbearable conditions, and depriving her of basic necessities while in detention.
    • Thao added that Trinh Ba Tu had been beaten in custody and was on hunger strike for 20 days.
    • Meanwhile, Do Thi Thu, wife of Trinh Ba Phuong, was allowed to visit her husband earlier on March 8. According to Thu, Phuong’s health remains in good condition and he received the single dose Russian-made COVID-19 Sputnik Light vaccine last December.

    Vietnam abstains from United Nations’ resolution calling to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine

    • On March 24, 140 members of the UN General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution drafted by Ukraine and its allies to provide aid access and civilian protection in the country after Moscow invaded its neighbor one month ago.
    • One the one hand, Vietnam’s foreign ministry previously said in a press statement that the country “will support and contribute to UN humanitarian relief activities for Ukraine” in accordance with its permitted capabilities.
    • At the UN’s special session on March 23, Vietnamese Permanent Representative Dang Hoang Giang also reaffirmed Hanoi’s promise to join the effort of the international community in its humanitarian support for Ukraine.
    • Yet, Vietnam remained one of 38 countries that abstained from voting for the UN resolution on March 24 calling to facilitate such humanitarian assistance and operations.
    • It was also one of 35 countries on March 2 that did not vote in favor of the resolution to condemn Moscow’s aggression and demanded it to withdraw its troops.
    • According to The Vietnamese Magazine’s observations, state-owned media in Vietnam has largely avoided mentioning the country’s abstention of the UN General Assembly’s call to address the current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

    Ukrainian fundraising event in Hanoi canceled by police

    RFA:

    • Vietnamese police on March 18 prevented Ukrainians in Hanoi from holding a fundraiser  to help those affected by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, the event organizers said.
    • The organizers planned to sell food and souvenirs and hold an art auction to raise money to send to Ukrainians affected by the war. They also arranged a musical performance to entertain visitors.
    • But authorities informed them on Friday that the event to be held at the Chula Fashion House in Hanoi’s Tay Ho District had to be canceled because of “police intervention.” They provided no further details. The district is known for hosting small fashion shows, musical performances and art exhibitions.
    • “We are very sad now as we have spent time and effort to prepare for the event,” a Ukrainian organizer who only gave her name as Julia told RFA. “We did all these things in order to raise funds for people in need in our home country.”

    Vietnam arrests businesswoman turned YouTube sensation for her live streaming

    RFA:

    • The Ho Chi Minh City’s Public Security Department arrested businesswoman and social media influencer Nguyen Phuong Hang for live streaming videos critical of celebrities and other figures, police announced Thursday.
    • Hang, the director of a local amusement theme park Dai Nam, was detained last Friday on charges of “abusing freedom and democratic rights” under Article 331 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code. Police said they arrested Hang for “insulting and using foul language to offend the honor and dignity of others” on her popular YouTube channel.
    • Hang’s videos criticizing celebrities and politicians have made her an internet sensation in Vietnam, with each post garnering hundreds of thousands of views.
    • The law used to prosecute Hang has also been widely deployed to silence dissenting voices and restrict freedom of speech in the country.

    China has fully militarized at least three artificial islands in the South China Sea, says U.S. Admiral

    • China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed South China Sea, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino told The Associated Press.
    • The Admiral added that Beijing had also been arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, lasers, jamming equipment, and fighter jets.
    • “I think over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the PRC,” Aquilino said. “They have advanced all their capabilities and that buildup of weaponization is destabilizing to the region.”

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Webinar: Vietnamese Civil Society: Recent Challenges and Prospects

    Date: April 07, 2022
    Time: GMT+8 10:00 am – 11:00 am
    About: This webinar will present examples of civil society actions over the past decade and examine prospects for Vietnamese civil society’s survival and effectiveness. To what extent is civil society facing temporary setbacks, or a permanent reversal? And absent high-level policy changes, what can Vietnamese civic actors and their supporters do to remain viable in an era of Party dominance?

    Ukraine conflict echoes loudest in Vietnam, not Taiwan

    Nikkei Asia/ Derek Grossman/ March 21

    “A fellow socialist state ruled by an authoritarian Communist Party, Hanoi is under growing pressure from China, particularly around overlapping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. While China has not threatened an invasion of Vietnam like Russia’s of Ukraine, sometimes deadly maritime skirmishes between the two Asian countries have taken place. It is not unthinkable that an incident at sea could spill over onto land, disrupting the decadeslong peace at their shared border. To the contrary, such a scenario is more likely than an invasion of Taiwan any time soon.”

