Embedded Files
* Politik - Demokratie
China, Vietnam talk amid South China Sea tensions
20.06.2013 (The Philippine Star) - BEIJING (AP) -- Vietnam's president was being feted by China's leaders on a visit through Friday as Beijing continues to shun another rival for South China Sea territory that has challenged its claims on legal grounds, the Philippines. President Truong Tan Sang is on a three-day visit to boost economic ties with China, Vietnam's communist ally and biggest trading partner. How to manage their disputed territorial sea claims - which last month led to a damaged fishing boat and allegations of a crew's lives being put at risk - is also on the agenda. [read more]
Censure: le Vietnam veut faire payer les chaînes étrangères
21.06.2013 (Vietnam aujourd'hui) - Le Vietnam impose un différé de trente minutes aux chaînes étrangères pour pouvoir couper tout passage jugé sensible. Mais le régime communiste a décidé d'aller plus loin avec une loi qui, selon les observateurs, pourrait forcer CNN ou la BBC à payer pour être censurées.
La "décision n°20" impose aux chaînes étrangères de demander une licence d'édition à un des géants des médias d'Etat, qui devra "préparer" les programmes pour le public local: les sous-titrer en vietnamien - sauf les informations - et éditer tout contenu jugé inapproprié. Le tout pour un montant non révélé. [en savoir plus...]
Confidence tricks
The repression is fierce; the self-criticism mild
22.06.2013 (The Economist) SINGAPORE - The police in Vietnam have been busy. Their targets, as so often, have been the nation’s pesky bloggers. On June 13th they arrested Pham Viet Dao in Hanoi; two days later it was the turn of Dinh Nhat Uy in Long An province in the south. Both have criticised the government online; both were detained under a sweeping provision of the penal code that allows arrest for “abusing democratic freedoms” to “infringe upon the interests of the state”. Mr Dao, a former official, carried particular clout in Vietnam’s blogosphere, as did Truong Duy Nhat, another blogger, who was arrested in the city of Danang on May 26th. Under Vietnam’s laws they all face up to seven years in prison. [read more]
Erklärung der Konferenz der vietnamesischen Demokraten 2013
22.06.2013 (Forum Vietnam 21) - Anlässlich der geplanten Verfassungsänderung der kommunistischen Partei Vietnam (KPVN) gibt die Konferenz der vietnamesischen Demokraten folgende Stellungnahme ab [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]
Debate suppressed in Vietnam, questions on Japanese cooperation
25.06.2013 Ari Nakano (The Asahi Shimbun) - This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam. When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Vietnam in January, the two countries confirmed that their relationship had grown into an even greater "strategic partnership" and agreed to continue cooperating on constructing nuclear power plants and developing rare earths resources. However, many problems have surfaced concerning recent resources and energy development in Vietnam. Simply looking at the progress thus far, there is major cause for concern over the construction of nuclear power plants there. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Activists hit out at honorary doctorate awarded to Trong
27.06.2013 (Bangkok Post) - Thammasat University's conferral of an honorary doctorate degree on the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has upset regional human rights defenders. Nguyen Phu Trong was awarded an honorary PhD by the university's faculty of science at a ceremony yesterday. Activists within the region and in Europe signed an open letter saying the award was inappropriate in light of the intensifying crackdown on dissidents over the past year in Vietnam.
