Human Rights Watch protests crackdown

Human Rights Watch today denounced the recent arrests of dissidents and other repression in Vietnam, which it described as one of the worst crackdowns on Vietnam dissent over the last 20 years. It discussed the recent arrests of Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Ngan, Fr. Nguyen Van Ly, the temporary detention and interrogation of other pro-democracy advocates and religious leaders; along with repression against various trade unionists.

“Despite the official rhetoric, the Vietnamese government can’t really pretend to be working towards a just and democratic society when it continues to persecute those who articulate different political views, who support multi-party democracy, or simply advocate for basic human rights,” said Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

Source: Human Rights Watch press release, March 9.