    Explaining the Vietnamese Public’s Mixed Responses to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis

    The Diplomat/ To Minh Son/ March 18

    “One thing unites these public opinions and the state: The idea of “independence,” an animating yet open-ended concept in the Vietnamese psyche. Critics of the war attach the concept to ASEAN’s non-interference principle, respect of sovereignty, and the precedent it sets for Chinese aggression, while supporters refer to Vietnam’s “four no’s” principle, “national interest,” “bamboo diplomacy,” and American hypocrisy. These talking points proliferate as the conflict rages on, with each new statement by the Vietnamese state voraciously shared and reinterpreted by supporters and detractors alike.”

    The Greening of Vietnam and Environmentalism 2.0

    Geopolitical Monitor/ James Borton/ February 28

    “Vietnam’s fast-track economic growth over the past several decades arrived at the expense of the environment, leading to polluted waterways, extensive loss of wildlife, marine biodiversity, and a near collapse of the fisheries. A global environmental performance ranking places Vietnam in 141st place out of 180 economies.”

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    More from The Vietnamese Magazine.
  • Pham Doan Trang in Action Des Chrétiens Pour L’abolition De La Torture: J’agis Pour Que Pham Doan Trang Soit Libéréé

    Pham Doan Trang in Action Des Chrétiens Pour L’abolition De La Torture: J’agis Pour Que Pham Doan Trang Soit Libéréé

    ACAT-France is calling for the immediate release of award-winning journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang who was sentenced to 9 years in prison by the Vietnamese authorities.  ACAT and several international organizations reiterate the decision was arbitrary and is considered a violation of international human rights standards.

    Title: J’agis Pour Que Pham Doan Trang Soit Libéréé
    Publish Date: March 24, 2022
    Publisher: Action Des Chrétiens Pour L’abolition De La Torture (ACAT)

    Excerpt:

    Note: Original texts in French.

    Freelance journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang was sentenced to nine years in prison by the People’s Court of Hanoi, for “crimes”   of writing and “anti-state propaganda”.

    Internationally recognized independent journalism

    The journalist, who received the Reporters Without Borders Prize for  Press Freedom in 2019, was named the winner of the Martin Ennals Prize for Human Rights Defenders in January 2022 and won the Canada-UK Media Freedom Award, which recognizes the work of those who work for freedom of the media. Members of the Vietnamese diaspora are currently campaigning for her to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

    An arbitrary procedure in violation of international human rights standards

    As a reminder, Pham Doan Trang was arrested on October 6, 2020 at her home. ACAT-France then launched a call for mobilization to support it.

    Since then, she has been the subject of legal proceedings contrary to her right to a fair trial. Indeed, the charges against her were not communicated to her until August 2021. In addition, she was deprived of the right to speak with her lawyer, to see her family and to receive the medical care she needed. , despite the deterioration of his health. On October 25, 2021, his detention was deemed arbitrary under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the United Nations Specialized Working Group on this subject, which called for his detention. immediate release.

    She was eventually sentenced on December 14, 2021 to nine years in prison, a longer sentence than originally requested, as judges considered that her interviews with foreign media aggravated the charges against her and that her behavior was ” dangerous” for Vietnamese society.

    This decision was made on the basis of Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code, which has been the subject of repeated criticism by United Nations experts. They consider that it violates international human rights standards on freedom of opinion, expression and association. This condemnation was deplored throughout the international community.

    Pham Doan Trang declined to plead guilty and said, “the longer the prison sentence, the more it will demonstrate the authoritarian, illiberal and undemocratic nature of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. »

    ACAT-France calls for recognition of the arbitrary nature of his detention, the illegal nature of his conviction and his immediate release.

    Download the inquiry letter

    Download:

    I act for Pham Doan Trang to be freed ACAT France
    I act for Pham Doan Trang to be freed _ ACAT France.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in Human Rights Watch Submission to the European Union ahead of the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue

    The Vietnamese government continues to severely repress basic civil and political rights, including freedom of expression, association, assembly, and the right to freedom of religion and belief.  One of the many politically motivated convictions is that of prominent journalists and Luat Khoa’s co-founder Pham Doan Trang who has been served with a 9 year sentence for “anti-state propaganda.”

