Half a century after the war and following three decades of integration, Vietnam has seen economic growth but our overall development remains behind the advanced countries in the region. Without sustainable and comprehensive development, Vietnam is at risk of falling further behind.
Vital to Vietnam’s development, the Internet has the power to transform Vietnamese society; in many ways it already has. In the absence of an independent media, citizens have turned to the Internet to follow the news and debate national issues.
Despite political infighting among top political officials in Vietnam at the start of 2024, the authorities were not deterred from continuing their crackdown against human rights defenders. In particular, renowned activists Nguyen Chi Tuyen and Nguyen Vu Binh were both arrested on February 29, 2024, in separate incidents.
It’s an honor for me to be at the Canadian Parliament today to discuss crucial issues: human rights in Vietnam, the rule of law, and perspectives for Canada and Vietnam.
Transnational repression is a new scourge affecting many countries, and sadly, Canada has also witnessed an unprecedented case with the assassination of Sikh activist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.
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
The Vietnamese government stepped up its online censorship as To Lam — general secretary and president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam — traveled to New York from September 21 to
25, 2024 to address the United Nations Summit of the Future. The former Minister of Public Security also met with world leaders, business groups, and students and faculty at Columbia
University, often stressing the importance of adhering to international law to maintain peace and stability.
Hanoi is waging an intense lobbying campaign to ask the US government to grant “market economy” status to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In response, more than 20 Vietnamese and international organizations wrote to US President Joe Biden, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge the US administration to refuse to grant this market economy status for Vietnam at this time.
This submission to the Human Rights Committee (HCR) on Vietnam highlights violations of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR – “the Covenant”) prior to the adoption of the List of Issues, for its 140th Session.
Fifty years ago, the People’s Republic of China invaded Vietnam’s Paracel Islands. It was an act of aggression then and represents a continued danger to the civilized world today.
The Vietnamese government has traditionally censored the internet by blocking access to foreign-based websites, slowing down internet traffic, and directing technology companies to bar local users from accessing politically sensitive content.
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?
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.
