Today, 30 November, the Supreme Court of Danang upheld the 10-year sentence of prominent human rights defender and blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Mother Mushroom). Civil Rights Defenders denounces the decision to uphold Mother Mushroom’s sentence and calls for her immediate release and an end to the harassment of her family and supporters.
As world leaders have gathered in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Civil Rights Defenders joins a coalition of 14 human rights organisations launching the NOW! Campaign. Through the campaign, the coalition calls on the Vietnamese Government to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, including human rights defenders who have been jailed for their activism.
Mr. Truyển is a human rights defender who has peacefully exercised his right to freedom of expression to advocate for the rights of others, and has been detained solely for his beliefs and the peaceful exercise of rights protected under international human rights standards. We call on the government of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Nguyễn Bắc Truyển and all other persons who are arbitrarily detained.
On 10 October 2016, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Me Nam) was arrested while on her way to visit another rights defender in prison. Her arrest and ongoing detention should be seen as nothing more than persecution against her courageous defence of human rights. Today, on the one-year anniversary of Me Nam’s arbitrary arrest and detention, Civil Rights Defenders urges the government of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release her.
Vietnamese blogger Me Nam has been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for “conducting propaganda” against the Vietnamese State. Civil Rights Defenders stands in solidarity with and expresses full support to Me Nam for her legitimate human rights work. The international community must strongly protest and condemn the Vietnamese government violations against human rights and the continous non-acceptable persecution of human rights defenders.
Joint Public Statement: Vietnamese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, also known by her blogging pseudonym, Mẹ Nấm (Mother Mushroom), Amnesty International and Civil Rights Defenders said today. She is a prisoner of conscience, being held and tried solely for her peaceful activities promoting and defending human rights.
Civil Rights Defenders has been informed that the family of detained blogger Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (also known as Me Nam or “Mother Mushroom”) has been surrounded and confined by security police. Vietnam’s authorities should immediately lift this brazenly illegal measure and cease reprisals against Mother Mushroom’s family, which add to the injustice already made to the prominent blogger and her loved ones.
Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was arrested and detained on 10 October 2016 for allegedly conducting “Anti-state propaganda”. 200 days have passed and she continues to be denied any contact with her family and lawyer. Popularly known under her pen name Me Nam (“Mother Mushroom”), Ms. Quynh has for more than a decade been using social media to speak out against the Vietnamese government’s human rights violations.
International Women’s Day (IWD) should be a wake-up call for the Vietnamese authorities to halt the repression and abuse of women who speak out for human rights, social justice and progress, Civil Rights Defenders said ahead of IWD celebrations on 8 March. Vietnam should seize this opportunity to take a first step to demonstrate its commitment to women’s rights by releasing all women human rights defenders, activists and bloggers it arbitrarily detains.
The Vietnamese authorities continue to step up their repression against civil society with the recent convictions of human rights defenders Trần Anh Kim and Lê Thanh Tùng on December 16. Both are accused of establishing an organisation aiming to replace the current Communist regime with a democratically elected government under Article 79 of the draconian Penal Code.
Yesterday, the Vietnamese Blogger, Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh was detained by the authorities in Khanh Hoa province of Vietnam accused of spreading propaganda against the State. Writing under the pen name Me Nam (Mother Mushroom), Ms. Qunyh was the 2015 recipient of the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award. No trial date has been given, but if convicted, Me Nam could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years which is permitted under the current law.
Civil Rights Defenders and scores of other civil society organisations have written to the President of the Vietnam National Assembly on Vietnam’s draft Law on Belief and Religion expressing their concerns regarding the proposed Law. The draft law, which has been revised several times has drawn strong criticism from many religious communities, is expected to be voted into law by the National Assembly at its session in October-November 2016.
Against the backdrop of a growing and diversifying civil society movement, the Government of Vietnam continues to repress dissidents and human rights defenders and has taken steps in recent years to amend or introduce laws and regulations that impact on civil and political rights. A host of laws, regulations and decrees grant broad discretionary powers to officials to impose restrictions of basic rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution and under international human rights law. The public consultation period before the adoption of a revised Constitution in 2013 saw significant public demand for rule of law reforms. The legislature has amended a number of laws in 2015, including the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Civil Code. Laws on public assembly and on association are pending.
On the eve of the 34th anniversary of Vietnam becoming a party to key human rights treaties, the human rights situation in the country continues to be marked by the prosecution and imprisonment of human rights defenders, violence against activists and protesters, use of repressive laws to criminalise expression and assembly, and inadequate guarantees to ensure citizens’ right to participate in public affairs, including in land use and environmental decision-making.