"How can a person like Mr Nguyen Phu Trong, who is responsible for the increasing number of human right abuses in a nation under the repressive rule of a mono-political party in which he is a top leader, be honoured by one of the oldest universities in Thailand that educates and advocates students to emphasise the benefits of living by the sufficiency economy philosophy, democratic values and social justice?" the letter said. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Amid Rising Dissent, Vietnam Cracks Down on Bloggers
27.06.2013 By Brendan Brady (Time) - On blogs and social media, agitated Vietnamese are bypassing their authoritarian government’s monopoly on mass communication, reporting on its failings and galvanizing discontent with its rule. Some have railed against personal injustices, others have challenged the system itself. Faced with economic trouble, infighting and unprecedented public criticism, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party is cracking down on dissent. Forty-six bloggers or activists have been sentenced to jail so far this year, surpassing the total of 40 in the whole of 2012. In its 2013 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Vietnam 172nd of 179 countries — with Iran and North Korea among the few with worse scores. According to the group, only China and Oman have more people in their jails for Internet-related activism. So heated has the onslaught on public criticism become in recent weeks that Vietnamese journalists who spoke with TIME required anonymity for fear of reprisal, and even foreign analysts based in the country would only speak off-record. [read more]
Vietnam: Aufstand der Gefangenen in Camp Xuan Loc, Dong Nai
30.06.2013 (Forum Vietnam 21) SAIGON - In dem Gefängnis Z30A in Xuan Loc, Provinz Dong Nai im Süden Vietnams hat es seit heute Morgen einen Aufstand gegeben. Im Camp Z30A mit ca. 1000 Gefangenen sitzen mehrere Regimekritiker, darunter die bekannten Blogger und Aktivisten wie der Dissident Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, der Songwriter Viet Khang, der Arbeiteraktivist Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung Die Insassen haben das Gefängnis unter ihre Kontrolle gebracht und die Eingänge verbarrikadiert. Sie wollen gegen die drakonischen Haftbedingungen protestieren. Nach Angaben aus dem Dissidentenkreis in Saigon werden die Gefangenen in der letzten Zeit oft geschlagen, ihre Verpflegung wird ständig reduziert und sie müssen stets harte Zwangarbeit leisten. Trotz wiederholter Beschwerde wird die Situation nicht besser, im Gegenteil, den Gefangenen werden noch härtere Haftbedingungen als Strafe auferlegt.
Nach Informationen des Journalisten Tran Quang Thanh hatten die Gefangenen den Gefängnisaufseher Ho Phi Thang, aus anderer Quelle auch den stellvertretenden Aufseher Thai Duy Hong in ihre Gewalt gebracht.
Die Insassen hoffen nun auf Verhandlungen mit den Behörden über bessere Haftbedingungen. Alle Straßen nach Xuan Loc sind nach letzter Meldung aus Saigon von der Polizei gesperrt.
Bitte unterstützen Sie die Petition von Josef Bordat zur Verbesserung der Menschenrechtssituation in Vietnam
05.02.2013 Josef Bordat (Blog Jobo72) - Im Januar waren es 14 katholische Blogger, jetzt 22 buddhistische Reiseveranstalter für Ökotourismus: Vietnamesische Gerichte verurteilen sie wegen „Umsturzversuchen“, „Propaganda gegen den Staat“ und „Verunglimpfung der Volksherrschaft“ zu langen Gefängnisstrafen, wie Die Zeit berichtet.
In einigen Medien wird die Gruppe als Teil einer „Sekte“ bezeichnet, auf welcher Grundlage, ist mir nicht bekannt; die vietnamesischen Behörden nennen sie „reaktionär“. Doch der entscheidende Punkt ist ein anderer: Was die 14 Christen und die 22 Buddhisten eint, ist der Wunsch nach einem freien Vietnam, nach Menschenrechten, nach Sicherheit und Wohlstand für alle.
Wir können ihnen helfen, indem wir über ihr Schicksal schreiben, darüber sprechen und Petitionen wie diese unterstützen. Tun wir es! - [tiếng Việt]
Freedom Now – Submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Universal Periodic Review (UPR): Socialist Republic of Vietnam
18th Session
Human Rights Council – UPR Working Group
07.06.2013 (Freedom Now) - 1. Freedom Now individually submits this report to assist the Human Rights Council in its review of the policies and practices of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam). Freedom Now is a non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works to free prisoners of conscience around the world through focused legal, political, and public relations advocacy.
2. This report describes the Vietnamese government’s use of arbitrary detention in violation of international law. As outlined below, the government uses national security laws to silence an ever-growing list of critical voices in the country. Despite the government’s assurances—often repeated in the course of interaction with international bodies and mandate holders—this practice violates Vietnam’s freely undertaken obligations under international law, including provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which it is a party. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Dearest friends,
My name is Le Quoc Quyet, the younger brother of human rights attorney Le Quoc Quan. On December 27, 2012 my brother was arbitrarily arrested as he was dropping off his daughter at school in Hanoi. His children and wife have been denied visitation rights and Quan is now expected to be tried on July 9, 2013.
My brother’s arrest and persecution comes during the Vietnamese government’s worsening crackdown on human rights defenders. Facing constant police harassment before his arrest, my brother has stated that he would “welcome any challenges...as gifts that my Country has given me.” Just as my brother has stood up for the voiceless, now we should stand in solidarity and demand his uncondititional release!
