Commentary

Capitol Hill Briefing to Mark 50 Years of Paracel Islands Under Chinese Occupation

Vietnamese pro-democracy organization, Viet Tan, in collaboration with bipartisan Members of Congress will be hosting a briefing marking 50 years of China’s invasion and occupation of Vietnam’s Paracel Islands.  The event will be on Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 3:00-4:30 P.M. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2060.

2023 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award Presented to HRD Truong Van Dung

Viet Tan is proud to announce that the 2023 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award goes to Human Rights Defender Truong Van Dung. The theme of this year’s award is: “75 Years of International Human Rights — Freedom, Equality & Justice for Vietnam.”

Established in 2018, this annual human rights award is named after activist Le Dinh Luong, who made significant efforts to fight for the rights of the people and the sovereignty of the country. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Vietnamese government in August 2018.

How Canada can engage Vietnam while furthering its democratic values

As Canada pursues this long-term, multi-faceted strategy, it will undoubtedly prioritize certain relationships. Japan, South Korea and Australia certainly. These are all democracies and important economies. But perhaps Vietnam will be considered a strategic partner as well. The question is how Canada can engage Vietnam while furthering its democratic values?

Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience – 2023 Report

On January 1, 2023, Vietnam joined the United Nations Human Rights Council after an intense lobbying effort within the international community. Some hoped that this would lead to greater respect for human rights by the Vietnamese government, while others raised alarm about the contradicting nature of the situation. In particular, a country notorious for human rights violations is now tasked in the UN with promoting these rights internationally.

Vietnam’s Time to Choose

Hanoi’s reluctance to formalize a strategic relationship with Washington is well known. Observers have long noted the CPV’s fear of offending Beijing and its concerns that a closer relationship with the U.S. could foster “peaceful evolution” away from communist rule.

Elevating the bilateral relationship to transform Vietnam

It is time for the Vietnamese Communist Party to abandon its fear of “peaceful evolution” and truly upgrade diplomatic relations with the United States and other democratic countries. This will help Vietnam avoid excessive dependence on China and to promote its own economic development, especially in the strategic areas of advanced technology, workforce development, and environmental protection.

NGOs urge Biden to put pressure on Vietnam for human rights

As you will be visiting Vietnam on September 10th to strengthen the strategic ties between the United States and Vietnam, we, the undersigned organizations, write to express our extreme concern about the human rights situation in Vietnam.

Vietnam state trolls attack on April 30th

Every year, around April 30th (the date of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War), Viet Tan’s social media accounts are targeted by cyberattacks from Vietnamese state trolls. This year, the trolls launched their offensive as early as April 28th, and it lasted until May 5th.