Age: 60 years old
Activity: Religious freedom advocate
Date of arrest: July 2, 2011
Sentence: Sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on December 13, 2011
Charge: Abusing democratic freedoms (Article 258)
Current location: An Giang Province
Tran Hoai An is a member of the Hoa Hao Buddhist church, a sect which has been repressed by authorities. According to state media, he was arrested for possessing printed materials and CDs and DVDs criticizing the Vietnamese government’s religious record.
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.
The Communist Party of Vietnam officially opens its 14th National Congress today. In the run up to the conclave, To Lam declared that the Congress will determine the country’s direction for the next five years. Thus, the “true owners of the nation” have been completely sidelined—subject to intimidation, monitoring and imprisonment. An atmosphere of fear once again blankets the country, just as it has during previous Party congresses.
A joint letter, signed by iInternational NGOs, human rights organizations, and Vietnamese activists, addresses Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the company’s compliance with censorship demands from the Vietnamese government.
Vietnam has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years. However, politically, the country remains tightly controlled by the Communist Party, which tolerates no challenge to its authority.