During this difficult time, our family ask for your help. Please lend your voice and send a message to Secretary of State John Kerry. As he prepares to meet with Vietnamese leaders at an ASEAN summit, call on him to take action and ensure the release of not only my brother but all other prisoners of conscience in Vietnam.
On behalf of my brother and his family, I want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has taken part in advocating for his freedom. Your commitment and ongoing support have brought much comfort to our family and many others.
Sincerely,
Free Le Quoc Quan
Vietnam: Debunking persistent myths about its politics, prospects for the future
17.06.2013 By Gary Shapiro (Mercury News) - Vietnam remains a stark reminder of our national fallibility, and of a missed opportunity. After my third trip there this spring, I am certain that the Vietnamese people would be better off today had the U.S. succeeded in keeping South Vietnam democratic. Yet our attitude toward Vietnam is colored by too many persistent myths about the nation -- about its politics, its relationships with global powers and its prospects for the future. [read more]
Textilindustrie in Kambodscha. Arbeiter nach Streik entlassen
13.06.2013 Sascha Zastiral, Bangkok (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) Ein Zulieferer des Nike-Konzerns hat 300 Arbeiter entlassen, die für mehr Lohn demonstriert hatten. Kurz zuvor hatte die Polizei ihren Streik gewaltsam beendet. Die Behörden wahren damit die Interessen der politisch gut vernetzten Unternehmer. [Weiterlesen]
Australia – Tough Ground with Drudgery for Vietnamese Communist Delegation at Human Rights Dialogue
18/06/2013 (VRNs) - Melbourne, Australia – Yesterday June 17, 2013 is the opening day of the 9th human rights dialogue which was held in the Australian Federal Parliament. Due to the lack of significant results from previous dialogues, in February 2012, the Federal Parliament of Australia opened a hearing with a task force for more effective dialogues with the communist rulers of Việt Nam. Participating members with invitations to attend the hearing included Vietnamese Community in Australia, prisoners of conscience Fund, Committee to protect workers, Bloc 8406, Congressman Luke Donnellan of Victoria, and Mrs. Đao Quỳnh. [read more]
„Gesungen, um nicht verrückt zu werden“Der vietnamesische Regime-Gegner und Journalist Doan Viet sprach in Neckartenzlingen
19.06.2013 (Nürtinger Zeitung) - NECKARTENZLINGEN (ha). Gut besucht war am vergangenen Mittwoch die Veranstaltung mit dem vietnamesischen Regime-Gegner, Professor und Journalisten Doan Viet Hoat in der Ortsbücherei. Fast zwei Stunden lang berichtete der 70-Jährige auf Einladung des SPD-Ortsvereins und beantwortete Fragen.
Doan Viet Hoat war Herausgeber des „Freedom Forum“, einer illegalen Publikation. Wegen „versuchten Umsturzes der Regierung“ wurde er 1993 zu 20 Jahren Arbeitslager verurteilt – später wurde das Urteil in 15 Jahre geändert. Doan Viet Hoat argumentierte vergeblich, er habe nur zu einer friedlichen Liberalisierung und niemals zur Gewalt aufgerufen. Nach Protesten aus dem Ausland kam er 1998 frei.
Es war bereits das zweite Mal, dass Doan Viet Hoat verhaftet worden war. 1976, nachdem die Kommunisten in Südvietnam die Macht übernommen hatten, durfte er nicht mehr an der Uni lehren und wurde überwacht. Er kam in ein Umerziehungslager, wo er ohne Gerichtsverfahren zwölf Jahre zusammen mit 40 weiteren Personen eingesperrt worden war.
Foto (ha): Doan Viet Hoat mit Dr. Valentin Schoplick, Vorsitzender des SPD-Ortsvereins - [tiếng Việt]
Nicht nur Pussy Riot, auch Viet Khang und Anh Binh in Vietnam wurden wegen ihrer Musik zu hohen Haftstrafen verurteilt!
Pressemitteilung des Forums Vietnam 21 anlässlich der Verurteilung der Liedermacher Viet Khang und Tran Vu Anh Binh durch das Regime in Hanoi [weiter lesen] [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam-Protesttag gegen die Diktatur der kommunistischen Partei Vietnams am 27.04.2013 in Stuttgart
- Warum kleben wir uns den Mund zu?
