Vietnam Free Expression Newsletter No. 32/2024 – August 15-22

Greetings from Project88. We bring you news, analysis, and actions regarding human rights and civil society in Vietnam from August 15-22.

Our new report, Apocalypse soon? Vietnam’s unjust energy transition, discusses a lack of progress and participation in Vietnam’s G7-funded energy transition. Our report concluded that all parties have failed to live up to their sides of the deal and attempts to shine a critical spotlight on energy transition deals that are being promoted by rich countries as the solution to climate change in the developing world.

In other news, read closing remarks from Nguyen Chi Tuyen’s trial last week. Tran Minh Loi was sentenced to five years in prison for his Facebook posts. Montagnard activist Y Quynh Bdap’s extradition hearing continues in Bangkok. And back in Vietnam, another person is arrested in connection with the July 2023 Dak Lak attacks, the incident in which Bdap was implicated by Vietnamese authorities, an allegation he strongly denies.

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In case you missed it, it has now been over three months since activist Nguyen Van Dung was found dead in an apparent drowning. He was detained for police questioning in a suspicious set-up in late April and held for three straight days. He then went missing two days after being released from police custody. State media has not reported on his detention or death. We call for an immediate and public investigation into the circumstances around his detention and death.

HUMAN RIGHTS & CIVIL SOCIETY

Political Persecution

Y Quynh Bdap

The extradition trial for Y Quynh Bdap continued in Bangkok on Aug. 19. Representatives of the Vietnamese and Thai governments presented their cases. A private source told us that government officials tried to persuade Bdap to return to Vietnam voluntarily because “prison conditions are better there.” Next week, the trial continues, though Project88 is still verifying the exact trial schedule. On Aug. 16, the International Commission of Jurists submitted a legal brief to the Bangkok court, citing the need to uphold the non-refoulement concept, defined as guaranteeing “that no one should be re-turned to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other irreparable harm.”

One more person from the Montagnard region in Dak Lak Province has been arrested and charged with “sabotaging national unity.” Y Po Mlo, 63, is accused of having contact with and receiving instructions from Y Mut Mlo, who was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 11 years in prison for his alleged involvement in the deadly Dak Lak uprising. Several individuals similarly accused stated that they had never even heard of or worked with Y Mut Mlo.

Tran Minh Loi

On Aug. 16, a court in Dak Lak Province sentenced Tran Minh Loi to five years in prison for posting allegedly false information on his Facebook page about the chief judge of Cu Kuin County. In 2018, Loi was accused of bribing a state bank official and sentenced to four and a half years in prison. After completing that prison sentence, Loi resumed using his old Facebook account to post social commentaries.

Nguyen Chi Tuyen

Nguyen Chi Tuyen‘s wife, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, was at the trial of her husband in Hanoi on Aug. 15, 2024. Tuyet told Project88 that even though it was an “open trial,” only she and Tuyen’s lawyers were allowed inside; all his supporters were stopped from entering the courthouse. The trial started at 8:30AM and lasted until 2:00PM, but Tuyet was not let into the courtroom until 9:00AM because security guards had to “run around getting permission from the chief judge,” Tuyet said. She also noted that Tuyen looked thinner, but was calm and confident; he occasionally spoke up to answer the court and defend himself with clarity.

Tuyen’s attorney, Nguyen Ha Luan, told Project88 that of the five video clips used as evidence to accuse his client of spreading “anti-state propaganda,” only two were somewhat relevant to Article 117 of the Criminal Code. According to Luan, even those accusations are “baseless” because the content of the clips only reached a small group of viewers and didn’t have enough influence to “affect the stability or development of the nation.” The first clip was about Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the woman who donated $115M to Oxford University in the U.K. to have a college named after her. It mentioned how children of people in positions of power in Vietnam were given government posts. The second clip was a panel discussion about Vietnam’s anti-corruption drive, with the participation of six individuals. One person emphasized the idea that a multi-party structure is needed in order to fight corruption successfully. Tuyen agreed with the speaker on this point and, according to attorney Luan, this appears to be the main thrust of the case.

Before the trial’s conclusion, Chi Tuyen gave his final remarks, which we have translated into English and which can be read in full here.