    Excerpt:

    As the human rights dialogue approaches, Human Rights Watch recommends that the EU focuses on three priority areas regarding the dire human rights situation in Vietnam: 1) political prisoners and detainees; 2) restrictions on freedom of movement; and 3) repression of the right to freely practice freedom of religion and belief. We urge that the EU insist on clear, concrete, measurable benchmarks or deliverables for progress in these areas, laying out consequences for the bilateral relations should these violations continue to occur, taking into account the recently revised EU guidelines on human rights dialogues with partner/third countries.

    1. Political Prisoners and Detainees

    Vietnam frequently uses vaguely worded and loosely interpreted provisions in its penal code and other laws to prosecute and imprison political and religious activists. These include “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” (article 109), “undermining the unity policy” (article 116), “making, storing, disseminating or propagandizing information, materials and products that aim to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” (article 117)/or “conducting propaganda against the state” (article 88 of the 1999 penal code), and “disrupting security” (article 118). Vietnam also uses other articles in the penal code to target rights campaigners, including “abusing the rights to democracy and freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations, individuals” (article 331), and “disrupting public order” (article 318).

    Vietnam currently holds at least 153 political prisoners. In 2021 alone, the courts convicted at least 38 people for voicing criticism of the government and sentenced them to long prison terms.

    In January 2021, a Ho Chi Minh City court put prominent members of the Independent Journalists Association on trial. Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted and sentenced to between 11 and 15 years in prison. In May, a court in Hoa Binh province sentenced land rights activist Can Thi Theu and her son Trinh Ba Tu each to eight years in prison. In July, a Hanoi court convicted writer Pham Chi Thanh and sentenced him to five years and six months in prison. In October, a court in Can Tho convicted and sentenced five members of the Clean Newspaper – Truong Chau Huu Danh, Doan Kien Giang, Le The Thang, Nguyen Phuoc Trung Bao, and Nguyen Thanh Nha – to between two years and four and a half years in prison. In December, courts sentenced prominent blogger Pham Doan Trang to nine years, land rights activists Trinh Ba Phuong to 10 years and Nguyen Thi Tam to six years, democracy campaigner Do Nam Trung to 10 years, and independent political candidate Le Trong Hung to five years in prison. All were charged with propaganda against the state under article 117 (or article 88), or with abusing the rights to freedom and democracy to infringe upon the interests of the state under article 331, of the penal code.

    Download:

    Human Rights Watch Submission to the European Union ahead of the EU Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue Human Rights Watch
    Human Rights Watch Submission to the European Union ahead of the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue _ Human Rights Watch.pdf
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  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Convicted More People With Subversion Charges

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Convicted More People With Subversion Charges

    The Vietnam Briefing, which is released every Monday morning Vietnam time, looks at Vietnam’s social and political developments of the past week.

    Source:  The Vietnamese Magazine

    Appeal hearings scheduled for Vietnamese activists

    • On March 16, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, the partner of activist Do Nam Trung,  announced on social media that the Vietnamese Supreme People’s Court in Hanoi has scheduled an appeal hearing for him on March 24. Trung’s appeal trial will be heard at the Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Court.
    • Tuyet told RFA Vietnamese in an interview that his health and mentality remain in good condition. Tuyet also added that she believed Trung was not guilty and his conviction was “too unfair.” The Nam Dinh-based activist was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment last December on accusations of “distributing anti-state materials.”
    • Meanwhile, the ex-policeman Le Chi Thanh, who was sentenced to two-year incarceration for allegedly “resisting law enforcement officers on duty,” will have his appeal trial on March 31, according to state media. Previously, Thanh filed an appeal against the court’s verdict on February 10, seeking to reduce his sentencing.
    • Trinh Thi Nhung, the wife of Vietnamese activist Bui Van Thuan, received a police summons on March 16 and was requested to present herself at the investigation unit of Thanh Hoa Police Department on the following day regarding her husband’s activism. According to Nhung, Thuan is fully vaccinated, but recently has developed frequent joint pains and needed to take antibiotics.
    • The Vietnamese authorities have transferred two Duong Noi land rights activists, Can Thi Theu and Trinh Ba Tu, to different detention facilities in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces respectively. Previously, the two were being held in a facility in Hoa Binh Province, where its provincial court sentenced Theu and Tu each to eight years in prison and three years probation for “anti-state” activities.

