Mrs. Helena Huong Nguyen holds a Msc. EBA degree, is a member of the opposition group Viet Tan, and serves as the chairperson of the Support Committee for Vietnam in Denmark.
Published on Global Nyt on 1st October 2024
DEBATE: Last weekend, Vietnamese authorities released three prominent prisoners of conscience ahead of time. These were businessman Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, environmental activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng, and lawyer Hoàng Ngọc Giao. The release happened the day before Vietnam’s president, Tô Lâm, travelled to the 79th UN General Assembly in New York – and it was no coincidence.
Vietnam uses its political and prisoners of conscience as a tool to gain recognition from the West and the USA. This happens when selected prisoners are exiled or released early when there is a state visit. As soon as the visit is over, another activist is arrested. This tactic is used strategically while violations of freedom of expression and fundamental rights continue at an alarming level.
Vietnam is an authoritarian state on par with China and Russia; the one-party Communist regime controls everything. Thirty years of trade relations with Russia and China should have taught us that authoritarian states don’t change their form but rather threaten world peace and international economic progress.
The demand for a free and open society in Vietnam should be an ultimatum for Denmark’s partnership and investments in the country. This could be done by ensuring that Vietnam enforces the international conventions and agreements it has ratified.
Human rights are a “commodity” on a diplomatic and strategic level. It sounds absurd, but that is how it works in today’s Vietnam, where the buyers are the benevolent USA and other Western countries.
Plenty of Goods on the Shelf
This “commodity” has been used strategically for the last 15 years, ever since U.S. President Barack Obama established the annual human rights dialogue with Vietnam. The “goods” are Vietnamese citizens deprived of freedom of speech and fundamental rights. They have voiced criticism, for example, about the government’s corruption, unsustainable investments, China’s aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, environmental pollution, discrimination against religious groups, and indigenous peoples in the Central Highlands and Northwestern Highlands, land rights, and social injustices. These Vietnamese have been imprisoned with sentences of up to 20 years, others for life, and some even sentenced to death. These individuals are known as prisoners of conscience or political prisoners. They have acted according to their conscience, faith, and political beliefs.
Some die quietly in prison. Others return home, only to die shortly after due to illnesses they contracted while imprisoned. Conditions in these prisons are appalling, with no proper access to healthcare. Some have gained international recognition through their activism and have received various human rights awards. These are the individuals mentioned by diplomats from the West and the USA during dialogue meetings with Vietnamese authorities.
Fearing an unfavourable international reputation and aiming to soften the harsh tones from the West and the USA regarding serious human rights violations, Vietnam has released selected prisoners of conscience ahead of time. However, the condition is that they must be exiled. This often happens before an official state visit, especially before the annual U.S.-Vietnam human rights dialogue. Here are some recent examples of prominent prisoners of conscience who were exiled or released early before state visits:
Pastor Nguyễn Văn Lý, a well-known dissident, was sentenced to prison four times between 1977 and 2016. After spending two decades behind bars, he was released three months early, just three days before former U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam on May 23, 2016.
Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (blogger Mẹ Nấm, Mother Mushroom) was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released a year later and sent directly into exile in the USA in October 2018. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis was visiting Vietnam at the same time. She took her two young children and her elderly mother with her.
Trần Thị Nga, a women’s activist, was released after two years of her nine-year sentence and sent into exile in the USA in January 2020, two months after former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s visit. She also brought her two young children and husband to the USA.
Vietnam’s Nelson Mandela
There was a Vietnamese state visit to the USA in May 2022, coinciding with the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. The day before Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in the USA, prominent prisoner of conscience Hồ Đức Hòa was released two years early and sent into exile in the USA, supposedly for medical treatment after serving 11 years in prison.
In September 2023, lawyer Nguyễn Bắc Truyển (who won the Norwegian Stefanus Prize in 2020 for religious freedom) was released five years early, after already serving six years. He was sent directly into exile in Germany the day before President Joe Biden arrived in Vietnam to announce a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.
“Releases occurred the day before Vietnam’s president and Communist Party Secretary General […] travelled to New York to attend the 79th UN General Assembly.”
Last week, on September 21, 2024, three prominent prisoners of conscience – businessman Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, environmental activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng, and lawyer Hoàng Ngọc Giao – were released early. The releases happened the day before Vietnam’s president and Communist Party Secretary General, Tô Lâm, travelled to New York to attend the 79th UN General Assembly. Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức was released eight months before the end of his 16-year prison sentence, while Hoàng Thi Minh Hong was freed 20 months before completing her three-year sentence.
Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức is a well-known prisoner of conscience, perhaps the most prominent, having spent 16 years behind bars. He is recognized as a strong and principled figure. For years, he refused early release on the condition of going into exile abroad. He wanted to stay in Vietnam to fight for freedom and justice for all Vietnamese, not just for himself. Many see him as “Vietnam’s Nelson Mandela.”
In his first statement after his release, he said he was forced to accept the pardon. He refused when it was read to him but was nonetheless forced by over 20 people out of his cell and put on a late flight home to Saigon. He resisted because he did not want to be used as a pawn by President Tô Lâm to score points with the USA.
