Commentary Archives - Page 2 of 30

Elevating the bilateral relationship to transform Vietnam

Viet Tan September 7, 2023

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

International NGOs September 6, 2023

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

Viet Tan May 22, 2023

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.

Welcoming Secretary Blinken and kidnapping activist Duong Van Thai on the same day

Viet Tan April 17, 2023

A prominent YouTuber, Duong Van Thai was reportedly abducted in Bangkok on orders from the Vietnamese government and forcibly returned to Vietnam. The incident is believed to have occurred around April 14, 2024 — the same day that US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, arrived in Hanoi.

European Parliament urged to look closer into Human Rights and the EVFTA in Vietnam

Viet Tan March 13, 2023

On 28 February 2023, MEP Marianne Vind (S&D, Denmark) hosted a conference to discuss the state of play two years into the entry of the EVFTA at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. The EVFTA (EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement), signed on 30 June 2019, aims to strengthen human rights, freedom of assembly and labour rights in Vietnam, and give Vietnam frictionless trade access to Europe.

Collective Action for Paracel and Spratly Islands

Vietnamese organizations March 11, 2023

Today, the international community agrees that the People’s Republic of China is carrying out increasingly aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea. These hostilities began 49 years ago with the Chinese invasion of the Paracel islands (Hoàng Sa) on January 19, 1974, under Vietnamese sovereignty.

Open letter calling on Facebook to “unfriend” harmful social networks in Vietnam

Open letter February 1, 2023

Facebook has revolutionized how we consume, create, and share information. But it has also increasingly become a tool to suppress the very freedom of expression it was meant to promote, as political actors have manipulated the platform to curtail dissent and harass opponents.

#StopVNtrolls – Combatting Force 47 and Cyber Censorship

Viet Tan January 30, 2023

In a new report titled “#StopVNtrolls — Combatting Force 47 and Cyber Censorship”, Viet Tan exposes the harmful networks that have been responsible for coordinated social harm and supressing public discourse in Vietnam. The paper provides recommendations to Meta in order to cultivate a safe and authentic online environment.

Joint letter calling for the release of Mr. Chau Van Kham

Viet Tan January 24, 2023

In an open letter to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, human rights activists and elected officials from around the world called on the Vietnamese authorities to immediately release Vietnamese-Australian activist Chau Van Kham and respect the recommendations of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD).

Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience – 2022 Report

Viet Tan January 20, 2023

There are more than 300 activists imprisoned in Vietnam for their political opinions. The following biographies of Vietnamese prisoners of conscience are not exhaustive, but it provides an overview about the people who dare protect human rights and challenge authoritarian rule at the risk of spending decades in prison.

Viet Tan Presents 2022 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award to Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Nang Tinh

Viet Tan December 7, 2022

Viet Tan is pleased to announce that the 2022 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award — with the theme “Defending national sovereignty against threats from

Hanoi’s Beijing Syndrome

Duy Hoang November 5, 2022

The “Vietnamese street” and especially the activist community is known to be anti-China, but the Vietnamese Communist Party is keen to cultivate closer ties.