Vietnamese PM Escapes Censure, Just
12.06.2013 By Luke Hunt (The Diplomat) - The relief within the Vietnamese Politburo must have been palpable. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, along with another 46 officials escaped censure in the country’s first-ever confidence vote. But the results were hardly a ringing endorsement of their leadership. [read more]
Konfrontation statt Kniefall in Ostasien12.06.2013 Christoph Prantner (Der Standard) - Seoul/Wien - Es ist eine bemerkenswerte Szene: Drei ehemalige Premierminister sitzen auf einem Podium und loben die Europäische Union in den Himmel. Irgendwo in Europa? Nein, im Fernen Osten. Mahatir bin Mohamad (Malaysia), Han Seung-soo (Südkorea) und Yukio Hatoyama (Japan) sehen das Modell EU auf dem "Forum für Frieden und Prosperität" auf der südkoreanischen Insel Jeju als erstrebenswert auch für Ostasien an. Ein solcher Grad an politischer und ökonomischer Integration, vor allem aber an historischer Aussöhnung sei beispielhaft für die Länder in Fernost. [Weiterlesen]
Blow for Vietnam PM in first ever confidence vote
11.06.2013 (Bangkok Post) - Vietnam's premier suffered a setback Tuesday after a third of lawmakers in the one-party state voted against him in a first ever confidence vote, seen as a bid to deflect growing public anger at the communist regime. One hundred and sixty of some 500 lawmakers voiced "low confidence" in Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's premiership, which has been tainted by a string of corruption scandals and worries over his handling of the ailing economy. "Dung's results are a disaster," Vietnam expert Carl Thayer told AFP, adding that the premier "will be chastened by the result but will continue in office"... "The confidence vote reveals that party in-fighting between factions is likely to continue," Thayer added. [read more]
Vietnam MPs vote low confidence in PM Nguyen Tan Dung
11.06.2013 (BBC) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has won the full support of less than half of parliament in an unprecedented confidence vote. Mr Dung received votes of "high confidence" from only 210 members of the 498-seat national assembly. He got 122 votes of "confidence" and 160 votes of "low confidence" in the three-ratings ballot. Remaining lawmakers did not cast ballots. Correspondents say that the vote is a rare public blow for the PM. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam PM takes a hit in first-ever confidence vote
11.06.2013 (Reuters) Hanoi - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was dealt a rare public blow on Tuesday, winning the full support of less than half of members of a parliament dominated by his ruling Communist Party in the country's first-ever confidence vote.
The former central bank governor got votes of "high confidence" from 210 members of the 498-seat national assembly, with 160 passing votes of "low confidence" in a rare show of public scrutiny of Vietnam's leaders. [read more]
Vietnam’s Dung Passes Confidence Vote as Economic Growth Slows
11.06.2013 (Bloomberg) Vietnam’s prime minister secured enough support from parliament during the communist country’s first confidence vote to keep his job, with almost a third of lawmakers rating him poorly as economic growth stagnates.
Nguyen Tan Dung had support from 67 percent of National Assembly members, the legislature announced in Hanoi today. Thirty-two percent of lawmakers gave him a “low-confidence” ranking. Central bank Governor Nguyen Van Binh received a “low-confidence” report card from 42 percent of lawmakers. [read more]
Vatikan und Vietnam verhandeln über diplomatische Beziehungen
11.06.2013 (KAP) Vatikanstadt - Der Vatikan und Vietnam setzen die Verhandlungen über eine Normalisierung ihrer diplomatischen Beziehungen fort. Die bilaterale Gesprächsrunde tagt kommenden Donnerstag und Freitag, wie der Vatikan am Dienstag mitteilte. Es ist das vierte Treffen der Arbeitsgruppe. Mit dem Ende des Vietnamkriegs 1975 hatten die kommunistischen Machthaber die diplomatischen Beziehungen zum Heiligen Stuhl abgebrochen. [Weiterlesen]
Journalist Đoàn Viết Hoạt aus Vietnam zu Gast 10.06.2013 (Nürtinger Zeitung) - Neckartenzlingen (ha). Der SPD-Ortsverein lädt ein zu einem Vortrag mit dem Journalisten Doan Viet Hoat aus Vietnam. Die Veranstaltung findet am Mittwoch, 12. Juni, um 19 Uhr im Seniorenraum der Alten Schule statt. Der Professor und Journalist war als Herausgeber des „Freedom Forum“ – einer illegalen Publikation – 1990 wegen „versuchten Umsturzes der Regierung“ zu 20 Jahren Arbeitslager verurteilt worden. Nach Protesten aus dem Ausland kam er 1998 frei. Alte Schule, Schulstr. 19, 72654 Neckartenzlingen - [tiếng Việt]Regulating television in Vietnam. Ministry of obscurity
10.06.2013 by M.I. (The Economist) - The Communist Party cadres who run Vietnam’s government have never been regarded as the biggest fans of free speech—they prefer jailing the dissidents who challenge their authority—but they may have reached a new low recently, with a law designed to force foreign television broadcasters to pay to be censored.
