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Tag: In the Press

  • Pham Doan Trang in Nguoi-Viet: Bộ Ngoại Giao Mỹ vinh danh Phạm Đoan Trang là ‘phụ nữ can đảm trên thế giới’

    US State Department honors Pham Doan Trang as one of the 12 ‘courageous woman in the world.’

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Vietnamese.

    Independent journalist Pham Doan Trang, who is being imprisoned by the Vietnamese Communist Party with a nine-year sentence, has just been honored by the US State Department as one of 12 courageous women in the world.

    First Lady Jill Biden said during the ceremony that the US government continues to campaign for democracy to stop those who want to silence those who fight for human rights.

    Foreign Minister Antony Blinken condemned the unjust detention of Pham Doan Trang and called on Hanoi to immediately release her.

    The US State Department said that Ms. Pham Doan Trang, 44 years old, is an internationally renowned author, blogger, journalist, and human rights defender. What she writes or gives interviews is based on well-researched legal arguments to promote human rights, legal equality as well as freedom of expression in Vietnam.

    Pham Doan Trang used to be a journalist working for a number of newspapers of the communist government, but later quit blogging because she could not write what she wanted to write. She was severely injured by the Vietnamese Communist Police while attending an environmental protest in Hanoi or singing in Saigon. She escaped the police’s hunt by constantly changing her place of residence but still could not escape.

    On December 14, 2021, she was sentenced to nine years in prison in a trial denounced as defying the provisions of the regime’s own Criminal Procedure Law.

    She was falsely accused of “making, possessing or propagating against” the authoritarian one-party government in Vietnam. The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam recognizes that citizens have full rights to freedom of the press, speech, assembly, and demonstration, but people are still imprisoned based on vague criminal laws that can be explained in reverse.

    Her writings “promote human rights, good governance, and people’s right to access justice,” according to the State Department. “As an independent journalist, she courageously reported on social issues that were not covered by the (regime) press.”

    Last month, on February 10, the United Kingdom and Canada announced the awarding of the 2022 Media Freedom Award to independent journalist Pham Doan Trang for her “efforts to fight for freedom of the press, media, and protect writers, as well as honor lesser-known organizations and individuals.”

    The US government, international human rights protection agencies, all condemned the Vietnamese Communists for imprisoning her and demanding her immediate release, but to no avail.

    Before the sentencing trial of Pham Doan Trang late last year, the United Nations Human Rights Commission issued a statement calling her one of the human rights victims of the Vietnamese government.

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    Bo Ngoai Giao My vinh danh Pham oan Trang la phu nu can am
    Bộ Ngoại Giao Mỹ vinh danh Phạm Đoan Trang là ‘phụ nữ can đảm’.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in SWI: US Names Afro-Colombian Activist Josefina Klinger “Woman Courage”

    Vietnam’s prominent journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang is mentioned as one of the honorees of the 2022 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award.

    Title: US Names Afro-Colombian Activist Josefina Klinger "Woman Courage"
    Publish Date: March 14, 2022
    Publisher: SWI swissinfo.ch

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Spanish.

    Afro-Colombian activist Josefina Klinger Zúñiga was one of the women who received the “Woman Courage” award from the US Department of State on Monday for her defense of human rights and the environment in the Colombian region of Chocó.

    Along with Klinger, 12 women were honored with the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award, which is presented each year by the United States to “women from around the world who have shown exceptional courage, strength and leadership for the peace, justice, human rights and equality”.

    In addition, the Bangladeshi lawyer Rizwana Hasan, the Liberian women’s rights defender Facia Boyenoh Harris, the South African activist Roegchanda Pascoe, and the Vietnamese writer and journalist Pham Doan Trang have also been awarded.

    During the virtual awards ceremony, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had a few words for the “millions of Ukrainian women who have fled their country” in the face of the Russian invasion, including the singer Ruslana Lyzhychko, who received the “Woman Courage” award in 2014.

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    EEUU nombra Mujer Coraje a la activista afrocolombiana Josefina Klinger SWI swissinfoch
    EE.UU. nombra _Mujer Coraje_ a la activista afrocolombiana Josefina Klinger – SWI swissinfo.ch.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in Voice Of America: Pro-democracy Leaders, Jailed Journalist Among US ‘Women of Courage’ Honorees

    US First Lady Jill Biden leads the recognition for the 12 recipient of the 2022 International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award.  Award-winning Vietnamese journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang is one of the honorees.  She did not make an appearance on the online awards ceremony.  Currently, she is now serving a 9-year sentence for ‘Propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.’

