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  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam’s Press Freedom Restrictions Highlighted In RSF’s Latest Report

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam’s Press Freedom Restrictions Highlighted In RSF’s Latest Report

    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 ranks 174th in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 press freedom index

    • On May 3, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its annual ranking and evaluation of press freedom in 180 countries and territories around the world. Vietnam ranks 174th in RSF’s report this year, moving up one place from last year’s 175th position.
    • According to RSF’s evaluation, the press freedom ranking is based on the assessment of each country’s performance in five different indicators, including political, economic, legislative, social, and security. Vietnam ranks 173rd, 176th, 172nd, 170th, and 170th in each category, respectively.
    • In a press release following the publication of the World Press Freedom Index, RSF underscored how the increasing polarization of the media had fuelled divisions and created tensions within and between many countries at the international level. The press freedom advocate added that fake news, propaganda, and unregulated disinformation had created “disastrous effects” as well as “weakened” democracies around the world.
    • There are currently 41 journalists imprisoned in Vietnam, according to RSF’s index. They include the prominent journalist Pham Doan Trang, five members of the journalistic initiative Bao Sach (Clean Newspaper,) and three journalists of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN.)

    Vietnamese activist transferred to hospital for treatment of depression  as her mental health deteriorates

    • Nguyen Thuy Hanh, an activist popularly known for her founding of the 50K Fund, the monetary fund to assist the families of political prisoners in Vietnam, has been transferred to Central Mental Hospital No. 1 in Hanoi for depression treatment amid her worsening mental health condition, according to her husband Huynh Ngoc Chenh. Hanh was previously held in pretrial detention under investigation for “anti-State activities.”
    • According to Chenh, Hanh was reportedly transferred to the mental hospital at the end of April but he only learned about her situation after he was notified by the investigation authorities on May 6. The investigation police added that her pretrial detention term was temporarily suspended and the investigation process would resume as soon as she recovers from her illness.
    • Chenh also expressed concern on his Facebook that the Vietnamese authorities could use Hanh’s mental health conditions to forcibly make her stay in de facto police custody without having to bring her case to trial.
    • Previously, the Vietnamese activist and blogger Le Anh Hung was also forced to receive treatment in the Central Mental Hospital despite his family saying that he had no problems with his mental health. Hung has been held in the mental hospital since 2019 and his case has never been brought to trial. There were also reports that he was subjected to abuse and mistreatment during his treatment.
    • In the latest update on social media, Chenh said he was finally allowed to meet Nguyen Thuy Hanh on May 7 in the mental health facility after she was held incommunicado for 13 months. He wrote that Hanh got skinnier but still looked healthy and youthful.
    • Also according to Chenh, Hanh complained about the poor conditions of her place of detention; meanwhile, the depression medications prescribed for her personally, that Chenh sent to her every four months, were replaced by the detention center’s own medicines without notifying her or her family.

    Vietnamese Facebook user sentenced to eight years in prison for “distributing anti-State materials”

    • Vietnam’s State media on May 5 reported that a Vietnamese court in Tien Giang Province has sentenced Tran Hoang Huan, a local Facebook user, to eight years imprisonment and three years probation on charges of “making, storing, or distributing anti-State information and materials” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.
    • Huan’s indictment states that in the period between September 2020 and April 2021, he regularly accessed webpages having “poisonous and reactionary” content as well as foreign news channels that had a “hostile and defiant” attitude towards the Vietnamese government.
    • Consequently, Huan used the information obtained from these channels to write and publish a total of 186 posts on his personal Facebook account in order to “distort, slander and defame the Party and State  leaders” as well as “attack and insult the regime and deny the revolutionary achievements.”
    • In 2020, Huan was fined 12,5 million dong by the Tien Giang provincial authorities for “providing false information which distorts and defames the dignity of individuals and organizations.” He had previously received police summonses in 2016 and 2017 under the same charges.

