Vietnam Police Asked to Prevent Establishment of Unsanctioned Organizations

By Vu Quoc Ngu | Dec 31, 2014

Vietnam’s security forces need to work to prevent setting up of unsanctioned organization to protect the one-party regime, said President Truong Tan Sang at the 70^th national police conference held in Hanoi on Dec 30.

Speaking at the event, President Sang said the security forces must work to prevent “peaceful evolution” by “hostile forces” to ensure social stability and the communist party’s preparation for the next National Congress slated in 2016.

Ten days earlier, at a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also ordered the police forces to prevent establishment of opposition to protect the political monopoly of the ruling communist party.

The requirements of the president and the government leader came out as Vietnam’s security forces have intensified political crackdown against online bloggers and social activists.

Since late November, Vietnam arrested three well-known bloggers namely Hong Le Tho, Nguyen Quang Lap and Nguyen Dinh Ngoc to probe for their online postings. In May, Nguyen Huu Vinh, co-founder of AnhBaSam news website was detained for anti-state activities.

Along with using controversial articles such as 79, 88 and 258 of the Criminal Code to silence political critics, Vietnam’s security forces has enhanced their suppression against social activists. A number of social activists have been beaten and intimidated by thugs.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused Vietnam of using mobs to attack human rights defenders in many places in the country.

Earlier, the Reporters Without Borders, which lists Vietnam as an “Enemy of the Internet,” has ranked the country 174th out of 180 nations in its press freedom index for 2014.

According to the Human Rights Watch, Vietnam is holding between 150 and 200 activists and bloggers who are exercising their basic rights.