    Excerpt:

    The United States honored 12 women from Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Myanmar, Vietnam and other countries, with the State Department saying they have demonstrated leadership and a willingness to sacrifice for others at an “International Women of Courage Award” ceremony Monday in Washington.

    This year’s honorees include Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an environmental lawyer from Bangladesh; Simone Sibilio do Nascimento, one of Brazil’s most prominent prosecutors; Ei Thinzar Maung, Myanmar’s pro-democracy opposition National Unity Government Deputy Minister for Women, Youths, and Children Affairs; Josefina Klinger Zúñiga, a human rights and environmental defender from Colombia; Taif Sami Mohammed, Iraq’s deputy finance minister known for fighting corruption; Facia Boyenoh Harris, who advocates for women’s rights and speaks out against gender-based violence in Liberia; Libya’s first woman foreign minister, Najla Mangoush; Moldova’s parliament member Doina Gherman, who promotes women’s inclusion; transgender activist Bhumika Shrestha who is from Nepal; Carmen Gheorghe, who promotes women’s rights in Romania; Roegchanda Pascoe, a crime prevention activist from South Africa; and jailed Vietnamese journalist Phạm Đoan Trang.

    Jailed Vietnamese journalist absent in virtual ceremony

    Phạm Đoan Trang did not attend Monday’s virtual award ceremony, since she is currently in prison.

    Pham Doan Trang is seen as a leading advocate for human rights, rule of law, and the inclusion of all voices in political spaces in Vietnam. She was sentenced to nine years in prison on Dec. 14, 2021, for “making, storing, distributing or disseminating information, documents and items against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,” according to Amnesty International.

    “We condemn her unjust imprisonment. We call for her immediate release,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken during Monday’s ceremony.

    Pham Chinh Truc is Pham Doan Trang’s brother. He attended the trial in December with their 81-year-old mother. Pham Chinh Truc told VOA Vietnamese he raised objections at the hearing and called the verdict “completely absurd and unacceptable.”

    “Trang was convicted under Article 88 ‘Propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,’” he said in the VOA interview. “As far as I know, this article has been criticized by many individuals, social organizations, and even the United Nations, who have asked the Vietnamese government to revoke this law because it is too vague. Its boundaries are not clear, but it has been used to arrest many people who have views that are contrary to the views held by the party and state.”

    Phạm Đoan Trang was a journalist with government media before leaving to write independently on democracy and free elections, according to advocacy group The 88 Project.

    The United States values its comprehensive partnership with Vietnam but believes firmly that “in order for this country to thrive, it needs to embrace the openness, transparency, inclusion, and respect for the rights of all of its citizens that Phạm Đoan Trang has relentlessly sought through her writing and advocacy,” said U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper in a pre-taped message.

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    Pro democracy Leaders Jailed Journalist Among US Women of Courage Honorees
    Pro-democracy Leaders, Jailed Journalist Among US ‘Women of Courage’ Honorees.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in United States Mission to the United Nations: Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the 2022 U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony

    U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, salutes all the heroines for their bravery and dedication to their causes.  She also mentions the United Nations 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women where the world’s governments come together to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women.

    Excerpt:

    Most of all, I am in awe of the heroines we are here today to celebrate. You are activists and journalists, peacemakers and parliament members. You are prosecutors fighting organized crime and corruption. You are community leaders bravely testifying against gang leaders. You are defenders of the environment, of indigenous rights, of LGBTQI+ rights, of human rights. You have shut down sexual harassment and lifted up the next generation of women leaders. You listen. You lead. And you show courage beyond belief.

    Of course, far too many courageous women are not able to be here, and that includes one of our honorees, Pham Doan Trang, who is imprisoned in Vietnam for her work to protect human rights and promote political participation. And then there are the tens of thousands of other women – too many to count – who demonstrate unimaginable bravery in the face of impossible cruelty each and every day.