    Vietnam arrests high profile business leaders amid the government’s intensifying crackdowns on corruption

    • Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security on April 29 issued an arrest warrant and conducted a house search for Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, a businesswoman and the director of Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC), for her alleged involvement in corruption related to the construction of a hospital in  Dong Nai Province.
    • It was reported that she had traveled to Japan on a business trip since February last year and still has not returned to Vietnam.
    • However, according to an exclusive report published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on May 1, Nhan is also known for her role as a key middlewoman in promoting and facilitating Vietnam-Israel arms deals over the past decade. Haaretz wrote that the primary reason behind Nhan’s prosecution was to crack down on rampant corruption in arms purchases between Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense and Israel’s security exporters.
    • Russia has traditionally been one of Vietnam’s main arms suppliers. But Hanoi in recent years has sought to diversify and modernize its military weaponry amid Beijing’s intensifying aggression in the South China Sea, and most recently due to Western sanctions against Moscow as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.
    • Hanoi’s latest crackdown on the country’s top business leaders, including the arrests of billionaire Trinh Van Quyet and property developer, Do Anh Dung, earlier this year, signaled the expansion of the Communist Party’s anti-corruption campaign against government bureaucrats, including high profile corporate leaders.
    • According to several analysts and entrepreneurs, the turmoil in Vietnam’s economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the government to tackle corruption in an effort to speed up economic recovery. The World Bank said in a report that problems such as declining incomes, job losses, and inequalities, among other things, are cautionary signs for the Vietnamese government as the country faces a much more challenging phase of COVID-19 ahead.

    Vietnam protests as China declares annual South China Sea fishing ban

    RFA:

    • Hanoi has recently spoken up against China’s announcement of a unilateral fishing moratorium in the South China Sea, which began on May 1, and covers the waters north of 12 degrees north latitude in the South China Sea. Both  Vietnam and the Philippines claim this area as their “traditional fishing grounds.”
    • According to the spokesperson for Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry, Le Thi Thu Hang, Beijing’s imposed three-and-a-half-month fishing ban is “a violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction.” The moratorium applies to part of the Gulf of Tonkin and the Paracel Islands, both claimed by  China and Vietnam.
    • “Vietnam requests China to respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its maritime zones when taking measures to conserve biological resources in the East Sea (South China Sea), without complicating peace, stability, and order in the East Sea,” Hang added.

    Vietnam and Japan agree to boost trade and security ties

    Reuters:

    • Japan and Vietnam agreed on Sunday to boost economic and security ties while calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during a Southeast Asia tour.
    • Chinh said the two “agreed to boost cooperation in post-pandemic trade, strengthen supply chains and energy transition, in accordance with mutual interests.” Japan is Vietnam’s largest provider of official development aid and third-largest source of foreign direct investment. Bilateral trade rose 8.4 percent last year to $42.9 billion, according to Vietnam’s customs data.
    • Kishida and Chinh said they discussed regional responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and disputes in the South China Sea, where China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have competing territorial claims. Chinh also announced Vietnam’s donation of $500,000 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine via international organizations.

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Vietnam and the new Pacific Trade Triangle

    East Asia Forum/ Tran Van Tho/ May 6

    “This trade pattern resembles a new Pacific Trade Triangle comprised of China, South Korea, and the United States, with Vietnam as the focal point. The trade triangle of the 1980s featured industrializing Asian economies such as South Korea and Taiwan, who imported intermediate and capital goods from Japan and exported final consumer goods to the United States.

    This led to large trade deficits with the former and surpluses with the latter, resulting in a trade conflict with the United States. Newly industrializing economies in Asia solved this problem by substituting imports from Japan for upgrades in their own industrial structures.

    The current Pacific Trade Triangle in which Vietnam is enmeshed is riskier. On the one hand, the United States may impose protectionist measures on trading partners with which it has large deficits. On the other hand, over-reliance on imports from China may bring about instability when changes in Chinese domestic policy affect trade with neighboring countries.”

    The Russia-Ukraine War: Unpacking Online Pro-Russia Narratives in Vietnam

    ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute/ Hoang Thi Ha, Dien Nguyen An Luong/ April 27

    “The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war following Moscow’s invasion on 24 February has sparked intense public debates on Vietnam’s social media. For Vietnam, the ramifications of the war are felt beyond the economic and diplomatic realms. It has become an online hotbed of conflicting and confounding narratives that demonstrate different worldviews and political leanings among Vietnamese netizens. Of note, those who support Russia and Putin have been as energized and engaged as those who are against the war and sympathetic towards Ukraine.”

    Vietnam unleashes the taxman on dissent

    Asia Times/ David Hutt/ May 4

    “Now ‘tax evasion’ is being added to the repressive mix. There is an ‘emerging and disturbing pattern in the use of Vietnam’s tax laws to criminalize environmental leaders, and follows the broader targeting of civil society leaders, as well as shrinking civil society space,’ said the International Federation for Human Rights and the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights in a recent report.”