    Vietnamese authorities blocked activists from attending a Ukraine charity event, Human Rights Watch says

    • According to rights advocate Human Rights Watch (HRW), Vietnam reportedly prevented several democracy activists from attending a fundraising charity bazaar hosted by the Ukrainian Embassy in Hanoi on March 5.
    • In their report, HRW shared two local activists’ experiences, Hoang Ha (known as Song Que) and Dang Bich Phuong, who claimed that plainclothes security agents had prevented them from leaving their house or secretly followed and coerced them not to go to the Ukrainian embassy, where the event was hosted.
    • According to Phuong, she spotted six guys sitting in front of her house lobby, which she assumed were there to prevent her and her friends from going to the event.
    • According to HRW, at least eight democracy campaigners were blocked from going to the embassy’s event, including Nguyen Xuan Dien, Hoang Ha, Nguyen Nguyen Binh, Nguyen Khanh Tram, Nguyen Van Vien, Pham Thi Lan (wife of political prisoner Nguyen Tuong Thuy), Dang Bich Phuong, and Nguyen Hoang Anh.
    • “Vietnamese security agents frequently restrict activists’ movements, blocking them from leaving their homes or neighborhood to prevent them from attending an event the government considers problematic,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of HRW. “Now the Vietnamese government has extended its policy of repressing activism by preventing people from showing support for the embattled people of Ukraine.”
    • Sebastian Strangio, a writer at The Diplomat, explained that Hanoi’s prevention of activists from joining the event might come from its desire to bar local dissidents from “interfacing with foreign governments and prospective foreign supporters.”
    • Strangio said further that the Vietnamese people’s support for Ukraine shows “the narrative of democratic resistance against authoritarian control” adding that this was “anathema to Hanoi.”
    • According to The Vietnamese Magazine’s sources, several high schools in Vietnam have warned their students against discussing or commenting on the topic of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on several social media groups, claiming that such groups have been “distorting, distributing false information, and inciting violence and protests.”
    • The high schools added that students sharing information regarding this conflict from the above-mentioned groups could be a violation of Vietnam’s Cyber Security Laws.

    Vietnam objects to the granting of International Women of Courage Award to journalist Pham Doan Trang

    Reuters:

    • On March 17, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang objected to the United States granting a prize for courage to dissident journalist Pham Doan Trang, describing her award as “unobjective and unsuitable.”
    • Hang claimed that Trang had violated Vietnamese law and thus the U.S. prize was “not conducive for the development of bilateral relations.” The spokeswoman added that Vietnam’s policy was to “always safeguard and promote the basic rights of our citizens, including women’s rights.”
    • U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Pham Doan Trang as winner last Monday at the ceremony of the International Women of Courage Award, which was also attended by First Lady Jill Biden. Blinken condemned the imprisonment of Trang as an unjust imprisonment.
    • “Despite facing threats – constant threats – she continued educating others about their rights,” Blinken said of Trang. “We condemn her unjust imprisonment. We call for her immediate release,” he said.

    Native of An Giang Province sentenced to six years in prison on subversion charge

    • On March 16, the Vietnamese court of An Giang Province sentenced Le Thi Kim Phi to six years in prison on accusations of “organizing activities to topple the government.”
    • According to the court verdict, Phi used her Facebook account to contact  members of the U.S.-based opposition group Provisional Government of Vietnam and shared on her Facebook account “anti-state information.”
    • Most of the evidence used to prosecute the case was collected on Phi’s social media account. The An Giang resident was arrested in July 2021.
    • The Provisional Government of Vietnam was classified as a terrorist group in 2018 by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security. However, according to its founder, Dao Minh Quan, there was no evidence to back Hanoi’s accusations.