    Right now, I cannot stop thinking about the mothers in Ukraine. The mothers who have been forced to give birth in bomb shelters. The mothers who have been forced to pass their children – alone, terrified – into crowded trains leaving the country. The mothers who have taken up arms to defend their families, their communities, their country.

    And then there are the women and girls in Afghanistan, who are being excluded from schools and jobs after decades of progress. Or the women and girls in Ethiopia, who are being subjected to rape as a weapon of war. These are all our sisters. You are here to represent them, and all the women facing such grave challenges throughout the world. And it is on us – all of us here in this room and across the world – to do right by them.

    For our part, at the United Nations, today marks the opening of the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – it’s a massive, annual session where the world’s governments come together to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women. And this year we’re paying particular attention to the role of women in the climate crisis – both how women and girls are acutely affected and how we are poised to lead the way forward. I was proud to announce our diverse delegation to CSW today, which will champion our values and the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women, girls, and gender-diverse people on all fronts. They understand – just as you do – how important it is that we speak up for those who are not in the room.

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    Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield at the 2022 US Secretary of States International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony United States Mission to the United Nations
    Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the 2022 U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony – United States Mission to the United Nations.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in US Department of State: Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 16th Annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards Ceremony

    US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken introduces the 12 courageous women from across 4 continents who have been lending their voices on issues from organized crimes, women’s rights, environmental degradation, human rights and other issues concerning marginalized groups.  

    Excerpt:

    SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you, and good morning, everyone, and good afternoon, good evening to those joining us from literally around the world, especially our honorees today.  Kat, thank you so much for that introduction, but also and especially for the great work that everyone in the Office of Global Women’s Issues does every single day to try to advance gender equity and equality around the world.

    We’re especially honored to be joined today by the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, who has been such a powerful advocate for women and girls for her entire career and is elevating these issues as our First Lady.  Welcome.  Thank you for being with us today.

    And Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, representing the United States at the United Nations every day with skill, with integrity, with a powerful voice for these issues and virtually every other issue that is before the United Nations.

    I also want to start by thanking several people for their leadership in this area:

    Lee Satterfield, our assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs, connecting this year’s honorees with people across the United States for learning and collaboration.

    Jen Klein, the executive director of the White House Gender Policy Council, a true partner to the State Department.

    And Rina Amiri, our new – not so new now – special envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights.  As women and girls face continuing restrictions on their education, employment, freedom of speech, ability to move freely around their communities and country, Rina is helping lead our efforts to advocate for their rights and their freedoms.

    As we meet, millions of Ukrainian women have fled their country with their families.  Millions more have stayed to help their country fight against Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified war.  I saw many of them on the border with Poland just about a week ago, and it’s something that stays embedded in your mind and memory as you see women coming across the border, children in tow, fleeing the Russian aggression.  One of them is Ruslana Lyzhychko, a singer, democracy leader in Ukraine and a 2014 International Women of Courage awardee.  During the EuroMaidan protests in 2013, Ruslana performed the Ukrainian national anthem every night – despite death threats – to cheer other protesters, to encourage nonviolence.  She’s in Ukraine now, using her voice to share information about the war.

    Like Ruslana, this year’s Women of Courage are making our world more peaceful, more just.

    Across four continents they’re tackling complex challenges, from organized crime to environmental degradation.  They’re advancing the rights of women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, and other marginalized groups.  And despite harassment, violence, imprisonment, they persist.

    Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s awardees are joining us via video, but I am deeply honored to introduce and celebrate these remarkable women:

    In December, Phạm Đoan Trang was sentenced to nine years in prison in Vietnam for her writing on democracy and human rights.  She wrote about crackdowns on protestors and secretly recorded her own police interrogation; when media outlets stopped printing her work, she founded her own.  Despite facing threats – constant threats – she continued educating others about their rights.  We condemn her unjust imprisonment; we call for her immediate release.

    These twelve women are separated by thousands of miles – but they are united in their dedication to serving their countries and communities with extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice.

    The United States stands with them.  We’ve seen the remarkable progress they’ve made toward building peace, building security, building equality, building justice.  And through our diplomacy, we’re working alongside them to advance those goals.

    We also want to lift up other women like them. We know there are future Facias, and Bhumikas, and Carmens who share many of the same aspirations – and face many of the same obstacles.