    Vietnam’s cable car craze is driving environmental decline

    Southeast Asia Globe/ Govi Snell/ May 2

    “But the cable-car craze represents something bigger than the sum of the concrete pillars, steel, cables, and glass. The rapid development showcases how giant conglomerates are carving out space on Vietnam’s coasts and mountains for resorts and tourism complexes that some argue negatively impact the environment and have little benefit for local communities.

    Cable cars are often key features of these projects and enable thousands of people daily to visit some of the country’s most environmentally tenuous locales. Land is often cleared for construction and the high volume of tourists shuttled to now easily accessible destinations leads to waste buildup, putting pressure on the ecosystem.”

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    More from The Vietnamese Magazine. 
  • 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.”

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    More from The Vietnamese Magazine

  • 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)?

    Download article in Vietnamese:

    Ukraine Hieu Le va Viet Nam Pham oan Trang
    Ukraine – Hiếu Lê và Việt Nam – Pham Đoan Trang.pdf
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    Ukraine Hieu Le and Vietnam Pham Doan Trang
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  • Vietnam Briefing: Ambassadors In Vietnam Call On Hanoi To Support Ukraine

    Vietnam Briefing: Ambassadors In Vietnam Call On Hanoi To Support Ukraine

    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

    Ambassadors in Vietnam call on Hanoi to support Ukraine in the midst of Russia’s invasion

    RFA:

    • Nearly two dozen ambassadors from the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom serving in Vietnam have called on Hanoi to support Ukraine in an op-ed published on March 8. The call was publicized following Vietnam’s abstention in the United Nations’ resolution condemning Russian aggression against a sovereign country.
    • The diplomats also acknowledged Vietnam’s special relationship to Russia due to its shared history with the Soviet Union. “The Soviet Union helped Vietnam in times of need when others did not,” wrote the op-ed signed by 22 ambassadors in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. “But the Soviet Union is long gone and we are in a new era,” they added.
    • “But in this time of crisis we must all focus on the fundamental question of whether it is justified for Russia, a big country, to bully and invade its neighbor Ukraine, in order to try and redraw boundaries on the map against international rules,” the letter noted.
    • In conclusion, the diplomats implored Vietnam to share their view that de-escalation and withdrawal are the right actions for legal and humanitarian reasons as well as the correct political choice for Russia and the international community for the sake of peace and stability.

    Vietnamese police continue investigation into local monastery over “abuse of democratic freedom” charges

    • State media on March 8 quoted a police officer in Long An Province Police as saying that they had continued their search and further investigations into Tinh That Bong Lai, a local monastery and orphanage, over accusations of “abusing democratic freedom,” “committing fraud,” and “incest.”
    • Previously, the police had conducted an investigation into the monastery and arrested four of its monks and nuns, including head monk Le Tung Van, for “abusing democratic freedom.” Van was later granted bail and put under house arrest due to his old age.
    • Three other monks, Le Thanh Hoan Nguyen, Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, and Le Thanh Trung Duong were recently transferred to a provincial detention center and had their detention duration extended for another month to comply with a further police investigation.
    • Attorney Dang Dinh Manh, who registered as one of Tinh That Bong Lai’s defense attorneys, told RFA on January 21 that the nuns and monks living inside the monastery were “completely isolated from the outside world,” referring to the heavy police presence guarding the facility.
    • Several independent observers claim that the Vietnamese authorities have deployed these charges to legitimize their suppression of religious freedom.

    Vietnamese villagers protesting over land rights attacked by plainclothes individuals

    RFA:

    • More than 100 Vietnamese villagers demanding title to their land were assaulted on March 7 by attackers wearing civilian clothes while police looked on and refused to intervene, according to local sources.
    • The attack took place in Dien Ban Town, located in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province. It came after petitioners set up tents and raised banners in front of the town’s People’s Committee headquarters, asking for their right to land plots for which they paid five years ago, RFA quoted a local source as saying.
    • A group of around 30 men wearing face masks, helmets, and civilian clothes later arrived and attacked the group, beating petitioners including children and elderly women, said Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, a local petitioner. “They even sprayed us with fire extinguishers and took away our tents, illegally detaining protesters and taking them to a nearby police station,” she added.
    • Individuals associated with the police have frequently been used by Vietnamese authorities in the past to break up land-rights protests or attack political dissidents or members of unsanctioned religious groups.