Le Anh Hung

Journalist Le Anh Hung, who served five years in prison on charges of spreading “anti-state propaganda” and who was released in July 2023, told Project88 that he had finally received a response from the court regarding his request for a review of his criminal conviction. A clerk of the court told Hung that his filing had been received and is currently being processed. It is not known how long this review process will take. Hung’s case involved his accusing Hoang Trung Hai, a member of the Hanoi People’s Committee, of espionage under Article 110 of the Criminal Code, and Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong (now deceased) of high treason in accordance with Article 108.

Bui Van Thuan

Bui Van Thuan‘s wife, Trinh Thi Nhung, visited her husband in Prison No. 6 in Nghe An and reported that Thuan has lost about 5 kg due to having become a vegetarian for the past three months. However, Thuan said he felt fine and for the time being had no desire to eat meat. Thuan is a Muong activist serving eight years in prison.

Tran Duc Thach

Tran Duc Thach‘s wife, Nguyen Thi Chuong, visited him on Aug. 9 at Camp No. 5 in Yen Dinh, Thanh Hoa Province. Thach, 73, reported that both his eyes have recently been causing him a lot of pain and severe headaches, to the point that he could not sleep normally. Thach has reportedly asked to have an eye examination, but prison officials have not responded. Chuong told Project88 that Thach’s pain was so bad that he could barely talk to her for more than 10 minutes without having to stop and bury his head in his hands. Chuong said her family is willing to pay for him to get proper treatment if allowed, and that she was prepared to file formal requests to multiple agencies and courts to get Thach much needed relief. A writer and democracy activist, Thach is serving a 12-year prison sentence on charges of subversion.

PROJECT88 IN THE NEWS

Vietnam’s clean energy transition is failing, pressure group says. Radio Free Asia; 2024-08-21. An internationally backed plan to help Vietnam cut its reliance on fossil fuels and transition to clean energy is failing, partly due to Hanoi’s repression of environmental groups and campaigners, according to an international pressure group. To date, all parties had failed to live up to their commitments, Project88 concluded in its 56-page report titled “Apocalypse Soon?” published on Aug. 15.

$15 billion energy transition package for Vietnam: many shortcomings make the goal difficult to achieve. BBC; 2024-08-19. Vietnamese language article.

Vietnamese Court Sentences Prominent Political Activist to Five Years Prison. The Diplomat; 2024-08-16.

‘We have nothing except our hearts, and our minds’: Vietnamese activist sentenced to five years in prison. Global Voices; 2024-08-19.

VIETNAM IN THE WORLD

Statement on the prison sentence of Mr. Nguyen Chi Tuyen. Statement of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam; 2024-08-16. On 15 August 2024, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced the Vietnamese blogger Mr. Nguyen Chi Tuyen (alias Anh Chi) to five years in prison “for producing, storing, spreading or disseminating information, documents or objects aiming to oppose the State” (art. 117, Penal Code 2015). Mr. Nguyen Chi Tuyen is a rights campaigner, who has commented peacefully on social media on social and political issues. We recall that Vietnam is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since 1982 and recognises the right to freedom of expression. We regret that Vietnam, once again, did not respond to trial observation requests submitted by several diplomatic missions accredited in Hanoi. The freedoms of opinion and expression – online and offline – are fundamental pillars of democracy, and make vital contributions to ensuring transparency, social justice, sustainable, inclusive development and sustained stability and prosperity. The Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam expects the Vietnamese authorities to release Mr. Nguyen Chi Tuyen.

Why did Vietnam’s new leader To Lam visit China first? DW; 2024-08-20. To Lam, the newly appointed general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, traveled to Beijing on August 19 for his first foreign trip since assuming the role earlier this month. During his visit, To Lam met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Premier Li Qiang. The Vietnamese leader described his nation’s ties to Beijing as “top priority in Vietnam’s external policy” and agreed with Xi to boost cooperation on defense and security. For the past decade, Vietnam has pursued a “bamboo diplomacy” strategy, focusing on balancing relationships with all major powers.

An Indispensable Upgrade: The U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. CSIS; 2024-08-19. In 2025, U.S.-Vietnam relations will mark two important anniversaries: 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War and 30 years since the normalization of U.S.-Vietnam relations. These anniversaries reflect the United States and Vietnam’s long journey toward strong bilateral ties. Ties reached a new high-water mark in September 2023 when President Joe Biden and the late Communist Party of Vietnam general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong elevated the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership—the highest in Vietnam’s diplomatic canon.