    That means we have to address gender inequities that often relegate women to the sidelines and combat the violence that women and girls around the world endure every single day.  That’s why we’re incorporating women’s equal rights throughout our foreign policy, with initiatives like the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.

    And we know policies designed with women and girls in mind are more effective and more enduring.  By advancing gender equity, we can achieve greater prosperity and more lasting peace and security for all.

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    Secretary Antony J Blinken at the 16th Annual International Women of Courage IWOC Awards Ceremony United States Department of State
    Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 16th Annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards Ceremony – United States Department of State.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in VOA Tiếng Việt: Phạm Đoan Trang sẽ được Đệ Nhất Phu nhân Mỹ vinh danh ‘Phụ nữ Can đảm Quốc tế 2022’

    Acclaimed Vietnamese journalist and human rights defender Pham Doan Trang is one of the 12 International Women of Courage for 2022.  Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, will bestow the recognition in an online award ceremony to be held this March 14.

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Vietnamese.

    Independent journalist Pham Doan Trang, who is being held by the Vietnamese government, will be honored by Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, in honor of International Women of Courage 2022, along with 11 other women around the world.

    The online award ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Washington time on March 14, chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to the US State Department’s announcement.

    Journalist Pham Doan Trang, currently serving a nine-year prison term for “Propaganda against the State”, will be named by First Lady Jill Biden, recognizing her outstanding “courageous achievement”.

    Pham Doan Trang is an internationally recognized author, blogger, journalist and human rights defender who, through her writings and interviews, uses well-researched legal arguments. to advocate for human rights, the rule of law, and to bring every voice into political spaces in Vietnam,” the State Department said in a statement.

    Pham Doan Trang is an author and co-founder of many community service organizations that focus on expanding political participation and promoting human rights, good governance, and access to justice. As a journalist, she boldly reported on social issues that the Vietnamese press had never mentioned before, according to the US State Department.

    Download article in Vietnamese:

    Pham oan Trang se uoc e Nhat Phu nhan My vinh danh Phu nu Can am Quoc te 2022
    Phạm Đoan Trang sẽ được Đệ Nhất Phu nhân Mỹ vinh danh ‘Phụ nữ Can đảm Quốc tế 2022’.pdf
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    Pham Doan Trang will be honored by the First Lady of the United States as International Women of Courage 2022
    Pham Doan Trang will be honored by the First Lady of the United States as _International Women of Courage 2022_.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in SWI: Las periodistas encarceladas nunca había sido tantas como ahora, 62

    In a report by RSF, there are at least 62 women journalists who are languishing in prison, including Pham Doan Trang.  Vietnam’s prominent journalist is known for her peaceful activism by authoring several books on law and co-founding Luat Khoa Tap Chi (Journal of Law.)

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Spanish.

    The number of women journalists imprisoned for their work in the world today, 62, has never been so high and that “in extremely harsh conditions,” reported Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday.

    This figure represents a growth of 38% compared to the data registered a year ago, indicated RSF, which explained that this increase is due “mainly to three authoritarian regimes”, China, Belarus and Burma.

    All three have toughened their crackdown on a profession in which women are increasingly numerous.

    In addition to these three regimes, in Vietnam there are 3 women detained like Pham Doan Trang, winner of an RSF award and sentenced to nine years in prison for “propaganda against the state”.

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    There have never been more jailed women journalists than now 62 SWI swissinfoch
    There have never been more jailed women journalists than now, 62 – SWI swissinfo.ch.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in Radio Free Asia: Vietnam’s crackdown target: citizens who can inspire others

    The Vietnamese Communist Party has been arresting dissidents, including independent journalists, religious figures, land rights activists and environmentalists- generally, anyone who can mobilize and influence their fellow citizens.  

    Excerpt:

    The political activist Pham Doan Trang, who was arrested in October 2020, was a particular headache for the Vietnamese government as she was not philosophically inclined in her writing. Instead, she communicated Vietnamese laws, constitutional rights, and procedures in ways that ordinary people could understand. She exposed how the government violated its own laws, garnering her a large following. She’s now serving a nine-year sentence for spreading “propaganda against the state.”

    That Mother Mushroom and Pham Doan Trang had won multiple foreign awards and had deep international networks of support only amplified their voices at home. International recognition raised concerns of foreign interference amongst the conservative party elite.

