As the summer solstice now fades into the distance, the second half of 2014 looms before us. Read on to see what Vietnam has done so far in 2014 and to see what we can do to ensure a safer, more peaceful, and more democratic second half of the year for the people there. The […]
On June 20th, during the 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Vietnam’s human rights situation, the Council affirmed Vietnam’s position as a part of the UNHRC. The UPR Info Twitter feed expressed that ahead of Vietnam’s review, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, UNICEF, and the […]
In recent days, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that an imprisoned pastor, Nguyen Cong Chinh, has faced abuse at the hands of his prison guards after asking for better treatment for himself and his fellow prisoners. Religious leaders in the country have sent a petition to the government asking for an end to harassment of these prisoners of […]
Cu Huy Ha Vu, a former Vietnamese prisoner of conscience who recently moved to the United States, wrote a piece for the Washington Post about the current state of human rights and freedom of expression in Vietnam. In the article, he cites that there are 400 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam today. He states that […]
Just two days after World Press Freedom Day and after the release of several prominent activists, the Vietnamese authorities arrested two more bloggers. Reporters Without Borders writes that Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy were arrested on May 5th for the content of their writings. They were arrested under Article 258 of Vietnam’s Penal […]
These past few weeks have brought both joy and skepticism to the international community in regards to Vietnam’s human rights record. Though three activists have been released in Vietnam in recent weeks, many activists remain imprisoned. Amnesty International asserts that seventy Vietnamese remain jailed. The recent releases are a call for both celebration and caution. […]
These past few weeks have brought countless surprises, joys, and losses alike for the Vietnamese activist community and its friends. On March 21st, Dinh Dang Dinh and Nguyen Huu Cau were released from prison. Unfortunately, Dinh Dang Dinh, who was battling stomach cancer, died on April 3rd at age 50. Nguyen Huu Cau, 68, also […]
Mid-March brought the arrest of yet another prominent blogger in Vietnam. Sixty-two year old Pham Viet Dao was arrested in June of 2013 and sentenced to fifteen months in prison on March 19th. Truong Duy Nhat was sentenced to two years in prison just weeks earlier. Pham Viet Dao was sentenced under Article 258 of Vietnam’s […]
After well-known lawyer Le Quoc Quan’s sentence was upheld in Vietnamese court last month, neither pro-democracy activists nor the Vietnamese government are backing down. Activists continue to campaign for his release and the release of others and for the fair treatment of print, online, and personal expression under Vietnamese law. On the other hand, despite […]
As the third week of February comes to a close, the international community condemns the appeal trial verdict in the case of blogger and lawyer Le Quoc Quan. His sentence was upheld on February 18th. His trial drew crowds of protestors and has human rights organizations around the world calling again for critical reform in […]