    Pham Doan Trang featured as a recipient of the 2022 International Women of Courage Award

    • On March 8, the U.S. Department of State announced a list of 12 women recipients of the 2022 International Women of Courage Award (IWOC). This year, Vietnamese journalist Pham Doan Trang has been featured as one of the award recipients for her works and advocacy of “human rights, rule of law, and the inclusion of all voices in political spaces in Vietnam.”
    • In its 16th year, the IWOC Award has honored women around the world who “have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity,” writes the media note. The awardees have been recognized especially for their sacrifice due to the risky nature of their work.
    • According to the State Department, the awardees are nominated by U.S. diplomatic missions in their host countries and the finalists are chosen and approved by senior State Department officials. The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, will deliver her remarks at the IWOC ceremony recognizing this year’s IWOC awardees.
    • Meanwhile, in an interview with RFA on International Women’s Day on March 8, activist and singer Mai Khoi said that up to 63 percent of Vietnamese women have experienced a certain type of violence, and the lack of government attention to this important issue.
    • “The most important thing is every Vietnamese woman needs to understand her rights,” Mai Khoi said in the interview. “Once they have a good understanding, they will use their rights properly and not allow violence and abuse. They will also be able to become the person they would like to be.”

    German Consul General meets with local activists in Vietnam’s Central Highlands

    VOA News:

    • On March 9, Josefine Wallat, consul general at the Consulate of Germany in Ho Chi Minh City, held a meeting with Vietnamese human rights and religious freedom activists in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province.
    • On the next day, Wallat visited the families of Ngo Van Dung and Huynh Thuc Vy, two local prisoners of conscience in the region, and  Pham Ngoc Thach of the Vietnamese Gospel Mennonite Church. During the visit, she asked about the conditions and overall health of the political prisoners. “I am truly glad that they [the German consulate] care about us, even though we live in a rural area,” said Huynh Thi Kim Nga, wife of Ngo Van Dung.
    • Dung was a citizen journalist and also a member of the Hien Phap (Constitution) group, an organization established with an aim to educate Vietnamese citizens of their constitutional rights. He was arrested in 2018 under “disrupting security” charges and sentenced to five years in prison. Huynh Thuc Vy was a freelance blogger who was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for spraying paint on Vietnam’s national flag.
    • According to the activists and the prisoners’ families, the local authorities did not harass and prevent them from meeting with the German consul general. But the activists noticed that there seemed to be secret surveillance from the public security forces.

    Vietnam Prime Minister pays tribute to martyrs of the Spratly reefs skirmish

    VnExpress:

    • Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid tribute on March 12 to soldiers who died defending the Johnson South Reef, or Gac Ma in Vietnamese, against China 34 years ago.
    • Chinh laid floral tributes and burned incense at the Gac Ma memorial site in the central province of Khanh Hoa, which commemorates the 64 Vietnamese soldiers who died defending the reefs in the Spratly Archipelago on March 14, 1988. Vietnam subsequently lost the battle and Gac Ma was later controlled by Chinese forces.

    Two military officials arrested for being involved in Vietnam’s COVID-19 testing kit fraud

    VnExpress:

    “Two officials at the Military Medical Academy in Hanoi were arrested Tuesday for their involvement in the test kit fraud of Viet A Technology Corporation.

    Colonel Ho Anh Son, deputy director of the academy’s Military Medical Research Institute, is being investigated for “embezzlement” and “abuse of power and official position” in line with the Penal Code, while Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Hieu, head of the Equipment and Supplies Department, is under investigation for “violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences.””

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Ukraine: Putin’s Vietnam?

    WhoWhatWhy/ William Dowell/ March 10

    “The irony is that, in contrast to Vietnam, Ukraine really has strategic importance. It is the keystone to security in Europe, effectively a buffer that separates today’s Russia from its former satellite colonies in Eastern Europe. Short-range nuclear missiles stationed in Ukraine could hold most of the capitals of Europe hostage to Putin’s ambitions. Likewise, if Ukraine were to fall in NATO’s camp, similar missiles could threaten Russia’s heartland.”

    School Closures and Child Labour: The Pandemic’s Social Cost

    Fulcrum/ Thai Long, Phi Minh Hong/ March 11

    “Most countries do not officially report child labour statistics, but the available data paints a sobering picture. UNICEF’s database, published by Save the Children, shows that child labour – defined as the proportion of the population aged 5 to 17 years involved in work – is significant in the ASEAN region. However, the problem varies in severity across countries. Between 2012 and 2019, child labour incidence was recorded at 28.2 percent in Laos and 13.1 percent in Vietnam. Cambodia’s rate of 12.6 percent is identical to the global average. ASEAN countries have implemented excellent policies to reduce poverty and raise awareness about child development over the past years, but COVID-19 might have slowed down or even reversed the progress made.”

