Vietnam Free Expression Newsletter No. 36/2024 – Sept. 24-Oct. 3
Greetings from Project88. We bring you news, analysis, and actions regarding human rights and civil society in Vietnam from Sept. 24-Oct. 3. One day before General Secretary To Lam met with U.S. President Joe Biden, Vietnam sentenced a Facebook user to eight years in prison. Days later, Thailand granted Vietnam’s request to extradite indigenous rights activist Y Quynh Bdap, where he faces 10 years in prison after a conviction in absentia. In adopting its UPR outcome, Vietnam said that recommendations concerning human rights abuses “misrepresent the situation.”
The Vietnamese government pardoned almost 4,000 prisoners for Vietnam’s National Day this week– but none were political prisoners. And three political prisoners are currently on a hunger strike to protest mistreatment at the same prison from which blogger Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was released against his will last week. While in prison and since his release, Thuc has described deplorable conditions at his former prisons; he too launched numerous hunger strikes while incarcerated to bring attention to the matter. Former political prisoner Nguyen Ngoc Anh has also alleged mistreatment to Project88; read more below.
Lastly, firms look to invest in Vietnam despite its restrictions on free expression and civil society and a lack of labor protections. Major investment from Meta, SpaceX, and Samsung, among others, is expected. As RFA reported, “Tech giant Meta announced this week it will manufacture virtual reality headsets in Vietnam, creating about 1,000 jobs, but the parent company of Facebook has not commented on whether it discussed freedom of speech with leaders of a government that regularly jails its citizens for expressing even mild dissent on social media.”
HUMAN RIGHTS & CIVIL SOCIETY
Y Quynh Bdap
A Thai court has granted Vietnam’s extradition request for Y Quynh Bdap, a co-founder of Montagnards Stand For Justice, who was convicted in absentia on terrorism charges related to the Dak Lak uprising. However, the court also said that it would leave it up to the Thai government to carry out the deportation within 90 days. If it doesn’t, then Bdap must be set free. Y Quynh now has 30 days to appeal the decision; his lawyer said they will appeal. Read more about his case in Vietnamese, here.
Trinh Ba Tu and Dang Dinh Bach
Three prominent political prisoners held at Nghe An’s Prison No. 6 are staging a group hunger strike to demand an end to cruel treatment and the release of political prisoners. According to their families, Trinh Ba Tu, Dang Dinh Bach and Bui Van Thuan began their strike on Sept. 29, just days after fellow inmate Tran Huynh Duy Thuc was forcibly released from Prison No. 6 right before President To Lam’s first visit to the U.S. In an interview with RFA, Thuc gave a harrowing first-hand account of the discriminatory and unlawful practices used against political prisoners at Prison No. 6., and he described how he developed techniques to endure prolonged hunger strikes as a means to fight back. The activists have engaged in prior protests against prison conditions, which you can read more about in their Database profiles.
Bui Van Thuan
Bui Van Thuan‘s wife, Trinh Thi Nhung, visited Thuan on Sept. 25. She told Project88 that on Aug. 28, a four-person U.S. delegation, including one person from the State Department, visited her husband at Prison No. 6. According to Nhung, their inquiry “focused on the harsh treatment by prison officials and the health conditions of political prisoners held here.” The delegation emphasized that they had to “overcome many roadblocks in order to get to Nghe An from Washington D.C.”
Huynh Thi To Nga
In a surprise announcement on Facebook, former political prisoner Huynh Thi To Nga revealed that she has been living in exile in Thailand for the past six months with her daughter, and that her husband and their son were able to escape Vietnam to join them last week. Nga said that after her release in early 2023, after serving almost five years in prison under Article 117, both she and her husband had been constantly followed and harassed by secret police, and that even her children were subjected to harassment at times. Nga said she had to leave the country in order to continue her work of speaking out against injustices in Vietnam.
Nguyen Ngoc Anh
Former political prisoner Nguyen Ngoc Anh, who was released from prison in August, has given Project88 an in-depth account of his experience behind bars. Anh said he was physically assaulted twice while being investigated at the detention center, and that the chief let chickens he was raising at the center defecate into his rice portion. After he was moved to Xuan Loc Prison to serve his sentence, Anh says he was forced to sign a form stating he did not wish to have legal counsel. Anh alleges that a tactic often used by officials to eliminate paper trails is to carry out so-called “security raids” so that the authorities can illegally confiscate official documents from prisoners — such as a Summary from Investigation, Detention Order, Indictment, etc.
