August 13, 2017
A snapshot of the ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression in Vietnam in 2017. 25 bloggers, human rights defenders and community organisers have been arrested, issued arrest warrants and exiled since the beginning of the year.
Over the past two years, the level of repression under Communist Party Chief To Lam, who holds the rank of Police General, has increased in severity against both citizens within the country and individuals in the Vietnamese diaspora.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, Viet Tan wishes to highlight a troubling reality: there is no genuine press freedom in Vietnam. All authorized media outlets operate under the strict control of the communist regime and are subject to systematic censorship.
The newly “elected” President of Vietnam, To Lam, is making an official visit to China from April 14 to 17. This trip sends a clear political signal: Hanoi is becoming further dependent on Beijing for its legitimacy.
On the occasion of To Lam’s visit to the United States to attend the launch meeting of the Board of Peace, Viet Tan calls on governments not to legitimize the authoritarian consolidation underway in Vietnam.
