To: Mr. Emmanuel Macron
President of the French Republic
Élysée Palace
55, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
8 September 2026
Subject: Visit of Mr. Tô Lâm to France – Ensuring that human rights remain at the heart of the Franco-Vietnamese partnership
Mr. President,
On the occasion of the visit to France of Mr. Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, from 9 to 11 September 2026, our organisations wish to call on you to make human rights an essential component of your discussions with the Vietnamese authorities.
In May 2025, during your visit to Vietnam, several human rights organisations had already drawn your attention to the continued deterioration of fundamental freedoms in that country. Since then, the concerns we raised have remained largely unaddressed.
France and Vietnam have nevertheless significantly strengthened their relationship. In October 2024, the two countries elevated their relationship to the level of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, making France the first European country to obtain this status. In their Joint Declaration, both governments expressly reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Charter, as well as to “the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
This commitment cannot remain merely symbolic.
Vietnam remains one of the most restrictive states in Asia with regard to freedom of expression, association, assembly and religion. Human rights defenders, independent journalists, political activists, and representatives of religious or ethnic communities continue to be prosecuted under vaguely worded criminal provisions, including those relating to “propaganda against the State”, “abuse of democratic freedoms”, and counter-terrorism.
This situation has been highlighted by several independent United Nations experts, who have notably denounced clear violations of the right to a fair trial in expedited mass trials conducted by mobile courts against Montagnards, a religious minority from Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
During Vietnam’s review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in July 2025, the Human Rights Committee expressed concern over allegations of enforced disappearances and transnational repression.
This repression includes the misuse of INTERPOL Red Notices against human rights defenders and the use of politically motivated extradition proceedings. The Committee called on Vietnam to conduct impartial, thorough and transparent investigations into these allegations, prosecute those responsible, and ensure remedies for victims and their families.
Alongside the instrumentalisation of international police and judicial cooperation mechanisms, activists who have fled Vietnam are being prosecuted or sentenced in absentia. Vietnamese refugees and asylum seekers have been subjected to pressure and intimidation in third countries. Members of the diaspora have faced surveillance, threats and harassment campaigns, while their relatives remaining in Vietnam may be subjected to reprisals because of their activities abroad.
These practices now directly affect Europe. Journalists and human rights defenders based in Germany, including Lê Trung Khoa and Nguyễn Văn Đài, have been sentenced in absentia to lengthy prison terms in Vietnam while residing outside Vietnamese territory. Such proceedings not only violate the rights of the individuals concerned, but also constitute an attempt to intimidate Vietnamese communities and silence dissent beyond Vietnam’s borders through transnational repression.
France cannot regard such repression as a strictly internal matter when it affects citizens, residents, refugees or human rights defenders present on European territory.
We are fully aware of the strategic importance of relations between France and Vietnam. Economic, scientific, cultural, academic, environmental and defence cooperation can benefit both peoples. We are also convinced that close political dialogue with Hanoi is more useful than isolating Vietnam.
But precisely because France and Vietnam have chosen to deepen their relationship, France must be able to address the issue of human rights directly.
We therefore ask you, Mr. President, to make these principles a reality in your discussions with Mr. Tô Lâm.
In particular, we call on you to:
- publicly call for the release of prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders and members of religious and ethnic minorities detained in Vietnam for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental freedoms, including Phạm Đoan Trang, Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Lê Đình Lượng, Nguyễn Trung Tôn, Trịnh Bá Phương, Trịnh Bá Tư, Cấn Thị Thêu, Phạm Chí Dũng, Y Quynh Bdap and Y Krec Bya, as well as other individuals detained for their opinions or peaceful activities;
- explicitly raise the issue of Vietnam’s transnational repression, including the prosecutions and convictions of dissidents living in Europe, as well as intimidation targeting their families and members of the diaspora;
- call on the Vietnamese authorities to end the use of criminal provisions relating to national security and counter-terrorism to criminalise the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, association and religion;
- encourage Vietnam to fully cooperate with United Nations human rights mechanisms and implement their recommendations;
- and finally, ensure that the deepening of economic, security and technological cooperation between France and Vietnam is conditioned on Vietnam’s compliance with its international human rights commitments.
France has always affirmed that its international partnerships are based not only on economic or strategic interests, but also on principles and values. At a time when Vietnam is seeking to strengthen its international role and the European Union itself has just deepened its strategic partnership with Hanoi, France’s voice is particularly important.
Mr. President, strengthening the Franco-Vietnamese partnership should not lead France to remain more silent about human rights violations. On the contrary, it should give France greater opportunities and greater responsibility to defend them.
We therefore ask you, during Mr. Tô Lâm’s visit, to make heard a French voice faithful to its values: a voice of dialogue, but also a voice of principle; a voice that reminds us that sovereignty and national interests can never justify the repression of fundamental freedoms.
Sincerely,
Signatories:
ACAT Belgium
ACAT France
ACAT Germany
ACAT Italy
ACAT Senegal
ACAT Tchad
Humain Rights League (LDH)
International Federation for Humain Rights (FIDH)
Quê Me : Vietnam Committee on Human Rights
Solidarity with China
Transitional Justice Working Group
Uyghur Institute of Europe
Viet Tan
Read the letter in pdf: 08-09-2026 – Vietnam – Letter to Emmanuel Macron
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