    Russian Invasion of Ukraine Poses Geopolitical Quandaries for Vietnam

    Fulcrum/ Phan Xuan Dung/ March 2

    “Hanoi’s problem is that many of the parties involved in the conflict have healthy and cooperative relationships with Vietnam. Russia is a comprehensive strategic partner and Vietnam’s largest weapons supplier. The US enjoys growing security and defence cooperation with Vietnam. Ukraine has a comprehensive partnership with Vietnam and the two countries have been stepping up bilateral cooperation on various issues. Vietnam’s business and trade connections with Europe are also thriving. Hanoi would want to avoid rocking the boat in any of these relationships.”

    Why the Russia-Ukraine War is Not the Same as the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979

    The Diplomat/ Khang Vu/ March 1

    “The difference in Vietnam having an official ally while Ukraine does not renders infeasible any attempts to use the Sino-Vietnamese war to predict Russian behavior. We cannot even guess if China’s invasion of Vietnam would have been limited in the absence of a Vietnam-Soviet alliance, or whether China would have invaded had Hanoi never tilted to the Soviet side in the first place. Counterfactual reasoning is rarely easy.”

    Vietnam’s crackdown target: citizens who can inspire others
    RFA/ Zachary Abuza/ March 7

    “In fact, security forces are increasingly surgical in who they target: people who have the ability to mobilize their fellow citizens.

    That speaks to the insecurities and vulnerabilities of the Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), which rose to power not just through their leadership in the anti-colonial struggle against the French and Americans, but through their ability to mobilize the population. That remains a key function of the party.”

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  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Abstains From Condemning Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam Abstains From Condemning Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

    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 abstained from United Nations’ resolution condemning Russian aggression

    • On March 2, as the UN General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Vietnam remained one of 35 countries that abstained. It is also one of the only two countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN,) together with Laos, that chose not to publicly vote in favor of the resolution.
    • In the resolution, the UN stated that it deplored “the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.” It also demanded that Russia “immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine” and “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces.”
    • Vietnamese Ambassador at the UN Dang Hoang Giang on March 1 made a speech during its special session on the situation in Ukraine, calling on involved parties to “stop the use of force, resume dialogue, and seek longterm solutions to differences.”
    • He also mentioned the need to “ensure security and safety of the people and protect essential infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law” and asked the international community to “continue providing humanitarian aid for civilians.”
    • Nataliya Zhynkina, chargé d’affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Ukraine in Vietnam, wrote in a Facebook status that she was “deeply disappointed” about its abstention.
    • As Russia’s closest partner and ally, the Vietnamese government has been largely silent on voicing its support for Ukraine while refraining from criticizing Russia for its unprovoked attacks on a sovereign state. Meanwhile, local pro-government internet users have also been seen widely supporting the Kremlin’s manufactured reasons for its invasion.

    Vietnamese scholars, lawyers, and activists show support for Ukrainian people

    Radio Free Asia:

    • Two groups of Vietnamese scholars, attorneys, and representatives from civil society organizations voiced support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invading army. It strikes a markedly different tone than their government’s stance, which has largely been silent on the war.
    • In a letter to Nataliya Zhynkina, three dozen Vietnamese declared themselves “freedom lovers” and urged Ukrainians to resist Russia in defense of their “young democracy,” which emerged from an authoritarian past.
    • Among the signatories were members of the Civil Society Forum, Nguyen Trong Vinh Club, Le Hieu Dang Club, Lap Quyen Dan, and Vietnam Independent Writers Initiative. They noted that while Vietnam is a communist country, many Vietnamese believe that independence and democracy — values that Ukrainians are protecting — are important.
    • The letter and a second one a group of attorneys wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin circulated among closed groups on Facebook. They stand in sharp contrast to the Vietnamese government’s overarching passivity to the conflict.
    • The two letters also criticized Vietnamese who support Putin’s actions in Ukraine. “Given invasion threats from China, as Vietnamese people, they should have empathized with Ukrainian people instead of supporting Putin’s invasion,” Mac Van Trang, an expert on sociopolitical issues in Vietnam, said about the pro-Russia stance of several Vietnamese groups. “How stupid and narrowminded they are!”
    • Meanwhile, on March 4, a group of local activists and civil society organizations gave donations worth more than 200 million dong (US$8,755) to the Ukrainian Embassy in Vietnam via its chargé d’affaires Nataliya Zhynkina. The donations were locally raised and “surpassed 200 million after one day,” one of the organizers wrote. “We understand and […] share the losses that the Ukrainian people and its government have been bearing,” he added.