Technically, the law requires only that the broadcasters apply for so-called “editing licences”. But the media outlets are wary; the implication is that they could be required to pay English-speaking Vietnamese “editors” to watch their content, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The “editors” could then contrive to block coverage of, for instance, political uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. Or documentaries about political repression in Vietnam. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Dung Faces First Confidence Vote
09.06.2013 (Bloomberg News) - Vietnam’s prime minister faces his first confidence vote in parliament today, where he is expected to get the backing of lawmakers after a series of stumbles culminated in a rare public apology to the nation last year. Premier Nguyen Tan Dung, the country’s president and 45 senior officials will come under fresh scrutiny as the 499-member National Assembly holds confidence votes for the first time, part of changes announced in November to bring greater accountability to government. [read more]
California Vietnamese, Tibetans Protest Communist China Leader's Arrival For Summit
07.06.2013 By R. Scott Moxley (OC Weekly) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is getting a warm welcome from U.S. President Barack Obama this afternoon in Rancho Mirage for their summit and not just because the California desert temperature topped 110 degrees. In his five years in the White House, Obama has treated the Chinese leadership with guarded respect. But not everyone in Southern California wants
the new, 59-year-old communist leader to be comfortable. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Protesters Stake Out Estate Hosting Obama-Xi Summit
With support from Congress, hundreds gather in sun to deliver message
08.06.2013 By Annie Wu (Epoche Times) - Before Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping even set foot in California, protesters were already assembled near the Sunnylands estate, in the hot California desert, where Xi and U.S. President Barack Obama are holding their two day summit over June 7 and 8.
The protesters gathered at a time when Obama has been strongly called upon to do more to support human rights in China, most recently by outspoken New Jersey congressman Chris Smith, who brought the topic up in a House session on June 6, calling China the “torture capital of the world.” [read more]
USA & Japan: Die Platzhirsche wehren sich
Wer dominiert den Westpazifik?
07.06.2013 (3Sat) Chinas neue Hegemonialpolitik ruft die alten Platzhirsche im Westpazifik auf den Plan: Japan verteidigt jeden Felsen und die USA gewinnen unverhofft neue Freunde - z.B. den ehemaligen Kriegsgegner Vietnam. Immer wieder kommt es zu Scharmützeln auf offener See, weil sich Japan, Taiwan und China um Inseln im Westpazifik streiten. Wer die Inseln hat, dem gehören auch die Meereszonen um sie herum. Und damit die Fangrechte, aber vielleicht auch bislang unentdecktes Öl und Gas. [Weiterlesen]
We Are Not The New Nazis
07.06.2013 (StrategyPage) - China continues to make threatening moves, and noises in the South China Sea. The nations on the receiving end (Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines) are alarmed at the aggressiveness China is showing towards India, a neighbor with nuclear weapons. This is demoralizing for China’s neighbors who hope that the United States will provide some support if China became too aggressive. None of these nations are interested in negotiations either, in part because of the Chinese custom of using these meetings to generate more propaganda, not seriously try to work out a compromise. All the nations are putting more troops and weapons in the disputed areas and sending more naval and air patrols. Meanwhile the Chinese Navy is seen more often in the South China Sea and Western Pacific. Not just warships, but also long range recon aircraft and marines staging landing exercises on these uninhabited islets. So far this year China has sent groups of warships into the Western pacific at least once a month. [read more]
Vietnamese Blog Back on Line
07.06.2013 by David Brown (Asia Sentinel) - Independent political news voice wiped out by mysterious hackers - The Vietnamese political news blog Anh Ba Sam has regained its equilibrium and its name after a series of mysterious attacks in March. Attackers took over the site, replacing its articles with their own content and changing passwords for the site's administrative sections. When Anh Ba Sam's owners contacted WordPress, the blog's hosting service, in an effort to reclaim access to their site, the company asked the owners to verify their identities. But that wasn't easy – the attackers had changed the site's security information, leaving the owners temporarily unable to prove they were the legitimate administrators. [read more]
Vietnam's Ambitions
06.06.2013 by Khanh Vu Duc (Asia Sentinel) - Before Vietnam can embark on its global journey, it must first resolve the issue of trust at home. Vietnam's ambitions were on display at the 12th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore when Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam delivered his keynote address. Titled "Building Strategic Trust for Peace, Cooperation and Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific Region," the address (which can be read online at the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Shangri-La Dialogue website) wastes little time in establishing the premise of this year's forum and Vietnam's foreign defense policy. At the heart of all of this, and reiterated time and again by Prime Minister Dung, is the necessity of "building trust". [read more]
If Your Blog Gets Hacked, Can WordPress Help?