    Two Khanh Hoa residents convicted of “subverting the government”

    • On March 15, the court of Khanh Hoa Province sentenced Ton Nu The Trang and Nguyen Xuan Tinh to 12 years and nine years in jail respectively on allegations of “organizing activities to topple the government.” Both will also serve an additional three years of probation.
    • According to state media, Trang participated in an online group called “Tien Rong” (Fairy and Dragon), which was regarded as “reactionary” by the Vietnamese government.
    • Meanwhile, Tinh was accused of using his Facebook account to join a secret online group called “Viet Tan tuong tro” (Viet Tan’s mutual aid), which was framed by the local authorities as a subordinate group under the control of the Viet Tan organization. Hanoi alleged that Viet Tan was a terrorist group, but the organization rejected this allegation.
    • State media quoted the court’s comment that the activities committed by Trang and Tinh were “particularly serious.” As a result, there should be a “stern punishment” to help “educate the accused” and serve as a “general prevention [and] deterrence [of such activities] in the society.”

    Vietnamese coffee growers protest over loss of land rights in Central Highlands

    RFA:

    • On March 17, about 100 coffee growers in Vietnam’s Central Highlands staged a protest following a local company’s confiscation of farm lands. The farmers claimed that they had lost the usage of land after they stopped sending some of their crops to a forestry company called Buon Ja Wam Forestry Company Ltd.
    • Local protesters say they invested their own funds to grow crops on the land provided by the company, but then had to turn over what they produced to the company, which collected their products without providing fertilizer, water, or technical assistance beforehand.
    • The villagers also said that Buon Ja Wam had sent staff to intimidate and threaten farmers who failed to make their in-kind payments on time, beating some to the point of sustaining serious injuries. Local residents also said that they suspected an interest group was backing the company.
    • “Their wrongdoings have been obvious, but as rank-and-file farmers, we had no choice but to work like slaves,” one resident told RFA.

    Vietnam – China’s South China Sea disputes

    • Reuters on March 12 quoted a state media report that Vietnam has banned Sony’s action movie “Uncharted” from its cinema screens because of a scene featuring a map that shows China’s U-shaped “nine-dash line” to stake its claim to large parts of the South China Sea.
    • Previously, Vietnam asked China not to violate its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf after Beijing held military drills from March 4 to March 15 in an area between its Hainan Province and Vietnam’s central coast, reported Bloomberg.
    • In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on March 8 at a regular press briefing in Beijing that “China’s military exercise on its own doorstep is reasonable and lawful.”
    • Meanwhile, in an unusually bold move, the Vietnamese government on March 12 commemorated the 34th anniversary of the battle of Johnson South Reef (or Gac Ma in Vietnamese.) It took place in 1988 when Vietnamese soldiers were confronted by Chinese troops when they carried construction materials onto the reef and put up a Vietnamese flag there. The event led to the deaths of 64 Vietnamese soldiers. Johnson South Reef has remained under China’s control since.

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Vietnam Netizens Reactions at Odds with Vietnam’s Stance on Ukraine

    Fulcrum/ Dien Nguyen An Luong, Amirul Adli Rosli/ March 16

    “In sum, it is the bigger chunk of Vietnamese netizens who are unhappy with their government’s abstention that reflects a stubborn challenge facing the authorities. In its constant efforts to walk on an ever-narrowing tightrope in dealing with the major powers, Vietnam has to continue keeping a wary eye on a public that has become increasingly pro-US. The growing Sino-Russian nexus seems poised to exacerbate this sentiment in Vietnam, where being cast as meek and kowtowing to Beijing can be politically damaging.”

    How to Solve the South China Sea Disputes

    ISEAS Perspective/ Bill Hayton/ March 15

    “This then suggests the basis for a compromise solution to the South China Sea disputes: each claimant keeps what it currently occupies and drops its claims to the other features. There is a legal name for this principle: uti possidetis, ita possideatis – what you have is what you keep.”

    The Russia-Ukraine War: Parallels and Lessons for Vietnam

    Fulcrum/ Hoang Thi Ha/ March 14

    “A more important parallel between Ukraine and Vietnam is that both countries lie in the immediate periphery of great powers. Their respective neighbourhoods are vulnerable to power politics and security dilemmas. Both have and will continue to be primary objects in great powers’ tussle for spheres of influence. At the heart of their national existence is the precarious line between preserving their strategic autonomy and being sensitive towards their larger neighbours’ security concerns vis-à-vis other peer adversaries.”

    💡
    More from The Vietnamese Magazine

  • Pham Doan Trang in The Star: Govt irked by ‘unsuitable’ US prize for jailed dissident

    Vietnamese authorities were greatly displeased with the United States’ decision to include human rights defender and journalist Pham Doan Trang as one of the 2022 International Women of Courage awardees.   The famed dissident was convicted for “spreading anti-state propaganda” last year.

