Vietnam Top Legislator Criticizes Activists for Voicing against China’s Violations

Re-elected top legislator Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at a press conference in Hanoi on July 23, 2016 23/7/2016.

Re-elected top legislator Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at a press conference in Hanoi on July 23, 2016 23/7/2016.

Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on July 23, Ngan said some people and independent civil organizations have voiced to protest China’s aggressiveness in the East Sea. Those individuals have done nothing for the country but caused instability in the country, she said.

by Vu Quoc Ngu, July 26, 2016

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who on July 22 took oath as chairwoman of Vietnam’s highest legislative body National Assembly for the second time within three months, has criticized local activists for expressing their concerns about China’s violations of the country’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea), state media reported.

Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on July 23, Ngan said some people and independent civil organizations have voiced to protest China’s aggressiveness in the East Sea. Those individuals have done nothing for the country but caused instability in the country, she said.

In order to protect the country’s sovereignty, there is no need to speak empty words about patriotism and incite others, she said.

She also reaffirmed Vietnam’s stance of respecting international law and welcomed the recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague which rejects China’s historic claims of nearly the entire East Sea, including the Vietnam-claimed Hoang Sa (Paracels) and Truong Sa (Spratlys).

The 13th tenure parliament in the 2011-2016 period when Ms. Ngan was vice chairwoman and later chairwoman from April this year, the legislative body occasionally mentioned the East Sea issue.

Vietnam has zero tolerance for government’s criticism and makes all efforts to prevent spontaneous demonstrations although the rights of freedom of expression and assembly are enshrined in the country’s 2013 Constitution.

In the past six years, Vietnam’s communist government has violently suppressed peaceful demonstrations of local activists who protest China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea. Numerous anti-China activists have been imprisoned, suppressed, intimidated and tortured by security forces.

Responding to Ngan’s comment, blogger Nguyen Truong Son said Vietnamese people have their right to voice about all issues of the country, including the East Sea issue, and the parliament and its government have been paid by tax payers to work to settle these issues, not ordinary people.

Prominent dissident Dr. Nguyen Quang A said the top legislator should not play down the roles of civil societies in addressing the nation’s problems.

In the communist Vietnam, the government treats independent civil societies illegal. Last year, then Minister of Public Security and incumbent President Tran Dai Quang labeled independent civil societies as “reactionary organizations”.