EU, U.S. Criticize Vietnam’s Recent Arrests of Human Rights Activists

By Defend the Defenders, February 7, 2017

The arrests of a number of activists in the second half of January by Vietnamese authorities have sparked concerns among diplomats from the European Union (EU) and United States. Their objections, however, seemed to have been drowned out by the traditional Tet holiday.

Human rights defender Tran Thi Nga was arrested on January 21 in the northern province of Ha Nam on charge of “anti-state propaganda”; two days earlier another activist Nguyen Van Oai was arrested in the central province of Nghe An for “acting against people with duties” and violating his probation.

In a message posted on January 26 on the Facebook page of the Delegation of the EU to Vietnam, Ambassador Bruno Angelet stressed that the rights to express their opinions peacefully, freely, and without threats or impediments are among “Vietnam’s international and domestic human rights obligations.”

He “called on the Vietnamese authorities to ensure that the rights of Ms. Tran Thi Nga and Mr. Nguyen Van Oai are fully respected.”

Similarly on January 23, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said they are deeply concerned about the arrest of Ms. Nga in Ha Nam and called on Vietnam to release Ms. Nga and other prisoners of conscience.

Vietnam should allow all individuals to express their political viewpoints on the web and in real life without fear of punishments, the U.S. Embassy noted.

The U.S. diplomatic mission added that they have continuously urged Vietnam to protect the freedom of assembly, of association, of expression, and of religion as outlined in the 2013 Constitution and other international commitments Vietnam has signed on.