ADDITIONAL NEWS AND ANALYSIS

Vietnam’s top policeman added to Communist Party’s powerful Politburo. Reuters; 2024-08-16. Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party on Friday added the country’s most senior police officer to its elite Politburo, the government said, another sign of the growing political clout of its powerful internal security agency. The promotion of 58-year-old Luong Tam Quang comes less than two months after he became Minister of Public Security, taking over when predecessor To Lam was chosen to be the country’s president in May.

‘No stone unturned’: Vietnam’s new party boss extends his anti-corruption campaign. NPR; 2024-08-20. General Tô Lâm’s ascendancy to the top position in Vietnamese politics has ended months-long political turmoil and infighting but not the feared anti-corruption campaign started by his predecessor, the late Nguyễn Phú Trọng. It will likely continue as the new leader tries to make good on his pledge to stamp out corruption, even if the economy suffers, at least in the short term.

Will Vietnam Go Down China’s Path? Fulcrum; 2024-08-19. On 3 August 2024, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) unanimously elected President To Lam as the Party’s new general secretary, marking a significant turning point in Vietnamese politics. This momentous leadership change has sparked widespread speculation about the future of the country’s political landscape. Some Vietnam observers have raised the question of whether Lam, a police general and former minister of public security, will adopt authoritarian tendencies and steer the country towards a path similar to that of China under President Xi Jinping.

Vietnam’s new ruler: hardman, capitalist, hedonist. The Economist; 2024-08-21. What should you make of To Lam, the enigmatic new leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party, who has emerged victorious from a savage power struggle over the past year? On his first trip abroad Mr Lam met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on August 19th. The two signed 14 documents on everything from Communist Party schools to crocodile exports. Mr Lam reaffirmed the importance of Vietnam’s biggest trading partner. Next month he will head to America. It is a sign that he intends to continue Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy”, swaying between the two.

Vietnam’s Plan to Populate Social Media with Interactive Propaganda Faces Challenges. Fulcrum; 2024-08-13. In February this year, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) announced a plan to leverage the power of social media for a new way of policy communications. Designed to seize the initiative from private social media influencers, Directive 7 of the Prime Minister’s Office prompted all government agencies to do three things. First, to strengthen public communications on digital platforms by promoting official news while using digital technology to monitor and assess media trends for early identification of public relations crises, which need reactions from the state. Second, to combat fake news, toxic news and opinions against the CPV and the state. Third, to establish professionally trained teams for the delivery of “positive news” and correct information to the public and manage media crises in cyberspace.

Why Should I Mourn the Death of Nguyen Phu Trong? The Diplomat; 2024-08-19. A few weeks ago, shortly after the death of Nguyen Phu Trong on July 19, the late general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), I [David Hutt] penned a commentary about Trong for Radio Free Asia. In it, I argued that Trong’s legacy leaves the party increasingly vulnerable to a dictatorial takeover due to the weakened state in which he left the institution. Normally, I don’t engage with correspondence, but this time, I noticed a significant number of emails and social media posts condemning me for daring to write critically so soon after his passing. Some asked how I could speak ill of the dead so soon. Others questioned how a foreigner could have the audacity to opine on the death of their leader.

The AIIB’s $5 Billion Investment Pledge to Vietnam, Explained. The Diplomat; 2024-08-20. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) recently announced it was willing to provide $5 billion in financing for a range of transport and renewable energy projects in Vietnam. The AIIB is a multilateral development bank headquartered in Beijing whose primary financial backer is China. During a visit to Hanoi last month, AIIB President and Chairman of the Board Jin Liqun as quoted in the Hanoi Times, suggested these projects would include a “North-South high-speed railway, three railways connecting Vietnam to China, Central Asia, and Europe, and urban metro lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Nguyen Van Dung

More than three months have passed since the mysterious drowning of political activist Nguyen Van Dung, aka Dung Aduku. Neither the Vietnamese police nor state media have reported on his death. Dung went missing two days after being released from a three-day police interrogation and was later found dead.

Nguyen Van Dung was an activist for over a decade prior to his death, and the police had violated his rights several times prior to his 2024 detention, including brutally beating him and leaving him on the side of the road in 2016. Read our article on Dung’s activism and the days surrounding his death, here.

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