From left-to-right: Nguy Thi Khanh (Cao Vinh Thinh), and Nguyen van Ho. PhotosBased on an article published in The 88 Project
This ArticleThis article was originally published by The 88 Project, a news site that covers Vietnam. An edited version of the article is republished by Global Voices under a content-sharing agreement.
International law protects the right to a clean environment as well as the right to speak out about it. However, Vietnamese people who attempt to exercise their rights are often harassed or intimidated and even jailed.
Activist Cao Vinh ThinhFor example, he was kidnapped and interrogated. Evictedfor her efforts to combat climate changes. Nguyen Anh TuanThe police arbitrarily detained him after he mobilized against the commercial development of the Son Tra Peninsula. And Le My HanhIt was brutally attackedPro-government criminals live-streaming the Formosa environment Katastrophe.
You could also be sent to jail for being an environmental activist in Vietnam. Hoang Duc Binh, a well known activist who reported on the devastating poisoningHung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh, Ltd., convicted of abusing democratic freedoms and causing the death of marine life, was sentenced in 2016 to 14 years imprisonment Nguyen Van HoaAfter he live-streamed videos of the victims, he was sentenced to seven years in prison Protests peacefullyOutside the Formosa plant. Recently, Dinh Thi Thu ThuyAn aquaculture engineer and environmental activist, Thuy was convicted of spreading propaganda to the state. She is currently serving a seven year sentence. Thuy is well-known for her efforts to reduce the environmental damage caused by poorly regulated foreign investments.
These activists are now languishing in prison and others have been forced from the country. 2018 Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (a.k.a. Mother Mushroom) fled to the United States after she was sentenced to two years for propaganda against the state. Quynh is also a cofounder of the Network of Vietnamese BloggersThe blog, which covered a wide range of issues, including environmental destruction, was published by. While such harsh penalties are usually reserved for seasoned activists, in recent months the governments crackdown has expanded to include leaders of officially-registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Four well-known leaders of NGO organizations were detained and jailed earlier in the year Mai Phan Loi, Bach Hung Duong, Dang Dinh Bach, Nguy Thi KhanhThe shockwaves sent shockwaves through Vietnamese civil societies. All four leaders were taken into custody and imprisoned for tax evasion. This tactic was used by the government to silence critics, who cannot be persuadely tried under the national security provisions in the criminal code. Loi, Duong, & Bach are currently serving prison sentences, while Khanh awaits her trial by arbitrary detention. Many suspect that the charges they were facing are false. Politically motivatedThey also monitor the compliance of the governments with the human rights clauses in the Human Rights Act. EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
These stories demonstrate how it can be dangerous to speak up for the environment in Vietnam. Vietnam uses a variety of tactics to silence environmental activists, including intimidation, harassment, and imprisonment. We should celebrate these brave activists on World Earth Day 2022 and condemn the persecution they face by the Vietnamese government.
