Timeline of international engagement with Vietnam and harassment and assaults of activists in 2015* *This list is not exhaustive and is based on publicly available information. 1 Jan Ho Chi Minh City police detained land petitioner Lu Thi Thu Van (f) when she and other petitioners tried to unfurl banner in a public park demanding the return of lost land. She was beaten while in police custody and sustained injuries to her face. 18 Jan Unidentified assailants attacked Mennonite pastors Nguyen Hong Quang and Huynh Thuc Khai in Ho Chi Minh City. They reported the attack to the police. 19 Jan The European Union and Vietnam held in Brussels the fourth round of their annual human rights dialogue. In a post-­‐dialogue statement, the EU said it “raised issues relating to freedom of expression and the media, including internet legislation and expressed concern regarding extensive application of national security provisions in Vietnam's penal code,” and “reiterated its serious concerns regarding the situation of a number of human rights defenders, activists, bloggers and their relatives.” 21 Jan Plainclothes agents violently assaulted 12 bloggers and activists in Thai Binh province after the group of activists were stopped by police following their visit to a recently-­‐released political prisoner. The activists were: Nguyen Thanh Giang, Nguyen Thi Kim Chi (f), Nguyen Le Hung, Nguyen Vu Binh; Nguyen Tuong Thuy, JB Nguyen Huu Vinh, Tran Thi Nga (f), Truong Minh Tam, Truong Van Dung, Nguyen Thanh Ha, Bach Hong Quyen, and Ngo Duy Quyen. 12 Feb A court in Dong Nai province convicted citizen journalists and bloggers Le Thi Phuong Anh (f), Do Nam Trung and Pham Minh Vu, under Article 258 of the Penal Code for “abusing democratic freedoms” in their online postings about demonstrations against China’s deployment of an oil rig in disputed waters. The trio were sentenced to between 12-­‐18 months in prison. Anh was released on 15 May 2015 upon serving her full sentence; she alleged that police officers physically assaulted her in pre-­‐trial detention in order to extract confession. 17 Feb Police detained and beat three women land rights petitioners in Bac Giang province-­‐
-­‐Nguyen Thi Luyen, Pham Thi Nhuong and Nguyen Thi Suot-­‐-­‐ after the petitioners attempted to bring present their grievances to a local official. After the trio were released, two were beaten by thugs on their way home and the third was beaten by police and thugs. 5 Mar In a statement before the Human Rights Council, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, stated that, in Vietnam, “independent writers, bloggers and human rights activists have faced harassment by the police and authorities; arrest; detention in harsh conditions; and criminal convictions -­‐-­‐ in some cases with severe sentences, under vaguely defined crimes.” 6 Mar Plainclothes agents who gathered outside human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai’s apartment hurled insults and threats at him. They also kicked and damaged his apartment door. Dai had recently completed his probationary house arrest as a part of his sentence handed down in May 2007 under Article 88 of the national security section in the Penal Code. 15 Mar Two unidentified assailants attacked activist and citizen journalist Vu Quoc Ngu who was on his way home after attending a meeting in Hanoi. 16-­‐18 Mar Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited Australia and met with his counterpart Tony Abbott. The two prime ministers signed a partnership declaration, which reaffirms “their shared interest in promoting human rights and our commitment to uphold the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” In 2014, Vietnam accepted a UPR recommendation to enact laws to provide for and regulate freedom of assembly and peaceful demonstration in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 15-­‐20 Mar 18 Mar 19-­‐20 Mar 19 Mar Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang visited the US and met with high-­‐level US law enforcement officials, lawmakers, and diplomats. Human rights was reportedly on the agenda. In 2014, Vietnam noted but did not accept a UPR recommendation by the US to revise “vague national security laws that are used to suppress universal rights, and unconditionally release all political prisoners.” Unidentified assailants attacked Hanoi-­‐based activists Ha Thanh and Tien Son, co-­‐
founders of the Oppressed Petitioners Solidarity Movement, while the two were returning home from a trip to Duong Noi village near Hanoi where they met with victims of land grabs. They sustained serious injuries to their head and body. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited New Zealand and met with his counterpart John Key. The two prime ministers agreed on an “aspirational target” to double bilateral goods and services trade from the current figure of US$860 million to US$1.7 billion by 2020. In 2014, Vietnam accepted a UPR recommendation by New Zealand to protect freedom of expression both online and offline by bringing legislation into compliance with international human rights law. Imprisoned activists Dinh Nguyen Kha, Dang Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, and Tran Vu Anh Binh went on hunger strike at the Xuyen Moc prison in Ba Ria Vung Tau province in protest of poor prison conditions. All were convicted between 2010-­‐2012 under national security provisions in the Penal Code and sentenced to between 4 and 13 years, for activities including blogging about poor children and people living with disabilities, writing articles for overseas political websites, distributing leaflets, and organising a workers’ strike. nd