    Vietnamese activist arrested on allegations of “distributing anti-state materials”

    • Vietnam’s state media on March 1 reported that Ho Chi Minh City Police had arrested Tran Van Bang, a local dissident, and pro-democracy activist, for investigations of his alleged activities of “storing, making, and posting online materials that propagandize, distort, and defame the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” It added that his posts had “intended to defy the government and negatively affect social security and order.”
    • Bang was subsequently prosecuted under Article 117 of Vietnam’s 2015 Penal Code, which penalizes anyone who “distributes anti-state materials.”According to the police, the investigation agency had conducted a search of his house and “collected a number of books and materials containing anti-state information.”
    • Following Bang’s arrest, his attorney – Dang Dinh Manh – told RFA that he was in the process of registering to defend his client. Attorney Manh added that he would be allowed visitation to his client only after the police finished its investigation.
    • Bang, 61, is a member of the Le Hieu Dang Club, a local organization advocating for democracy and the protection of Vietnam’s sovereignty, and also a regular attendee at several anti-China protests in Vietnam. In 2015, he was assaulted by security forces at an anti-China rally in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Vietnamese court postponed the trial of former journalist

    • On March 3, the Hanoi People’s Court announced that the trial of former independent journalist Le Van Dung was postponed after one of the judges tested positive for COVID-19, according to attorney Ha Huy Son.
    • Previously, Dung had his trial scheduled on March 11 on accusations of “distributing anti-state propaganda.” The new trial date will be announced later, Son added.
    • Commonly known by his pen name Le Dung Vova, Dung was detained in late June last year after the police issued a national warrant for his arrest. He owned a Vietnamese language personal media channel – Chan Hung Nuoc Viet TV – where he reported and live-streamed his comments on different social and environmental issues.

    China announces South China Sea drills close to Vietnam coast

    Reuters:

    “In a statement late on Friday, the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration said the drills would start from the same day and last until March 15.

    It provided coordinates for an area roughly halfway between Hainan’s Sanya and the Vietnamese city of Hue. Sanya is home to a major Chinese naval base.”

    Salinization in Mekong Delta in Vietnam to a spike in March

    Radio Free Asia:

    “On Feb. 7, Vietnam’s Southern Institute of Water Resources Research (SIWRR) said that the Mekong Delta had been suffering from early salinity intrusion since the beginning of the dry season as China had been limiting water discharge from its upstream hydropower plants.

    According to SIWRR, China’s decision to cut water discharge from its storage reservoirs to generate electricity has been one of the key causes of the salinity levels.”

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: The Diplomatic Dilemma Facing Vietnam

    The Diplomat/ Hai Hong Nguyen/ March 4

    “Prima facie, these statements reveal that Vietnam faces a dilemma in how to respond to the war in Ukraine. Reading between the lines, however, Vietnam is sending different messages not only on Russia and Ukraine but also with regard to other potential future conflicts.”

    ASEAN needs to uphold principles, not neutrality, in Ukraine war

    Nikkei Asia/ Huong Le Thu/ March 2

    “Still, ASEAN’s muted response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine is disappointing. Even more so was the joint statement by ASEAN foreign ministers calling for restraint from “all parties.”

    Trying to remain impartial when one country is bombing the unarmed civilians of another country does nothing to uphold the principle of neutrality. It is, in fact, a blurring of black and white.”

    ASEAN response to Ukraine crisis a show of ‘diplomatic cowardice’

    RFA/ Zachary Abuza/ March 2

    “Already riddled with divisions over Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, the damming of the Mekong, the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, and the 2021 coup d’êtat in Myanmar, ASEAN, through its toothless response to the Russian invasion, yet again is proving inept in collectively addressing a security issue with potential implications for Southeast Asia.”

    What’s in a Name: The Promise and Peril of a US-Vietnam ‘Strategic Partnership’

    The Diplomat/ Phuong Vu/ March 2

    “It should not be controversial to point out that Vietnam and the U.S. share a deeper, more multi-faceted relationship than some nations higher up in Hanoi’s diplomatic hierarchy. Since 2013, the U.S.-Vietnam comprehensive partnership has made significant strides. In 2020, bilateral trade reached $92.2 billion, more than nine times higher than Vietnam’s trade with India. The U.S. is Vietnam’s 11th largest investor, with nearly $10 billion invested in the country.”

