Vietnam Rejects HRW’s Report on Beating Local Activists

by Defend the Defenders, June 21, 2017

Vietnam’s government has rejected the recent report released by the New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) on ongoing physical attacks against local political dissidents, human rights defenders and social activists as well as independent blogger, saying the country acted in accordance with international human rights treaties.

The report is based on false information and lack of objectivity about the situation in Vietnam, said Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a press conference in Hanoi on June 20.

On June 19, HRW released its 65-page report documenting 36 cases between January 2015 and April 2017 in which unknown men in civilian clothes beat rights campaigners and bloggers, often resulting in serious injuries. Many victims reported that beatings occurred in the presence of uniformed police who did nothing to intervene.

“The Vietnamese government needs to make it clear that it will not tolerate this kind of behavior and bring to an end this campaign against rights campaigners,” say Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

According to the report, Vietnam’s government is adopting a strategy of beating bloggers and rights activists across the country, including in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Nha Trang, and Vung Tau, as well as in provinces such as Quang Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Binh Duong, Lam Dong, and Bac Giang.

This pattern of assaults on bloggers and activists is clearly intended to silence critics, who in many cases have no other way to voice legitimate concerns, HRW said.

Calling Vietnam to stop such kind of persecution, HRW also urged international donors and trade partners with Vietnam to support Vietnamese activists by urging the Vietnamese government to stop the beatings and to hold these violent assailants accountable.

HRW also said Vietnam holds at least 112 political prisoners who are jailed just because exercising their basic rights enshrined in the country’s 2013 Constitution.