December 11, 2009
A massive mining project in central Vietnam has created one of the biggest civil protest movements the country has ever seen.
Domestic media outlets are banned from reporting on the proposed Bauxite mine, which critics say threatens major environmental damage, for little economic benefit.
But Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive pictures of the site, and spoken to some of the people opposed to its development.
Al Jazeera has this report from Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
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.