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  • Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam “Concerned” About The Situation in Ukraine, Plans To Evacuate Its Citizens

    Vietnam Briefing: Vietnam “Concerned” About The Situation in Ukraine, Plans To Evacuate Its Citizens

    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 courts approve appeal requests for local activists

    • On February 14, the Hanoi Supreme People’s Court sent a notice to attorney Dang Dinh Manh that on January 27 it had approved his application as a defense lawyer for the appeal trial of journalist Pham Doan Trang.
    • The court’s decision was followed by Doan Trang’s request for an appeal after her conviction of “distributing anti-state propaganda” and received nine years of imprisonment. The appeal hearing is expected to take place within 90 days of the approval day.
    • Also, the family of activist Do Nam Trung announced last week that the Hanoi Court on the same day had approved attorney Dang Dinh Manh as a defense lawyer for his appeal hearing. Trung was given a 10-year prison sentence for “distributing anti-state propaganda” last year, which was considered relatively harsh given his less well-known activism.
    • Meanwhile, attorney Manh also told RFA Vietnamese in an interview that he would defend Le Huu Minh Tuan, a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), in his appeal hearing scheduled on February 28. Tuan was sentenced to an 11-year prison sentence in January 2021, along with two other members of IJAVN, on allegations of “distributing anti-state propaganda.
    • At the same time, Tran Quoc Khanh, who self-nominated himself as a candidate for Vietnam’s National Assembly elections last year, had his previous conviction upheld at an appeal trial on February 17. Khanh was sentenced to six and a half years of imprisonment last October under allegations of “distributing anti-state propaganda.”

    Vietnamese court to try another independent journalist on “anti-state” charges

    • The Hanoi People’s Court is scheduled to hold a trial on March 11 for the independent journalist Le Van Dung, commonly known by his pen name Le Dung Vova, on accusations of “distributing anti-state propaganda,” according to his defense lawyer Ha Huy Son.
    • Dung, 52, was detained in late June last year after the police issued a national warrant for his arrest. He was on the run when the investigation authorities announced their decision to prosecute and arrest him in May 2021.
    • Le Van Dung owned a Vietnamese language personal media channel, Chan Hung Nuoc Viet TV, where he reported and live-streamed his comments on different social and environmental issues. According to Dung’s family, the evidence used to prosecute him mostly consists of his online live streamings.
    • Attorney Son also told RFA Vietnamese during an interview that his client’s health and mentality remained stable.

    Local citizens assaulted over land rights disputes

    • Last week, a video showing a group of people wearing uniforms beating up several female protesters was widely circulated on Vietnamese social media. The conflict was later confirmed to have occurred at a construction site on February 18 in Hoang Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province.
    • According to RFA’s investigation, the citizens who were assaulted during the conflict are members of a local family who had disputes over land ownership with an investment company called Flamingo. The company is carrying out a luxury resort project at the locality. Meanwhile, the attackers were said to be Flamingo’s security guards.
    • Tran Huy Hiep, who recorded the video, and who also has a land ownership dispute with Flamingo, said that his land was forcefully confiscated by the investment company without any compensation. When asked about whether or not his family had informed the provincial authorities of the conflict, Hiep said his family had contacted the district authorities, but that they claimed that “the land was owned by the local district government” and therefore it has the right to “sell that [land] to the company.”

    The Archdiocese of Hanoi calls for respect for religious freedom in a letter to authorities

    Agenzia Fides:

    • On February 24, the Catholic Church in Hanoi sent a letter of urgent complaint to various Vietnamese provincial and national authorities and called on the People’s Committee of Hoa Binh Province to respect the religious freedom and pastoral activities of the Catholic faithful in the province.
    • The letter was published four days after two people entered the Vu Ban Church in Hoa Binh Province, taking the microphone from the pulpit and ordering those attending mass to disperse for “pandemic control” reasons. The people are the secretary of the Communist Party of the city of Vu Ban City, Pham Hong Duc, and vice-president of its People’s Committee, Pham Van Chien.
    • In the published letter, the Archdiocese of Hanoi said: “This is a disrespectful act, an abuse of power that seriously violates the right to religious freedom, the right to the religious practice of bishops, priests and laypeople.”
    • The statement also said that this gesture “is unacceptable in a country where the rule of law prevails” and it “has aroused indignation and the pain of those who attended the mass as well as all those who saw the images on the web and social media.”

