In a decision announced on September 22, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) in Geneva ruled favourably to a petition regarding the detention of Vietnamese activist Nguyen Dang Minh Man. In a response to the petition submitted by Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), the Working Group determined her detention was arbitrary and called for her immediate release. The text of Opinion 40/2016 can be found below.
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.
My name is Nguyễn Văn Tráng, a human rights defenderwanted by the Vietnamese government. As a democracy activist in Vietnam, I spent five years living in constant fear of being hunted down. I thought that fear would subside once I fled the country. I believed I would be safe—or at least safer. But I was wrong.
Y Krec has exhibited personal bravery in the face of horrific persecution. Not just against himself but against his community. He has been jailed multiple times simply for practicing his faith outside of government control.
