Agence France-Presse
Vietnam "intensified its repression" of dissidents in 2011, jailing a string of peaceful activists and cracking down hard on freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.
The situation in the communist country is "poor and worsening," and there is "no sign of any serious commitment to improve," according to the US-based campaign group.
"For quite some time, bad human rights situations in nearby countries like (Myanmar) and Cambodia have allowed Vietnam to escape critical notice," Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy director for Asia, told AFP.
"Now people are finally seeing Vietnam for what it is -- a government that severely persecutes peaceful political activists with long prison terms," he said.
Vietnam prosecuted at least 31 peaceful activists last year and sentenced them to a total of 172 years in prison, to be followed by a total of 75 years on probation, according to a HRW report -- part of a worldwide review of human rights in 2011.
"The Vietnam government intensified its repression of activists and dissidents during 2011, and cracked down harshly on freedom of expression, association, and assembly," the group said.
Dozens of bloggers, peaceful political and religious advocates, and land rights activists were jailed in 2011 under "vaguely defined articles" of the penal code, the report said.
It also decried Vietnam's use of administrative detention and forced labour to "cure" so-called social undesirables, including drug addicts.
In early 2011 there were 123 centres across the country holding about 40,000 people, including children as young as 12, with their detention not being subject to judicial oversight, the report said.
"Infringement of centre rules -- including the work requirement -- is punished by beatings with truncheons, shocks with electrical batons, and being locked in disciplinary rooms where detainees are deprived of food and water," it said.
6 comments:
Samdach Decho Hun Sen said: "To the victims where is your America? Where are the human right group when you need one? Where are your fucking Lotus and Jasmine Revolution? I'm the law in my kingdom. If you people dare to raise up I will close the doors and beats you dogs like this one. Remenber there will be no revolution to help you pigs when you pigs need help the most and there will be no America come and help you pigs like you see in the movies either"
i think everything in vietnam only looks good on the sufface, but deep down inside is rotten, you know. viet/youn economy may look attractive from the outside, but once you get to know their beaucracy, etc, it is very communism-like and still is communist country compare to cambodia, etc, really! i think cambodia is way better, despite bad disinformation of evil people try to ruin cambodia's good reputation with the world, you know. people of the world should come visit cambodia and learn and get to know camobodia as a country and people better before being gullible with evil, biased people who hated cambodia for whatever reason. i think cambodia and khmer people deserve better this time around. god bless cambodia.
some investors only attracted to vietnam on by the look from the outside, but those who examin that country thoroughly and study it can tell you it is actually rotten inside with old, outdated beaucracy, etc. cambodia came along way and is better, you know! some people only attracte to the look, while others attracted to the smell, etc...
The world should push this evil Vietnam to respect its citizen's human right.
Also the world should push this monster Vietnam from creating turmaoil in its neighboring countries, Cambodia and Laos.
TACTIC DUE TO THE WORLD LOOK BAD TO THEIR COUNTRY. REMEMBER VIETCONG = HO CHI MING -> CHINA? VIETNAMESS OR VIETCONG OR CHINA!
Khmer leaders should pay close and sincere attention to this report and realize that if Vietnam treated its citizens this badly, how much worse will it tread other countries like Cambodia and Laos. We Khmer should be capable enough to live independently, democratically, and prosperously as opposed to ling under the hegemony of Vietnam. Vietnam is actually struggling to feed its people while its population has grown to be 90 millions and the farmland is too inadequate for their production. Additionally, it is also trying to become a big enough country to put up with China who is trying to turn Vietnam to be one of its territories. Therefore, it is trying to take our land. We must not loose sight of this reality.
Khmer Son
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