A Difficult Choice Between Exile or Staying to Fight
Everyone knows that the fight for a free society must be led by the country’s own citizens. It is the people living in the country who are the core and must raise their voices. Exiled Vietnamese can only act as supporters. When prisoners of conscience refuse exile, it is because they wish to continue the fight in Vietnam and stay with their family and friends in familiar surroundings. When some still choose exile, it is often due to the harsh conditions in Vietnamese prisons, which take a toll on their mental and physical health, and the need to consider their families or their own well-being. If given a free choice, they would prefer to stay in the country as free citizens.
“Despite the early release of certain prisoners of conscience, Vietnam continues to suppress any critical or opposition voices.”
Despite the early release of certain prisoners of conscience, Vietnam continues to suppress any critical or opposing voices. Many activists are arrested and imprisoned because of their Facebook posts or YouTube videos. According to reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, there are nearly 200 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, including prominent climate activists. The Vietnamese state tries to deter critical citizens while simultaneously building a “stock” of imprisoned activists to be used as diplomatic bargaining chips, commodities, or worse, as hostages. These hostages are used to appeal to the consciences of the USA and the West in hopes of achieving the political deals Vietnam desires.
Vietnamese citizens who aspire to a free and democratic Vietnam are left with mixed feelings. They are happy that these heroic activists can now breathe in freedom, but also worried about the future of the democracy movement in the country. The Vietnamese regime arrests and releases activists at will, presenting itself as the victor in the process.
In recent decades, Vietnam has become a sought-after partner for many Western countries, thanks to its geopolitical location in Southeast Asia and three decades of economic growth. After the COVID-19 crisis, the South China Sea conflict with China, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, Vietnam has become an attractive alternative market for the West, including Denmark. Denmark is the country with the most investments in Vietnam relative to its size. This is due to our 50-year history of aid and partnership with the country. However, we haven’t learned enough from 30 years of economic trade with China and Russia. The belief that economic development would automatically lead to political development has proven false. Close economic cooperation without clear demands on China and Russia has only strengthened their authoritarian regimes. World peace and economic stability are highly threatened when these states remain authoritarian.
To address these challenges, Vietnam must enforce the international conventions and agreements it has previously ratified. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, labor rights, and human rights must be respected and upheld. A free and open society will ensure citizens’ safety and create long-term peace and economic stability, both nationally and internationally. Therefore, Denmark must dare to place greater demands on Vietnam.
Human rights for sale by Denmark’s good friend in Asia
Mrs. Helena Huong Nguyen holds a Msc. EBA degree, is a member of the opposition group Viet Tan, and serves as the chairperson of the Support Committee for Vietnam in Denmark.
Published on Global Nyt on 1st October 2024
DEBATE: Last weekend, Vietnamese authorities released three prominent prisoners of conscience ahead of time. These were businessman Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, environmental activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng, and lawyer Hoàng Ngọc Giao. The release happened the day before Vietnam’s president, Tô Lâm, travelled to the 79th UN General Assembly in New York – and it was no coincidence.
Vietnam uses its political and prisoners of conscience as a tool to gain recognition from the West and the USA. This happens when selected prisoners are exiled or released early when there is a state visit. As soon as the visit is over, another activist is arrested. This tactic is used strategically while violations of freedom of expression and fundamental rights continue at an alarming level.
Vietnam is an authoritarian state on par with China and Russia; the one-party Communist regime controls everything. Thirty years of trade relations with Russia and China should have taught us that authoritarian states don’t change their form but rather threaten world peace and international economic progress.
The demand for a free and open society in Vietnam should be an ultimatum for Denmark’s partnership and investments in the country. This could be done by ensuring that Vietnam enforces the international conventions and agreements it has ratified.
Human rights are a “commodity” on a diplomatic and strategic level. It sounds absurd, but that is how it works in today’s Vietnam, where the buyers are the benevolent USA and other Western countries.
Plenty of Goods on the Shelf
This “commodity” has been used strategically for the last 15 years, ever since U.S. President Barack Obama established the annual human rights dialogue with Vietnam. The “goods” are Vietnamese citizens deprived of freedom of speech and fundamental rights. They have voiced criticism, for example, about the government’s corruption, unsustainable investments, China’s aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, environmental pollution, discrimination against religious groups, and indigenous peoples in the Central Highlands and Northwestern Highlands, land rights, and social injustices. These Vietnamese have been imprisoned with sentences of up to 20 years, others for life, and some even sentenced to death. These individuals are known as prisoners of conscience or political prisoners. They have acted according to their conscience, faith, and political beliefs.
Some die quietly in prison. Others return home, only to die shortly after due to illnesses they contracted while imprisoned. Conditions in these prisons are appalling, with no proper access to healthcare. Some have gained international recognition through their activism and have received various human rights awards. These are the individuals mentioned by diplomats from the West and the USA during dialogue meetings with Vietnamese authorities.