05.06.2013 by David Brown (Global Voices Online) - In March, Vietnamese political news blog Anh Ba Sam underwent a series of attacks that left its content compromised and its owners unable to access the blog’s back end. Attackers took over the site, replacing its articles with their own content and changing passwords for the site’s administrative sections.
When Anh Ba Sam’s owners contacted WordPress, the blog’s hosting service, in an effort to reclaim access to their site, the company asked the owners to verify their identities. But this wasn’t easy — the attackers changed security information on the site, leaving the owners temporarily unable to prove their claim. Although the has since been resolved, it raises critical questions about the role of blog hosting platforms and their responsibilities to provide adequate security measures for their clients. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam’s Angry Feet
06.06.2013 By TUONG LAI (The New York Times) - Last month, Vietnamese courts imposed heavy sentences on two patriotic students in their early 20s who had been charged with “speaking ill of China.” These charges touched the most sensitive nerve in the nation’s psyche — our patriotism and spirit of nationalism — and publicly exposed the government’s shady collusion with foreign aggressors. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Drill with Vietnam to test China waters
06.06.2013 (The Telegraph, India) - New Delhi, June 6: Four Indian warships anchored in Da Nang will sail out of the Tien Sa port for a rescue drill with the Vietnamese navy in waters that China contests, about the same time that defence minister A.K. Antony lands in New Delhi tonight after a three-nation Asia-Pacific tour. [read more]
US warns Vietnam 'backtracking' on rights
06.06.2013 (The Straits Times) - WASHINGTON (AFP) - A senior US official warned on Wednesday that Vietnam's record on human rights was deteriorating as he faced calls from Congress to put tougher conditions on the nations' warming partnership. [read more]
Vietnam: Fall Van Thuân kommt nach Rom 04.06.2013 (Radio Vatikan) - An diesem Mittwoch endet die diözesane Phase im Seligsprechungsverfahren von Kardinal François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân. Die Akten gehen damit zur genauen Prüfung nach Rom an die Kongregation für Selig- und Heiligsprechungen. Der aus Vietnam stammende Van Thuân, damals Bischof von Saigon, hatte nach der Machtübernahme der Kommunisten von 1975 bis 1988 in Gefängnissen und Umerziehungslagern verbracht. [Weiterlesen]
A diamond in the South China Sea's rough
04.06.2013 By Richard Javad Heydarian (Asia Times) - MANILA - While Japan possesses the hard power and military hardware to keep China's territorial ambitions in relative check, smaller, less-armed countries like the Philippines and Vietnam have proven far more vulnerable. Now, an emerging Japan-led "security diamond" alliance could change the region's big-versus-small country dynamic, including in the contested South China Sea.
Since 2010, the Philippines and Vietnam have banked in varying degrees on enhanced security ties with the United States to counter China's rising maritime assertiveness. Three years into the US's so-called "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific, however, it remains unclear whether Washington's announced recommitment to the region is serving as a credible deterrent. [read more]
Communist Party Betrays Vietnam's Peasants
03.06.2013 Written by David Brown (Asia Sentinel) - Hero farmer gets five years in prisonEven after Doan Van Vuon and his brother Quy were indicted for attempted murder in January 2013, it seemed reasonable to hope that they would catch a break from Vietnam's courts. Vuon, a Vietnamese farmer, was after all a popular hero.