28 Mar – 1 Apr Hanoi hosted the 132 Assembly of the Inter-­‐Parliamentary Union (IPU). Parliamentarians, including the Vietnam host, adopted a declaration on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and commit to “build national ownership of the goals” by developing a plan through “inclusive and participatory manner” and “public hearings with civil society,” in line with the international human rights framework. A bipartisan US Congressional delegation also visited Vietnam with a focus on security cooperation, human rights, and trade. Despite government harassments and obstruction, some activists met with the visiting parliamentarians. 28 Mar – 1 Apr On 31 March, police intercepted activist Tran Thi Nga (f) and her two young children, who were Hanoi-­‐bound for a meeting with visiting foreign lawmakers, and drove them back to their home in Ha Nam province. On the way, police officers beat Nga in full view of her two children. Over several days, police harassed Ho Chi Minh City-­‐based activist Huynh Trong Hieu, coordinator of the Religious and Ethnic Minority Defenders, and his family by paying multiple visits to his home and demanding residence registration. When Hieu refused to let them in, the police insulted and threatened to kill his family. 2 Apr Woman human rights defender and blogger Bui Thi Minh Hang (f) went on a hunger strike to protest mistreatment by prison guards in Gia Trung prison in Gia Lai province. She was sentenced in August 2014 to three years’ imprisonment for ‘causing public disorder’ under Article 245 of the Penal Code. 17 –18 Apr Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway visited Hanoi and met his counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung. The two prime ministers committed to continue the bilateral human rights dialogue and discussed the importance of international law mechanisms, including the role of the UN Human Rights Council, of which Vietnam is a member, in protecting and promoting human rights. In 2014, Vietnam accepted two UPR recommendations by Norway on recognising the legitimacy of civil society groups and on ensuring legal protection of media freedom. 22 Apr 26 Apr 6 May 7 May 12 May 10-­‐13 May 11 May 14 May 18 May Unidentified assailants assaulted and injured environmental activist and blogger Trinh Anh Tuan in Hanoi. Police and plainclothes agents broke up a peaceful demonstration in central Hanoi and detained 22 activists, who were all released after several hours of th
interrogations at a police station. It was the 6 consecutive peaceful gathering to protest the city’s plan to cut down more than 6000 old trees lining the Hanoi’s streets. Police and security officers across the country detained, intimidated and/or prevented at least a dozen activists from leaving their home, ahead of the US-­‐
Vietnam human rights dialogue. Activists were invited to attend meetings in Hanoi with visiting US officials. th
US and Vietnamese officials met in Hanoi for the 19 session of the bilateral human rights dialogue. Speaking to reporters after the dialogue, Tom Malinowski, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, raised concerns regarding on-­‐going threats and violence against human rights defenders. Police blocked four human rights activists Le Ba Huy Hao, Mrs Nguyen Thi Nhung (f), Le Anh Hung, Maria Thuy Nguyen (f) from boarding their international flights at the airports in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The latter two had their passports confiscated. The EU organized in Brussels a roundtable on trade, sustainable development, and human rights in EU-­‐Vietnam relations. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU Trade Commissioner said in her opening speech that the EU is not satisfied with the overall human rights situation in Vietnam, highlighting particularly the prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of bloggers. Vietnam’s president Truong Tan Sang visited the Czech Republic and met Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. Sang asked the Czech Republic to provide official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnamese projects, including on the environment and forestation. In 2014, Vietnam accepted a UPR recommendation by the Czech Republic to take “concrete steps to create a friendly environment for NGOs, including by easing their registration requirements.” Unidentified assailants assaulted and injured Nguyen Chi Tuyen, blogger and environmental activist, in Hanoi. The incident was reported to the police. Nearly 100 activists held a demonstration in Hanoi to protest recent assaults against human rights defenders and pro-­‐democracy campaigners. They allege that many of these attacks were perpetrated by plainclothes agents acting on behalf of the authorities. Police at the Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport detained and questioned blogger Mai Van Dung for about four hours when he returned from a citizen journalism training in Singapore. Dung’s daughter and several activists, who were waiting to welcome him at the airport, unfurled banners to protest his detention. Plainclothes agents took down the banners and beat several activists, while the police looked on nearby. Among those beaten were activists Nguyen Van De and Bui Van Hung. 19 May 22-­‐23 May In the early morning, plainclothes agents attacked pro-­‐democracy activist Dinh Quang Tuyen in Ho Chi Minh City. Tuyen was injured and received treatment of his wounds at a hospital. UN Secretary-­‐General Ban Ki-­‐moon to visit Hanoi and meet with senior leaders.