The arbitrary transfer of political prisoner Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức to a remote prison does not comply with Vietnam’s obligations under international human rights law and standards, Civil Rights Defenders said today. Thức, who was an active blogger before his imprisonment, was transferred on 5 May to a prison about 1500 km away from where his immediate family is based. His family did not receive prior notice.
In a joint statement released on 26 April, Civil Rights Defenders and several other civil society organisations call on Vietnam to carry out an investigation into allegations that Mrs. Tran Thi Hong was tortured on 30 March 2016 by the local authorities of Gia Lai Province, while in custody. We call on Vietnam to bring perpetrators to justice and provide reparations to Mrs. Tran Thi Hong.
On March 23, prominent blogger Nguyễn Hữu Vinh, more known under his pen name Anh Ba Sam, was sentenced to five years in prison. His assistant Nguyễn Thị Minh Thúy received a three-year prison sentence. “This is a clear case of the Vietnamese authorities using vaguely worded legal provisions as a tool to silence human rights defenders,” said Brittis Edman, South East Asia Programme Director at Civil Rights Defenders.
This week the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council begins in Geneva, Switzerland. Vietnam is in the final year of its three-year term as a council member. Yet its cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms remains weak. Arbitrary restrictions on civil and political rights in Vietnam are on-going, despite the country being a state party to multiple international human rights treaties.
Civil Rights Defenders along with six civil society organisations call on the Vietnamese authorities to immediately release two prisoners of conscience Nguyễn Văn Đài and Lê Thu Hà. They were arrested on 16 December 2015 and charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for ‘Conducting propaganda against the state’. All efforts by family and legal counsel to visit the pair since their arrests have been denied.
In a statement released today, Civil Rights Defenders joins 25 civil society groups in calling on the Vietnamese authorities to drop charges against and immediately release human rights defenders Mr Nguyễn Vãn Ðài and Ms Lê Thu Hà, who have been in police custody in Hanoi after their arrest three weeks ago. The police have charged Ðài, a former prisoner of conscience, and his colleague Hà with “anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison sentence of between three and 20 years.
The second half of 2015 saw an alarming rise in the number of violent attacks and threats against human rights defenders, petitioners, and their family members in Vietnam. Civil Rights Defenders calls on the Vietnamese authorities to end these attacks and to bring perpetrators to justice in line with Vietnam’s international human rights obligations.
Civil Rights Defenders along with numerous other civil society organisations in a letter to President Obama have called on him to press for the release of Vietnam’s most long standing prisoner of conscience Thich Quang Do. President Obama is due to attend the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and the US – ASEAN and East Asia summits where he will have the opportunity to meet with Vietnamese leaders.
Civil Rights Defenders joins 26 civil society organizations in calling for Vietnam’s government to comprehensively revise the draft Law on Belief and Religion to comply with Vietnam’s obligations under international human rights law, and to do so through broad-based and inclusive consultation. In its present form, the draft law places limitations on freedom of religion or belief that extend beyond those permitted under international human rights law that is binding on Vietnam.
In a joint statement eleven civil society organizations, including Civil Rights Defenders, express concern about the possible refoulement by the Cambodian government of over 100 Montagnard asylum seekers to Vietnam. Cambodia should uphold its legal obligations and initiate Refugee Status Determination procedures for all individuals currently seeking asylum in the county.
Authorities in Vietnam have blocked at least 33 human rights defenders and activists from freely travelling abroad or internally in the last six months, despite legal protection of the right to freedom of movement. Civil Rights Defenders considers these restrictions arbitrary and in violation of Vietnam’s obligations under its own Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Despite a rainy weekend, hundreds turned out to attend the 4th annual Viet Pride in Hanoi, that included a bike rally through the streets of the capital city on August 02nd . As part of its work to combat non-discrimination worldwide, Civil Rights Defenders supports Viet Pride and has participated in this year’s events along with a growing coalition of local and international supporting organisations, including civil society groups, businesses, and foreign embassies.
Le Quoc Quan, a prominent human rights lawyer and blogger, left An Diem prison in Quang Nam province last Saturday after completing his 30-month sentence. Civil Rights Defenders considers the 2013 “tax evasion” charges against Quan reprisal against his writings on human rights abuses and democratic reforms, topics usually not reported by State-controlled media in Vietnam.
In this briefing paper, Civil Rights Defenders highlights the rapid spread of information and communications technology (ICT) in Vietnam, its transformative and empowering impact on human rights activism and access to information, and the government’s repressive response to Internet based activism.
Several human rights organizations call on the Vietnamese government to abide by their international and domestic obligations and immediately release Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Vietnamese ICT entrepreneur and blogger. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was arrested under the initial charge of “promoting anti-government propaganda” under Article 88 of the Vietnamese Penal Code for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
In the first five months of 2015, assaults and harassment of activists and bloggers continue with almost absolute impunity in Vietnam. At least 27 petitioners, activists and bloggers, including 6 women, have been violently attacked and injured since January.
