Vietnamese Communist party steadily ratchets up the pressure. The Vietnamese authorities are tight-lipped when it comes to requests for comment on the fate of political dissidents, who are facing a growing crackdown on their activities.
When asked by email about the cases involving Nguyen Ngoc Quang and Nguyen Thu Tram, who have been forced to flee the country after being interviewed by the Guardian, the foreign ministry was giving little away. "No individual is arrested, detained or imprisoned for their religion, belief and expression of their political views in Vietnam. Only those who violate the law are handled in accordance with the law," said Luong Thanh Nghi, a spokesman. Yet events in Vietnam suggest otherwise. Since the Communist party congress in January, the authorities have steadily ratcheted up the pressure on dissidents. Fifteen religious activists have been imprisoned since 30 July. The situation is unlikely to change any time soon. Un opposant vietnamien poursuivi pour propagande contre l’Etat. Biểu tình lần 3 tại Hà Nội : LS Dương Hà kêu gọi trả tự do cho Cù Huy Hà Vũ. NGUYỄN VĂN ĐÀI.
Vietnam: Ensure Fair Hearing for Legal Scholar. (Bangkok) – The outcome of the August 2, 2011 Appeals Court hearing on legal scholar Cu Huy Ha Vu’s conviction on national security charges will have important repercussions for the rule of law and freedom of expression in Vietnam, Human Rights Watch said today.
In a trial on April 4, in which Human Rights Watch found serious procedural violations, Dr. Vu was sentenced to seven years in prison for propagandizing against the Vietnamese government, under article 88 of the Penal Code. The conviction violated his right to free expression, Human Rights Watch said. “Dr. US embassy cables: Vietnam picks its new leaders. CLASSIFIED BY: Michael Michalak, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B), (D)
Tuyet N. T.: Where were all those vaunt... Rampant nationwide corruption in Vietnam & how people fight back on the web « NamViet News. Systematic Corruption ruptures Vietnam with inequality The majority of corruption cases in Vietnam involves land or infrastructure projects Since the mid-1980s, the time when Vietnam launched the ‘Doi Moi (industrialization)’ project to boost the national economy, Vietnam has recorded remarkable GDP increase rate, 7 to 8% a year.
However, the economic inequality gap and government debts are huge, and show no sign of shrinking. Primary reasons for the problems lie in the structure of the ‘industrialization’. The only legal political party, the Vietnam Communist Party, utilized state owned enterprises(SOE) as useful tools which enable the government to take a firm grip on the state economy. Commonplace collusion between politics and economy, interwoven through shares, squandered bailout money and venal practices in the name of ‘industrialization’, generated astounding breeding ground for corruption and rapidly increasing debts.
Viet Nam: Amnesty International Demands Release of Prominent Vietnamese Activist Jailed Over Democracy Calls. Amnesty International Media ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseTuesday, April 5, 2011.
Two cyber-dissidents harassed for calling for Middle East-style protests. Because of their age and ill health, Reporters Without Borders urges the government to be lenient with two cyber-dissidents in their 60s who are facing possible imprisonment for urging Vietnamese to follow the example of pro-democracy demonstrators in the Middle East.
Their poor health would only be exacerbated if they were sent back to jail. They are Nguyen Dan Que, 69, an independent journalist, who has been charged with anti-government propaganda and Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic priest and human rights activist, 64, who has a brain tumour and whose very worrying condition would inevitably suffer if he had to resume serving an existing jail sentence. Un cyberdissident condamné à huit ans de prison pour “propagande contre l’Etat” Le militant pro-démocratie Vi Duc Hoi a vu sa peine de huit ans de prison et cinq ans d’assignation à résidence réduite en appel à cinq ans d’emprisonnement et trois ans de résidence surveillée, pour “propagande contre l’Etat”.
Reporters sans frontières condamne néanmoins cette décision, qui reste très sévère. “La “faute” de Vi Du Hoi est d’avoir publié sur Internet des articles sur les expropriations, la corruption ou le multipartisme. La réduction de peine qui lui a été accordée en appel n’est que symbolique. Elle ne saurait faire oublier la dureté de la répression qui sévit actuellement dans le milieu de la dissidence et des défenseurs de la liberté d’expression.” a déclaré l’organisation.
Vietnam: deux catholiques relaxés en appel - dépêches AFP - la-Croix.com. Letter From Vietnam. As Vietnam becomes a player in world trade, its human rights record and treatment of dissidents come under increased scrutiny.
The world must do more. Ho Chi Minh City About the Author. Le Viêt-Nam adopte un nouveau décret pour “encadrer” les journalistes et les blogueurs. A l’approche du Congrès du Parti communiste, Reporters sans frontières demande la libération des cyberdissidents emprisonnés. Concern as Vietnam plays 'national security' censorship card. Bangkok, January 13, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about a new executive decree issued on January 6 in Vietnam that will give authorities greater powers to penalize journalists, editors, and bloggers who report on issues deemed as sensitive to national security.
The new media regulations were issued amid a mounting clampdown on dissent shortly before Wednesday's opening of the 2011 Communist Party Congress. "Ultimately, this new decree aims to increase government control over 's already over-regulated and highly suppressed media," said , CPJ's Senior Southeast Asia Representative. "The language of the decree is overly broad and represents the government's latest use of rule by law justifications to limit press freedom, including over the Internet. "