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    Vietnams crackdown target citizens who can inspire others Radio Free Asia
    Vietnam’s crackdown target_ citizens who can inspire others — Radio Free Asia.pdf
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  • Pham Doan Trang in VOA Tiếng Việt: Việt Nam phản đối Anh, Canada trao giải cho nhà báo bất đồng chính kiến

    Vietnam opposes Britain, Canada awarding dissident journalist

    Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi, Pham Thu Hang said that Vietnam objected to the Media Freedom Award given to acclaimed journalist Pham Doan Trang by the British and Canadian Foreign Ministries, stating that the prominent human rights activist has “violated Vietnamese law.”  Furthermore, the Spokesperson also said that the Ms. Trang’s recognition is “not conducive to the development of bilateral relations with Vietnam.”

    Excerpt:

    Note:  Original texts in Vietnamese.

    The British and Canadian governments announced the awarding of the 2022 Media Freedom Award to Trang, Vietnam’s most famous dissident journalist, at the Press Freedom Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, on February 10. This is the latest award for Trang, who is internationally recognized for her work fighting for democracy in a Vietnam where there is little freedom of the press and is often criticized for its poor human rights record.

    Responding to this, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi, Pham Thu Hang, said that the British and Canadian Foreign Ministry’s handing the award to Ms. Trang, whom the Vietnamese government considers “a violative individual” who has been “breaking the law”, is a “partial” and “inappropriate” action.

    Responding to a reporter’s request for comment on the awarding, Hang said on February 18 that the 44-year-old dissident journalist had been “arrested and tried for several times in serious violation of the law.”

    Ms. Trang was arrested in October 2020 and sentenced to nine years in prison for “Propaganda against the state” last December. Western governments, including the US, and international human rights organizations have voiced their objections to the Vietnamese government’s conviction.

    According to the deputy spokeswoman of BNG Vietnam, Ms. Trang has “contacted organizations and individuals abroad, published illegal publications with content to propagate, guide, and incite activities to overthrow the people’s government.” Ms. Hang said this behavior was “dangerous to society.”

    In addition to co-founding Luat Khoa Magazine, an independent journalistic form in Vietnam, Trang is also the author of many books banned from being published in the country, including “Popular Politics” and “Protesting non-violence.” Before her arrest, Ms. Trang and Mr. Will Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American citizen who had been detained in Vietnam, published the Dong Tam Report, which outlined the “human rights violations” of the Hanoi government in the past year; a deadly raid because of a land dispute between the authorities and the people of Dong Tam village.

    British Secretary of State Lord Ahmad called Ms. Trang a “brave human rights defender of Vietnam” while the Canadian Foreign Ministry called the jailed Vietnamese journalist “a supporter of human rights and the rule of law”, during the awarding of the imprisoned Vietnamese democracy activist.

    BNG Vietnam’s deputy spokesman on February 18 warned that the awarding by the British and Canadian Foreign Ministries to Ms. Trang would be “not conducive to the development of bilateral relations with Vietnam.”

    Download the article in Vietnamese:

    Viet Nam phan oi Anh Canada trao giai cho nha bao bat ong chinh kien
    Việt Nam phản đối Anh, Canada trao giải cho nhà báo bất đồng chính kiến.pdf
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    Vietnam opposes Britain Canada awarding dissident journalists
    Vietnam opposes Britain, Canada awarding dissident journalists.pdf
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  • LIV’s Vi Tran in Asia Democracy Chronicles: Who’s afraid of NGOs?

    LIV’s Vi Tran in Asia Democracy Chronicles: Who’s afraid of NGOs?

    Quynh-Vi Tran, co-founder of Taiwan-based Legal Initiatives for Vietnam and editor-in-chief of The Vietnamese Magazine, wrote a commentary on how Vietnam has never been keen on having non-profits and how the country has made it even more difficult for such groups to continue operating in the country.

    Excerpt:

    When I was at the pre-session conference for Vietnam’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review in December 2018, the representative of the Canadian Mission in Geneva asked me — after I had delivered my statement on the death penalty in Vietnam — what the distinction was between registered and non-registered civil society organizations in Vietnam. Despite five consecutive years of working on human rights in Vietnam, I still could not give the representative a full definition of the distinction between the two groups. I just didn’t know how to explain it.