On January 30 two men violently broke in to the human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai’s apartment in Hanoi. They threatened to burn his home and assault him. He is a prominent human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist in Vietnam, and one of several human rights defenders who have been attacked in recent weeks.
On 10 December a coalition of Vietnamese civil society groups, Civil Rights Defenders and other international human rights organisations, urged the Vietnamese authorities to give three detained human rights defenders, including Bui Thi Minh Hang, a public and fair trial.
Prominent Vietnamese blogger Dieu Cay has been released after years in prison. But the Vietnamese authorities effectively forced him into exile. On 21 October, Dieu Cay, whose real name is Nguyen Van Hai, left Hanoi and arrived in Los Angeles, where he was welcomed by a crowd of supporters.
While Civil Rights Defenders gears up for its first participation at Stockholm Pride Parade on August 02, our partners, Viet Pride, are also preparing for the third ever LGBT pride celebration in Vietnam under the theme “Together”.
Le Quoc Quan, a human rights lawyer well known for his oppositional blog posts, remains in prison after a court in Hanoi upheld a previous sentence against him on 18 February. There was hope that Vietnam’s new found place on the UN Human Rights Council might increase pressure on the judiciary for a fair trial leading to his release so the decision is highly regrettable.
In Vietnam, an amended constitution enters into force on 1 January 2014. This marks the end of a constitutional review process that opened up for unprecedented discussions and criticism of issues previously off limits, including one party rule and human rights protection.
On 29 October, a court in Vietnam handed down a suspended prison sentence to Dinh Nhat Uy, a blogger and activist, effectively releasing him from prison into house arrest. However, the indictment clearly shows the problem with Article 258, enabling prosecution against people exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Vietnam is seeking a seat in the UN Human Rights Council. At the same time the regime are tightening the restrictions for freedom of expression on the Internet through new regulations. Peaceful activists are arrested, threatened and harassed. This has led to one of the most sophisticated human rights campaigns that Vietnam has ever seen.
Under a banner of “Strive with pride”, the second Pride festival ever in Vietnam was successfully held in Hanoi, 2-4 August. The festival was organised by a network of members of the LGTB community and supporters. Civil Rights Defenders is one of the partners working with Viet Pride.
A prominent imprisoned Vietnamese blogger, Nguyen Van Hai, more known under his pen name Dieu Cay, is on hunger strike since four weeks. Hai, who is serving a 12 years prison term for his peaceful activism, reportedly started his hunger strike on 26 June in protest against prison conditions. In a related development, 69 bloggers issued a first-ever joint statement for law reform.
A high profile appeals hearing against Dieu Cay and two other bloggers, in Ho Chi Minh City on 28 December, show that heavy-handed muffling of dissenting opinions continues in Vietnam. Civil Rights Defenders call on the Vietnamese authorities to release all peaceful bloggers and to respect the right to freedom of expression.
Three Vietnamese bloggers were convicted to long prison sentences on Monday, 24 September, because of their peaceful activism. The most renowned, Nguyen Van Hai, got 12 years in prison. His crime: he criticized the authorities and demanded increased freedom of expression. Civil Rights Defenders urges the international community to increase the pressure on Vietnam to release Nguyen Van Hai, Ta Phuong Tan and Phan Thanh Hai.
Through promoting human rights and criticism of the Vietnamese government, Nguyen Van Hai (alias Dieu Cay) has drawn the ire of the government. He has been behind bars since 2008 and his family and lawyers have had no access to him during the past 18 months. In April he is once again brought to trial, now for under national security legislation for his peaceful blogging.
Sorry, this entry is only available in Swedish. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language. En resa som präglas av förtroende, mod och utmaningar. Svenska kommittén för Vietnam, Laos och Kambodja anordnar seminarium med frågan: går det […]
Sorry, this entry is only available in Swedish. For the sake of viewer convenience, the content is shown below in the alternative language. You may click the link to switch the active language. Under senare år har rapporterna duggat tätt om exploatering av utländska bärplockare bland annat från Thailand och Vietnam. Många har slitit hårt […]
On World Press Freedom Day we want to draw attention to Dieu Cay, who was Vietnam’s most influential bloggers when he was arrested in April 2008. His voice for democracy in Vietnam and against widespread corruption was silenced. Today, nobody knows where he is being held.
Our guest speaker in this spring’s last seminar in the series “One hour of human rights,” talks about the human rights situation in Vietnam. What issues are most important? How is the civil society organized in the country and how much do ordinary people know about human rights? Giang Nguyen was born in Vietnam and […]
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