On September 5, 2019, the People’s Court of Ninh Binh Provinces held the first instance trial against Le Van Sinh, a 54 year-old resident of Ninh My Commune, Hoa Lu District. The Court slammed him with a five-year conviction in jail for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State,” under Article […]
Vietnam ranks sixth on the Committee to Protect Journalist’s (CPJ) newly-released report, the 10 Most Censored Countries, only behind Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, and China. “A raft of repressive laws and decrees sharply curtails any media criticism of the one-party government, its policies, and its performance,” CPJ states. The report cites Vietnam’s jailing […]
On July 3, Chinese survey vessels and coastguard ships entered Vanguard Bank, an area located entirely in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone, to conduct seismic research. This, however, was obviously not the only purpose of the “survey mission.” According to Hu Bo, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, the mission was specifically […]
Nguyen Dang Minh Man is a former political prisoner who just completed her eight-year prison sentence on August 2, 2019. The Catholic activist and photojournalist was arrested in 2011 for recording peaceful protests and sentenced for subversion. Behind bars, she endured difficult conditions, went on hunger strike, and was also placed in solitary confinement. This […]
Part 2: Substantive Commitments to Freedom of Expression There are not many accepted recommendations directly concern with freedom of expression. These limited recommendations still need to be examined and monitored carefully to make sure that the promises do not get lost in vain. 1. Recommendations no. 168 and 184 on freedom of opinion and freedom […]
Part 1 – Vietnam’s UPR Commitments on Freedom of Expression: Overview and General Legal Environment Assurance Promises Overview On 26 June 2019, the Vietnamese government concluded its UPR cycle with the Addendum replying to the recommendations of participating States. With the acceptance of 241 recommendations (out of 291), of which 220 are fully accepted and […]
“[In the end] I hope that our activities will pressure the authorities to make a change.” Nguyen Nguyen Binh, a political activist and translator, spoke to us about the risks of her activities, and how she believes it’s worth taking them. Full interview coming soon!
Greetings from The 88 Project! We are bringing you news, analysis, and actions regarding human rights and civil society in Vietnam during the week of July 8-14. Many news items this week are related to the ongoing hunger strike in Prison Camp 6, Nghe An province. Today is the 34th day of the hunger strike, yet situation of […]
Today marks the 30th day since prisoners of conscience at Camp 6 in Nghe An province went on hunger strike in objection to the Prison Camp authorities’ removal of all the electric fans despite the severe heat wave. This incident has angered many people inside and outside of Vietnam. An urgent appeal petition has received […]
Greetings from The 88 Project! We are bringing you news, analysis, and actions regarding human rights and civil society in Vietnam during the week of July 1-7. Many more political prisoners, including Nguyen Trung Truc, Nguyen Van Dien, and Vu Quang Thuan have started a hunger strike against what they call “cruel” treatment in prison, prompting the civil […]