    I was only able to reply that Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV), the organization that I had co-founded with journalists Pham Doan Trang and Trinh Huu Long, was not registered in Vietnam. We fell under the category of “non-registered” organizations.

    LIV is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in California. As of December 2021, we were also registered as a legal entity in Taiwan. Nevertheless, it does not matter how many countries recognize LIV as a legal entity. Vietnam will still consider it as “non-registered” as long as the Vietnamese Communist Party is still the only political party in the country. That is because it wants to de-legitimize LIV as an official non-profit organization so that it can create propaganda against us, our work, and our staff. It makes it easier for the Party to defame us by saying that we are not a legitimate media group since we are not registered in Vietnam.

    Why would the Party want to treat LIV like this? It is because LIV operates two online magazines and we refuse to comply with state censorship and also self-censorship. We are a truly independent media organization, and we also call for political pluralism in Vietnam.

    Ever-shrinking civic space

    When I started writing these lines during the first month of 2022, Vietnam had already sentenced two NGO directors to four and five years’ imprisonment for tax evasion. The two are Mai Phan Loi, a former journalist and the director of the Center for Media in Educating Community, and Dang Dinh Bach, the director of Law and Policy of Sustainable Development. Both men had worked on environmental rights. Both organizations are “registered” NGOs in Vietnam.

    In January 2022, Nguy Thi Khanh, the co-editor and founder of Green ID, was also arrested under another alleged tax evasion charge, the free-speech group The 88 Project reported. Nguy Thi Khanh had won an international award for her work in sustainable energy development. On Feb. 9, the Vietnamese media reported that she had been formally prosecuted by the Hanoi Police investigation department.

    After the convictions of Loi and Bach and the arrest of Khanh in January, I started to believe that Vietnam had never made a real distinction between registered and non-registered non-profit groups. Organizations were not black or white. Vietnamese authorities just never wanted the expansion of the civil society sector in the country. Therefore, the idea that people like Loi, Bach, and Khanh joining the DAG of the EVFTA to observe the government’s compliance in an international trade deal would be just as worrisome for Vietnam as how LIV and its independent magazines write facts and truths about them.

    The price of speaking out

    Did learning about how the government began its suppression of the registered organizations in Vietnam make me lose hope for a day when human rights will be respected in Vietnam? No, it did not.

    When Pham Doan Trang, Trinh Huu Long, and I began to develop LIV with our two online magazines, our common goal was to use journalism to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Vietnam. We wanted to write and to be a part of independent journalism. In an authoritarian regime like Vietnam, however, that meant that the three of us had to take on a role that few people would be willing to take: being classified as “enemies of the state.”

    Because we dared to take on this role, my close friend and colleague, Pham Doan Trang, was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment in December 2021, after more than one year of being detained incommunicado. Trinh Huu Long and I cannot go back to Vietnam; if we do, it’s certain that we will meet the same fate as Doan Trang.

    From the recent convictions of Loi and Bach — the directors of two registered NGOs in Vietnam — we can see that the fate of Doan Trang was being shared with many NGO workers inside the country. But that will not deter those of us from continuing our work. Because for us, the government has shown that it fears civil society.

    If any person or group demands that Vietnam respect human rights, be it the freedom of expression, workers’ rights, or environmental rights, the government only shows one reaction: to arrest and imprison those asking for such rights. This demonstrates that the Vietnamese government is the main culprit that is preventing Vietnam from being a country that respects human rights and follows international laws.

    The authoritarian nature of our government is the cause that prevents Vietnam from moving forward to be a democratic country. But the more suppression the government does — be it toward the registered or non-registered groups — the weaker it becomes.

    LIV and I will continue to write about the human rights situation in Vietnam because we need to continue to tell the truth and hold the authorities accountable. LIV exists so that the stories of Pham Doan Trang, Mai Phan Loi, and Dang Dinh Bach will be told to the public. These are the stories that we will carry with us on our way toward achieving democracy and human rights for our nation. And we will get there someday.

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    Whos afraid of NGOs Asia Democracy Chronicles
    Who’s afraid of NGOs_ _ Asia Democracy Chronicles.pdf
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