    The economic and trade relations between the countries has greatly improved but the US has never condoned Vietnam’s systematic human rights violations.  

    Excerpt:

    The country objected to the United States granting a prize for courage to a dissident writer jailed for nine years for anti-state propaganda, describing her award as “unobjective and unsuitable”.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Pham Doan Trang as winner on Monday of an International Women of Courage prize at a ceremony attended by First Lady Jill Biden, where Blinken condemned what he called an unjust imprisonment.

    Ties between former war foes the United States and Vietnam have improved significantly in recent years, with increased trade and investments by US firms, and regular visits by presidents and top officials from Washington.

    However, Vietnam’s human rights record has been a sticking point in the relationship, with the United States critical of the government’s intolerance of dissent and frequent jailing and harassment of those who speak out.

    Trang, who published material widely on human rights and alleged police brutality in Vietnam, was detained by authorities hours after an annual US-Vietnam human rights dialogue in October 2020.

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  • LIV’s Trinh Huu Long and Pham Doan Trang in VICE: Vietnam Criticises ‘Inappropriate’ US Freedom Award for Jailed Journalist

    After the Vietnamese government’s pronouncements that Pham Doan Trang’s International Women of Courage Award was “unobjective” and “inappropriate,” Legal Initiatives for VIETNAM co-director Trinh Huu Long, a colleague of the famed dissident, thanks the United States for supporting Trang and other Vietnamese human defenders.

    • Title: Vietnam Criticises ‘Inappropriate’ US Freedom Award for Jailed Journalist
    • Publish Date: March 18, 2022
    • Publisher: VICE

    Excerpt:

    This week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced jailed Vietnamese dissident journalist Pham Doan Trang as a winner of the International Women of Courage prize—an annual award given by the Department of State to honor women advocating for human rights, peace, justice, and gender equity around the world.

    But the government of Vietnam—a communist-ruled one-party state—did not take kindly to the honor.

    At a press conference on Thursday, Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang responded to the U.S. giving Trang the courage award. Hang said the award was “unobjective” and “inappropriate” as Trang had broken Vietnamese law and been tried in court.

    The U.S. prize was “not conducive for the development of bilateral relations,” she said.

    Trang, who was arrested in October, was held without sentencing until late last year. On Dec. 14, a Hanoi court sentenced her to nine years’ imprisonment for spreading “anti-state propaganda.”

    The response showcases a sticking point between the two countries: human rights. Last year, Joe Biden’s administration said the U.S. relationship with Vietnam will remain limited until Hanoi cleans up its human rights record.

    Although the award has been critiqued by the government, Vietnamese activists celebrated the support given to Trang.

    “I thank the U.S. for standing with Trang and human rights defenders in Vietnam,” Trinh Huu Long, the co-founder of pro-democracy nonprofit Legal Initiatives for Vietnam, told VICE World News.

    “It is the Vietnamese government who consistently and systematically violates their own constitution and the international human rights treaties that they have ratified when [they] arrest and put people like Trang away for years.”

    Long met Trang at a 2011 protest in Hanoi during the summer known as Mùa Hè Đỏ Lửa or “The Flaming Summer”—a series of rallies protesting Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea. The two became friends and co-founded Legal Initiatives for Vietnam. Long is now based in Taiwan so he, unlike so many of Vietnam’s activists, can criticise the ruling communist party and not risk being jailed.

    Long said the Vietnamese constitution guarantees the right to free speech and political participation, but charging activists with anti-state propaganda is common.

    “It is a very common charge against journalists, activists, and dissidents in Vietnam,” he said. “There is no freedom of speech.”

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  • Pham Doan Trang in VOA Vietnamese Việt Nam: Mỹ trao giải thưởng cho Phạm Đoan Trang là ‘thiếu khách quan’

    Vietnam authorities detest Pham Doan Trang’s Courage award calling out the US for its lack of objectivity and inconsideration of the relationships between the two countries.  

    In a report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), Vietnam has imprisoned 146 human rights activists. The US State Department released a report last year stating Vietnam has “major human rights problems.”

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Vietnamese.

    Responding to the event that the US awarded the “International Women of Courage” (IWOC) award to journalist Pham Doan Trang, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam said that the US action was unobjective and not beneficial to the public’s interests. development of relations between the two countries.