Fearing an unfavourable international reputation and aiming to soften the harsh tones from the West and the USA regarding serious human rights violations, Vietnam has released selected prisoners of conscience ahead of time. However, the condition is that they must be exiled. This often happens before an official state visit, especially before the annual U.S.-Vietnam human rights dialogue. Here are some recent examples of prominent prisoners of conscience who were exiled or released early before state visits:
Pastor Nguyễn Văn Lý, a well-known dissident, was sentenced to prison four times between 1977 and 2016. After spending two decades behind bars, he was released three months early, just three days before former U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam on May 23, 2016.
Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (blogger Mẹ Nấm, Mother Mushroom) was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released a year later and sent directly into exile in the USA in October 2018. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis was visiting Vietnam at the same time. She took her two young children and her elderly mother with her.
Trần Thị Nga, a women’s activist, was released after two years of her nine-year sentence and sent into exile in the USA in January 2020, two months after former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s visit. She also brought her two young children and husband to the USA.
Vietnam’s Nelson Mandela
There was a Vietnamese state visit to the USA in May 2022, coinciding with the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. The day before Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in the USA, prominent prisoner of conscience Hồ Đức Hòa was released two years early and sent into exile in the USA, supposedly for medical treatment after serving 11 years in prison.
In September 2023, lawyer Nguyễn Bắc Truyển (who won the Norwegian Stefanus Prize in 2020 for religious freedom) was released five years early, after already serving six years. He was sent directly into exile in Germany the day before President Joe Biden arrived in Vietnam to announce a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam.
“Releases occurred the day before Vietnam’s president and Communist Party Secretary General […] travelled to New York to attend the 79th UN General Assembly.”
Last week, on September 21, 2024, three prominent prisoners of conscience – businessman Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, environmental activist Hoàng Thị Minh Hồng, and lawyer Hoàng Ngọc Giao – were released early. The releases happened the day before Vietnam’s president and Communist Party Secretary General, Tô Lâm, travelled to New York to attend the 79th UN General Assembly. Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức was released eight months before the end of his 16-year prison sentence, while Hoàng Thi Minh Hong was freed 20 months before completing her three-year sentence.
Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức is a well-known prisoner of conscience, perhaps the most prominent, having spent 16 years behind bars. He is recognized as a strong and principled figure. For years, he refused early release on the condition of going into exile abroad. He wanted to stay in Vietnam to fight for freedom and justice for all Vietnamese, not just for himself. Many see him as “Vietnam’s Nelson Mandela.”
In his first statement after his release, he said he was forced to accept the pardon. He refused when it was read to him but was nonetheless forced by over 20 people out of his cell and put on a late flight home to Saigon. He resisted because he did not want to be used as a pawn by President Tô Lâm to score points with the USA.
A Difficult Choice Between Exile or Staying to Fight
Everyone knows that the fight for a free society must be led by the country’s own citizens. It is the people living in the country who are the core and must raise their voices. Exiled Vietnamese can only act as supporters. When prisoners of conscience refuse exile, it is because they wish to continue the fight in Vietnam and stay with their family and friends in familiar surroundings. When some still choose exile, it is often due to the harsh conditions in Vietnamese prisons, which take a toll on their mental and physical health, and the need to consider their families or their own well-being. If given a free choice, they would prefer to stay in the country as free citizens.
“Despite the early release of certain prisoners of conscience, Vietnam continues to suppress any critical or opposition voices.”
Despite the early release of certain prisoners of conscience, Vietnam continues to suppress any critical or opposing voices. Many activists are arrested and imprisoned because of their Facebook posts or YouTube videos. According to reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, there are nearly 200 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, including prominent climate activists. The Vietnamese state tries to deter critical citizens while simultaneously building a “stock” of imprisoned activists to be used as diplomatic bargaining chips, commodities, or worse, as hostages. These hostages are used to appeal to the consciences of the USA and the West in hopes of achieving the political deals Vietnam desires.
Vietnamese citizens who aspire to a free and democratic Vietnam are left with mixed feelings. They are happy that these heroic activists can now breathe in freedom, but also worried about the future of the democracy movement in the country. The Vietnamese regime arrests and releases activists at will, presenting itself as the victor in the process.
In recent decades, Vietnam has become a sought-after partner for many Western countries, thanks to its geopolitical location in Southeast Asia and three decades of economic growth. After the COVID-19 crisis, the South China Sea conflict with China, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, Vietnam has become an attractive alternative market for the West, including Denmark. Denmark is the country with the most investments in Vietnam relative to its size. This is due to our 50-year history of aid and partnership with the country. However, we haven’t learned enough from 30 years of economic trade with China and Russia. The belief that economic development would automatically lead to political development has proven false. Close economic cooperation without clear demands on China and Russia has only strengthened their authoritarian regimes. World peace and economic stability are highly threatened when these states remain authoritarian.
To address these challenges, Vietnam must enforce the international conventions and agreements it has previously ratified. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, labor rights, and human rights must be respected and upheld. A free and open society will ensure citizens’ safety and create long-term peace and economic stability, both nationally and internationally. Therefore, Denmark must dare to place greater demands on Vietnam.
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