Bui Tuan Lam
Bui Tuan Lam‘s wife, Le Thanh Lam, told Project88 that her husband was generally doing well at Xuan Loc Prison. During their short 10-minute phone conversation, she told Lam about the release of Tran Huynh Duy Thuc ahead of To Lam’s visit to the U.S. and he expressed his admiration for Thuc’s work. Lam, a noodle seller also known as “Onion Bae,” was imprisoned in 2021 for making a video imitating Turkish chef Salt Bae and mocking then-minister of Public Security To Lam. Bui Tuan Lam was also pleased to learn that exiled human rights lawyer Dang Dinh Manh held up a large photo of him at a rally in front of the United Nations building in New York calling on To Lam to unconditionally release Onion Bae and all political prisoners.
Hoang Viet Khanh, a Facebook user with about 45,000 followers, was found guilty of engaging in “anti-state propaganda” and sentenced to eight years in prison by a court in Lam Dong Province on Sept. 24. The prosecution alleged that Khanh, 41, wrote 126 posts and made one video clip with malicious content aimed at undermining government policies and officials.
Two people said to have been associated with the self-styled Provisional Government of Vietnam in the U.S., led by Dao Minh Quan, were arrested by HCMC Police on Sept. 20. Nguyen Thi Huong and Tran Van Linh were charged with attempting to “overthrow the People’s government” by preparing leaflets and other anti-government materials ahead of the National Day on Sept. 2. Police in Kien Giang Province also arrested three other people on similar charges. According to state media, Tran Thi Hong Duyen and her mother Bui Thi Anh Ngoc were arrested on Sept. 27, accused of joining Dao Minh Quan’s group and recruiting others to participate in what a planned “referendum” to elect him as president of a new Republic of Vietnam. Before that, Tran Ngoc Chau was arrested on Sept 22. Investigators said they found 3000 leaflets at his home allegedly “inciting people to topple the government.”
International Advocacy
State-Controlled Religion and Religious Freedom in Vietnam. US Commission on International Religious Freedom; 2024-09. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) uses state-controlled religious organizations to control religious life and to intimidate and pressure independent religious communities into submission. A state-controlled religious organization is a religious group or institution that operates under the direct influence, supervision, or control of the government. The government exercises significant authority over these organizations, including leadership appointments, property matters, religious practices, and even doctrinal interpretation. This report examines six state-controlled religious organizations. It also documents how the CPV and the Vietnamese government utilize three key Party and government organizations, several laws, and three overarching strategies—substitution, co-opting, and infiltration—to control religious life through state-controlled religious organizations.
Adoption of the UPR outcome for Vietnam. UN Human Rights Council; 2024-09-27. The Vietnamese government accepted or noted all recommendations made at the 4th universal periodic review of Vietnam. According to Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet, recommendations about Vietnam’s human rights abuses ‘misrepresent the situation in Viet Nam.’ According to Minister Viet, ‘In Viet Nam, no one is detained or punished for exercising their legitimate rights. One can only be detained for criminal offences, and only after being found guilty by a court of law.’
Disputing Vietnam’s claims, several organizations made statements during the Interactive Dialogue for the adoption of Vietnam’s Universal Periodic Review, including:
Vietnam: Oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council. FIDH; 2024-09-27.
Vietnam must implement UPR recommendations to revise restrictive laws and release human rights defenders. CIVICUS; 2024-09-30.
VIETNAM IN THE WORLD
Readout of President Joe Biden’s Meeting with General Secretary Tô Lâm of Vietnam. The White House; 2024-09-25. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with General Secretary Tô Lâm of Vietnam in New York. President Biden celebrated the one-year milestone of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and reinforced the United States’ commitment to a strong, prosperous, resilient, and independent Vietnam.
Read a summary To Lam’s trip to the U.S. from the Vietnamese, here.
China on the agenda as Vietnam’s leader meets Joe Biden. DW; 2024-09-26. Vietnam’s new president, To Lam, a former public security chief who has consolidated power within the Vietnamese Communist Party since the death of his predecessor in July, addressed the UN General Assembly this week. During the speech, To Lam discussed the importance of multilateralism in addressing global problems such as geopolitical tensions and climate change. His speech marked a significant moment, as he is the first Communist Party chief of Vietnam to speak to the Assembly. To Lam also sat down with US President Joe Biden during the General Assembly. This meeting is seen as part of a broader US strategy to improve diplomatic relations with countries in Southeast Asia as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the region. Read the text of To Lam’s speech here.