A year earlier, hundreds of police and militia were marshaled to dispossess Vuon and his family of their 21-hectare shrimp farm, which they had built by clearing and diking swampland. Officials wanted to take their land and resell it to airport developers, but the Doan family fought back. Six policemen and soldiers were wounded -- the reason for Vuon's indictment. In the weeks after the 'Tien Lang incident,' national attention was focused on forcible seizures without compensation. The prime minister himself denounced the attack on Vuon's farm. It was, he said, an illegal eviction. [read more]
Vietnam quells anti-China protests
02.06.2013 Associated Press in Hanoi (South China Morning Post) - Police detained about 15 anti-China protestors Sunday during a march in the Vietnamese capital that showed the domestic pressure the government faces when dealing with Beijing’s muscular approach to territorial claims in the South China Sea. Scuffles broke out as police hauled ringleaders or especially vocal protesters into buses during the rally, a rare show of dissent in the tightly controlled one-party state. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnamese Police Detain Dozens of Anti-China Protesters
02.06.2013 Marianne Brown (VOA) - HANOI — Police bundled dozens of people onto buses Sunday morning, including a mother and her young child, after about 150 people gathered in Hanoi's city center to protest Chinese actions in the South China Sea.
At around 8.30 in the morning a group of more than 100 people met on the banks of one of Hanoi’s most popular tourist attractions, Hoan Kiem Lake. Some wore tee-shirts with a map of the Paracel and Spratly islands, territories claimed by both Vietnam and China. Others waved posters saying “Shame on you China bully.” [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam police swoop on anti-China protest, 20 detained02.06.2013 (The Asahi Shimbun) HANOI--Police in Vietnam moved swiftly to break up an anti-China protest on June 2, making at least 20 arrests in the latest sign of the communist regime's tough stance on dissent, and even after it chided Beijing for aggression in the South China Sea.
As crowds gathered in response to the recent ramming of a Vietnamese trawler by Chinese navy vessels, uniform and plain clothes police blocked off rallying points and quickly put protesters on to waiting buses, Reuters witnesses said. [read more]
Anti-chinesische Proteste in Vietnam
02.06.2013 (Deutschlandradio) - Bei anti-chinesischen Protesten in der vietnamesischen Hauptstadt Hanoi sind 15 Teilnehmer festgenommen worden. Es kam zu einem Handgemenge, als die Personen abgeführt wurden. Insgesamt hatten sich 150 Menschen an der Kundgebung beteiligt. Hintergrund ist der Territorialstreit im südchinesischen Meer, den China mit mehreren asiatischen Nachbarstaaten austrägt, darunter auch Vietnam. - [tiếng Việt]
Anti-chinesische Protestler in Vietnam festgenommen
02.06.2013 (Radio Stimme Russlands) - In der vietnamesischen Hauptstadt Hanoi sind etwa zehn Teilnehmer einer kleinen antichinesischen Kundgebung festgenommen worden.
Vor einigen Tagen hatte ein chinesischer Kutter ein vietnamesisches Anglerboot gerammt. China warf den vietnamesischen Fischern illegales Eindringen in Chinas Territorialgewässer vor. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]
Arrestations après une manifestation anti-chinoise au Vietnam
02.06.2013 (Menara.ma) - Hanoi, 02 juin 2013 (MAP) - La police vietnamienne a arrêté dimanche au moins 20 personnes qui participaient à une manifestation anti-chinoise, alors que ce type de rassemblements était encore récemment toléré par les autorités.
La manifestation, qui protestait contre l'éperonnage d'un chalutier vietnamien par des navires chinois, a immédiatement été interrompue par la police, qui a également arrêté deux journalistes. [en savoir plus...] - [tiếng Việt]
Varios detenidos en protestas contra China en Vietnam
02.06.2013 (BBC) - Más de una docena de personas fueron detenidas cuando la policía acabó con una pequeña protesta anti China en la capital vietnamita, Hanoi. La manifestación ocurrió tan solo días después de que Vietnam asegurase que una embarcación china había chocado contra un barco pesquero vietnamita. [seguir leyendo] - [tiếng Việt]
Philippines, Vietnam Cry Foul Over Chinese Vessels in Disputed Waters
31.05.2013 Simone Orendain (VOA) - It is fishing season once again in the South China Sea and, as in past years, clashes between Chinese fishermen and those of their maritime neighbors are on the rise.