    Earlier, on March 14, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the awarding ceremony of the “International Women of Courage” award to independent journalist Pham Doan Trang in Vietnam and 11 other women around the world. The award aims to demonstrate their exceptional courage, strength and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights… despite the danger of their lives.

    In a video posted on the website of the US Embassy in Hanoi on the day of the award ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper described Pham Doan Trang as someone who “fearlessly pursues a global society”, greater representation and space for freedom of expression in Vietnam”.

    “We applaud you, Pham Doan Trang, for your work as a human rights activist. Your bravery continues to inspire people in Vietnam and around the world,” said the US diplomat, after he affirmed that “the United States values ​​our comprehensive partnership with Vietnam.” We work to help promote a strong, prosperous and independent Vietnam.”

    Journalist Pham Doan Trang is currently serving a 9-year prison sentence for “conducting propaganda against the state”, related to her articles and peacefully expressing opinions, the US State Department announced on 8 /3 said. She was arrested on October 6, 2020 and sentenced on December 14 last year.

    Pham Doan Trang is the third woman in Vietnam to be awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the United States. Before that, blogger Mother Mushroom (Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh) was awarded this award in 2017, and Blogger Ta Phong Tan was awarded in 2013. All three were sentenced to many years in prison by the Vietnamese government for the charge of “Propaganda” against the State”, according to Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code.

    According to the International Human Rights Watch (HRW), as of December 2021, at least 146 people have been jailed by Vietnam for exercising their basic rights, including bloggers and bloggers. Famous human rights activists such as Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, mother and daughter Can Thi Theu, Truong Minh Duc, Pham Van Troi…

    The US State Department’s human rights report released last year also said that Vietnam has “major human rights problems”, including: the illegal or arbitrary deprivation of life by the government; torture by government employees; Arbitrary arrest and detention of people by the authorities; political prisoners; or major issues of judicial independence; arbitrary or unlawful interference with private life; severely restrict freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and freedom of the Internet, including arbitrary arrest and prosecution of government critics, censorship, closure of websites, legislation on defamation criminal nature; substantially interfere with the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

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    Viet Nam My trao giai thuong cho Pham oan Trang la thieu khach quan
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  • Pham Doan Trang in RFA Tiếng Việt: Việt Nam phản đối giải thưởng Phụ nữ Can đảm mà Hoa Kỳ trao cho tù chính trị Phạm Đoan Trang

    Political prisoner Pham Doan Trang gets another recognition for her human rights and freedom endeavors and the Vietnamese Communist Party is not happy with the award.

    Full Article in English:

    Note:  Original texts in Vietnamese

    The “International Women of Courage” award that the United States gave to political prisoner Pham Doan Trang in Vietnam was considered by Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang to be “unobjective, inappropriate, and not valid. beneficial to the relationship between the two countries. Vietnamese state media reported on March 17 about Ms. Hang’s above statement at a press conference in Hanoi.

    According to this spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Vietnam always protects and promotes the rights of its people, including the rights of women.

    On March 14, Vietnamese dissident journalist Pham Doan Trang and 11 women from other countries around the world were awarded the International Women of Courage Award by the US Department of State.

    At the award ceremony, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the unfair imprisonment of dissident journalist Pham Doan Trang and called on the Vietnamese Government to immediately release her.

    In the description of journalist Pham Doan Trang on the website of the US State Department, the imprisoned journalist is said to have “courageously wrote about social issues not covered by the Vietnamese media”.

    Journalist and human rights activist Pham Doan Trang was sentenced to nine years in prison on December 14, 2021 by the Hanoi first instance court for “conducting propaganda against the state”.

    After the Hanoi Court sentenced Ms. Pham Doan Trang, the US State Department also issued a statement calling on the Vietnamese government to release Ms. Trang and allow all individuals in Vietnam to freely express themselves. opinion without fear of reprisal.

    The Canadian Embassy in Hanoi also released a statement on its official Facebook page about the prison sentence of Ms. Pham Doan Trang. The Canadian diplomatic mission called on “Vietnamese authorities to allow journalists to practice without fear of arrest, harassment or retaliation, and to end widespread censorship and control over the media.” communication and freedom of speech.