Solidifying Cybersecurity Cooperation in the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. US State Department; 2024-09-24. Ahead of President Joseph R. Biden’s meeting with Vietnam General Secretary and President To Lam during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, the U.S. Department of State is proud to highlight new progress on opportunities for cooperation under the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Recently, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger and Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang affirmed our nations’ shared intention to strengthen the CSP in the fields of cybersecurity and emerging technologies based on commitments to mutual assistance and cooperation.
ADDITIONAL NEWS AND ANALYSIS
Vietnam offers amnesty to 20 foreign prisoners, including Chinese, U.S. citizens. Reuters; 2024-09-30. Vietnam has offered amnesty to 20 imprisoned foreigners, including nine Chinese and two U.S. citizens, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet said on Monday. The 20 were jailed for crimes such as murder, smuggling and gambling, Viet said at a press conference to announce the president’s amnesty on the country’s National Day, which included more than 3,760 prisoners overall.
Vietnamese activist fights extradition from Thailand amid fading hopes Canada will intervene. The Globe and Mail; 2024-09-27. A Vietnamese religious freedom activist will likely be extradited from Thailand unless Canada stages a last-minute intervention, supporters say. Y Quynh Bdap, a United Nations-registered refugee who has lived in Thailand for six years, was arrested in Bangkok in June after he travelled to the city to attend an interview at the Canadian embassy. Last year, a Vietnamese court found Mr. Bdap guilty in absentia on terrorism charges, for his alleged involvement in violent protests in the country’s Dak Lak province. Mr. Bdap denied playing any role in the unrest, and after Vietnam issued an extradition request to Thailand, went into hiding.
Why are European renewable giants fleeing Vietnam? DW; 2024-09-24. Italian energy conglomerate Enel, one of the world’s largest investors in renewable energy, is reportedly planning to withdraw from Vietnam, according to Reuters, following in the footsteps of Norway’s Equinor and Denmark’s Orsted. Both firms have recently canceled renewable energy projects in the Southeast Asian country. Enel had ambitious plans for Vietnam’s energy market. In 2022, the company announced its intention to invest in generating up to 6 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy. However, its decision to abandon these plans, which is likely to be officially announced during the company’s annual strategic planning presentation in November, reflects growing concerns about Vietnam’s renewable energy sector.
Meta Platforms will produce virtual reality headsets in Vietnam. SCMP; 2024-10-01. Meta’s Facebook is widely used in Vietnam and Clegg said the nation was among the global leaders in using its Messenger platform “not just to send messages to family and friends, but actually communicate with businesses and so foster trade and commerce across the country”. But Facebook has also faced criticism from human rights groups in recent years for blocking content deemed illegal by the country’s government.
Vietnam says Musk’s SpaceX plans $1.5 bln investment in country. Reuters; 2024-09-27. Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to invest $1.5 billion in Vietnam in the near future, the government of the Communist-run nation said on Thursday, which could help resolve a stalemate over the launch of its Starlink satellite services there. Months of talks on the offer of Starlink’s satellite internet connection and other communications services were put on hold at the end of 2023, sources familiar with the matter had told Reuters earlier this year, although they resumed later.
Vietnam, US firms sign MoUs on energy, AI, data centre, Vietnam govt says. Reuters; 2024-09-24. Vietnamese and U.S. firms have signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to cooperate in energy, artificial intelligence and a data centre, the Vietnamese government said on Tuesday. The MoUs were signed at a business forum in the United States, the government said in a statement. The MoUs include one on energy technology transfer signed by Vietnam’s state-oil firm PetroVietnam and Kellogg Brown & Root, LNG cooperation between PetroVietnam’s unit PTSC and Excelerate Energy, and AI and data centre development between Sovico Group and Supermicro.
Samsung plans to invest $1.8 bln more in Vietnam for OLED manufacturing. Reuters; 2024-09-23. South Korea’s Samsung Display Co plans to invest $1.8 billion for a factory in northern Vietnam to produce OLED displays for automobiles and technology equipment, the Southeast Asian country said on Sunday. The new facility for the manufacture of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays will be located in Yen Phong industrial park in Bac Ninh province east of Hanoi and close to an existing Samsung Electronics plant, the government said in a statement released after the meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Choi Joo Ho, the General Director of Samsung group in Vietnam.
Vietnam province says Trump Organization reps visited, looking at investment opportunities. Reuters; 2024-09-19. The Trump Organization, the family business of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, is exploring investment opportunities in Vietnam’s Hung Yen province, the provincial People’s Committee said in a statement. Representatives from the Trump Organization visited the province and met local authorities to discuss investment opportunities on Monday, the committee said in a statement after the meeting.
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