    The Vietnamese government, “concerned” about the situation in Ukraine, plans to evacuate citizens

    • In a statement on February 25, the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said Vietnam “is concerned about the armed conflict in Ukraine” and that it called on involved sides “to exercise restraint, abide by the United Nations Charter and basic principles of international law,” among other things.
    • The country, however, did not condemn Russia’s military operations against Ukraine while only describing the invasion as “armed conflict” on state media.
    • At the same time, Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered the Ministry of Transport to prepare plans to evacuate Vietnamese citizens and their families in Ukraine, VnExpress reports. According to government numbers, there are about 7,000 Vietnamese people living in Ukraine, mainly in Kharkiv, Odessa, and Kyiv.

    U.S. envoy for climate vows to help Vietnam meet key COP26 commitment

    VnExpress:

    • The U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, has expressed his appreciation for Vietnam’s COP26 commitments and reaffirmed the U.S. pledge to assist the country with this effort.
    • Kerry, who paid a four-day visit to Vietnam starting February 22, said the U.S. stood ready to assist Vietnam in reviewing, adjusting its strategy, and planning towards the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, a key commitment announced by Vietnam’s leaders at COP26 in the United Kingdom last November.
    • He also added the United States would continue to work closely with Vietnam on specific and timely measures, especially in developing renewable energy and reducing emissions, formulating policies to phase out coal power, and developing sustainable infrastructure.

    Forbes Vietnam removes a man from its Under 30 list following harassment allegations

    VnExpress:

    • Ngo Hoang Anh, 22, has been removed from the Forbes Vietnam Under 30 list, the magazine announced Thursday. The Forbes list published on February 14 honors Anh in the field of science and education, but it drew a backlash after several high school classmates said they had been verbally harassed by him.
    • “Regarding the case of Ngo Hoang Anh, after carefully considering all aspects of the issue, including the inspirational spirit of the list and Ngo Hoang Anh’s wishes in an email sent to the magazine, Forbes Vietnam decided to withdraw him from Year 2022 Under 30 list.”
    • The Forbes Vietnam 30 Under 30 listing has been honoring Vietnamese youth in several areas including businesses and startups, science and education, social activities, art, entertainment, and sports.

    Vietnam Hit by Fuel Shortages as Hundreds of Retailers Run Dry

    Bloomberg:

    “Vietnam is suffering from fuel shortages with hundreds of retailers forced to halt sales, prompting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to order an investigation of the market, including imports and exports of gasoline.

    Nearly 300 petrol and oil retailers across the country have stopped product sales, according to the trade ministry, which carried out a round of inspections. Reasons ranged from insufficient supplies from wholesalers and distributors to workers contracting Covid-19, it said. Local media have published photos of shuttered petrol stations displaying signs that they had run out of gasoline.”

    Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

    On Ukraine crisis, Vietnam media stray from typical pro-Russia coverage

    RFA/ RFA Staff/ February 24

    “When the so-called Euromaidan protest movement rocked Ukraine in 2014, followed by the Russia-Ukraine conflict that led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia, Vietnamese state-run media generally blamed the crisis on “the West.” Fault was seen to lie with the U.S. and on NATO expansion aimed at bringing Ukraine out of Russia’s sphere of influence.

    Today, the picture is different.”

    Looking beyond the tip of Vietnam’s corruption iceberg

    East Asia Forum/ Hai Hong Nguyen/ February 23

    “With public attention increasing, the Viet A case will serve as a ‘test kit’ for Trong and the CPV’s anti-corruption efforts. Vietnamese netizens are embroiled in the question of the true perpetrators behind this multi-million-dollar case. Some suspect the case is wholesale ‘state manipulation’ beyond just a few bad actors. Regardless, Phan Dinh Trac, an assistant to Trong in the CSCC and Head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs (CCIA), recently affirmed that the CCIA would pursue the Viet A and other grand corruption cases to the end despite mounting pressure.”

    President Phuc Wants To Solidify Vietnam’s Strategic Ties With Singapore

    Eurasia Review/ Veeramalla Anjaiah/ February 25

    “With a population of about 100 million people and a dynamic market profile (low-cost labor, rapid-growing economy, and strategic location among other strengths), Vietnam is an appealing target for Singapore partners to establish businesses.

    Vietnam needs a strong supporter like Singapore in its conflict with China. The aggressive behavior of China in the SCS and growing tensions between China and the US are threatening the peace and security in the region.”

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