    Human rights organization Amnesty International released a statement calling the nine-year prison sentence handed down by a Hanoi court to journalist Pham Doan Trang “horrific”.

    Writers International – a world-renowned organization for the protection of freedom of thought and expression of journalists and authors, released a press release calling the trial and the sentence that the Vietnamese government pronounced against the Vietnamese government. Pham Doan Trang is “an act of revenge to silence Pham Doan Trang, and to punish her for what she did.”

    Reporters Without Borders – RSF calls on the international community to impose sanctions on the Vietnamese officials responsible for such an unacceptable decision against Ms. Pham Doan Trang.

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    Viet Nam phan oi giai thuong Phu nu Can am ma Hoa Ky trao cho tu chinh tri Pham oan Trang Tieng Viet
    Việt Nam phản đối giải thưởng Phụ nữ Can đảm mà Hoa Kỳ trao cho tù chính trị Phạm Đoan Trang — Tiếng Việt.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in VOA Tiếng Việt: Ukraine – Hiếu Lê và Việt Nam – Pham Đoan Trang

    A Vietnamese-American volunteers to fight in Ukraine.  Journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang receives another international recognition.  VOA’s Tran Van in his blog reflects on both stories and finds a unique connection between the two.

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original text in Vietnamese.

    VOA’s Vietnamese Language Department reporter has been contacted with Hieu Le (1) – a character mentioned by Vietnamese-language social networks last week as one of the Vietnamese volunteers who went to Ukraine to fight against the Russian invaders. ravaging Ukraine.

    Hieu – Vietnamese-American citizen, California resident, was a US soldier, during his service time in the US army, he participated in the war in Afghanistan, after being discharged, returned to Afghanistan to work for an American company that was approved by the US military. The American team selected as a contractor to provide services related to the field of intelligence, then to the city of Medellin, Columbia (a country in Central America) to open a restaurant selling Vietnamese food – decided to suspend business. to go to Ukraine, help Ukrainians defend their territory.

    The US has just honored Pham Doan Trang – a Vietnamese who is serving a 9-year prison sentence in Vietnam for “ conducting propaganda against the state ” (2). Trang is one of 12 women worldwide to be awarded this year’s ” International Women of Courage ” Award.

    Mr. Antony Blinken – US Secretary of State explained very seriously why the US did what Vietnam derided as… ” a farce “: In December, in Vietnam , Pham Doan Trang was sentenced to 9 years in prison for writing about democracy and human rights. She wrote about the crackdown on protesters , secretly recording police interrogations. While the media stopped printing her articles, she founded her own website. Despite facing constant threats, she continued to communicate to others about their rights … We condemn her unjust imprisonment. We call for her immediate release .”

    Mr. Marc Knapper – US Ambassador to Vietnam added: Pham Doan Trang is fearless in pursuit of an inclusive society and a broader space for free speech in Vietnam, which has attracted the recognition of international … We attach great importance to the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. We encourage and support a strong, prosperous and independent Vietnam . We believe , for this country to develop, this country needs openness, transparency and inclusion , respecting the rights of all citizens that Trang has been constantly seeking through articles and advocacy. mine.We applaud Trang for her work as a human rights advocate. Your bravery continues to inspire people in Vietnam and around the world …

    Why put the story related to Hieu Le and Ukraine next to the story Pham Doan Trang and Vietnam? Because there is something worth thinking about. If Ukraine does not fervently defend the basic values ​​of a country, a people as it is known, people will certainly not support Ukraine as it is now and of course will not be able to move people like Hieu Le – naturally. felt the need to put aside personal plans to do something for foreign countries like Ukraine.

    If Vietnam were in the same situation as Ukraine is today, how many people feel the need to do something to support a political system, the public system has never hesitated to turn so many compatriots of these systems like Pham Doan Trang become… ” inmates “? How many people of Vietnamese origin will find their way back like Hieu Le when the Vietnamese people have no chance to choose… ” clown ” (6) as head, when Vietnam only has ” adept ” individuals. “In the governance and administration of the country in the communist style, without any tricks to hold on to power, he even casually questioned those who wondered about the territorial sovereignty being controlled by foreigners. challenge, infringe, that:If there is any conflict, how unstable is the situation now, can we sit here and discuss the organization of the party congress (7)?

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    Ukraine Hieu Le va Viet Nam Pham oan Trang
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