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.
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.
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.