China is aggressively asserting its sovereignty over the disputed waters while some of its neighbors are also defending their claims with diplomatic might. [read more]
Miscommunication: Vietnam’s New Rules for Foreign TV Channels
29.05.2013 By Marianne Brown (The Diplomat) - Earlier this month a popular satellite television provider in Vietnam took the drastic step of dropping 21 foreign channels, including BBC and CNN. The reason cited was Decision 20, a guiding document for the law that sets out controversial new translation and editing rules. The legislation, which Hanoi says will make foreign channels more accessible to Vietnamese audiences, has roused staunch objections over cost, censorship and vague wording since it was passed in 2011, and implementation has already been postponed once. [read more]
Vietnam accuses China of damaging fishing boat
28.05.2013 (AP) - HANOI - Vietnam has accused China of damaging a fishing boat in the latest escalation of tension in the disputed South China Sea. The Foreign Ministry said a Chinese vessel slammed into a Vietnamese fishing boat while it was operating in Vietnamese waters on May 20. It damaged the ship's hull and risked the lives of 15 crew members, it said. [read more]
Broadcasters balk at paying Vietnam censors
26.05.2013 (Times Media, SA) - Not content with a 30-minute delay on broadcasts of foreign television channels, communist Vietnam has introduced a brazen new law which observers say could force media outlets such as the BBC and CNN to pay for their own censorship. The law, known as Decision 20, requires channels to apply for an editing license with a government-approved local partner who will "prepare" - subtitle and edit - their content for a local audience, for an undisclosed fee. The authoritarian nation already bans private media and all newspapers and television channels are state-run. It has also long-censored foreign television channels, which are broadcast with a delay of up to 30 minutes to allow sensitive content to be cut. [read more]
Diplomat charged with selling US visas
26.05.2013 (Bangkok Post) - WASHINGTON - A consular officer allegedly sold visas for millions of dollars at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, and laundered millions in profits by buying real estate in Phuket and Bangkok, reports said Sunday. He has been held without bail for more than a week as a "serious flight risk" defendant. Mr Sestak faces charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and bribery.
The story was covered up by the US State Department, but was revealed by McClatchy news agency last Friday. [read more]
Todesstrafe für Goldräuber
24.05.2013 (Nordbayerischer Kurier/dpa) - Hanoi. Drei Goldräuber müssen in Vietnam nach einer Serie spektakulärer Überfälle mit dem Leben für ihre Straftaten bezahlen. Die Männer hatten zwischen 2000 und 2005 mit mehreren Komplizen acht Goldhändler überfallen, einen von ihnen erschossen, drei schwer verletzt und etwa 30 Kilogramm Gold erbeutet, wie eine Lokalzeitung in Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt am Freitag berichtete. Ein Gericht verhängte gegen die geständigen Drahtzieher (47 bis 56 Jahre) die Todesstrafe durch Giftinjektion. Ein Komplize wurde zu lebenslang, ein weiterer zu 15 Jahren verurteilt. Zwei Bandenmitglieder seien vor dem Prozess an einer Überdosis Rauschgift gestorben, schrieb die Zeitung. [Weiterlesen]
http://www.nordbayerischer-kurier.de/nachrichten/todesstrafe_fuer_goldraeuber
Irrer Plan aus Tschechien: Vietnamesen-Polizei soll Drogenhandel an deutscher Grenze stoppen
23.05.2013 Von Frank Selig (Bild) - Prag – Tschechien will an der Grenze zu Deutschland bald vietnamesische Polizisten auf Streife schicken. Die Prager Regierung schloss jetzt eine solche Vereinbarung mit Vietnam. Grund: Die Drogenszene an der Grenze wird mehr und mehr von vietnamesischen Kartellen kontrolliert. Sie stellen Crystal im großen Stil her, verkaufen die Todesdroge anschließend auf Asia-Märkten an der Grenze zu Sachsen. [Weiterlesen] - [tiếng Việt]
“Decision 20” silences 16 foreign TV channels
21.05.2013 (Reporters without Borders) - Reporters Without Borders is shocked by a government decree, called Decision 20/2011/QD-TTG, which has prevented local retransmission of four categories of foreign TV channels since 15 May by requiring them to pay for simultaneous translation of all their programming into Vietnamese.
Vietnam Satellite Digital Television Company (VSTV), a pay-TV operator launched by French broadcaster Canal+ and Vietnam’s national TV broadcaster, suspended retransmission of 21 TV channels including CNN, BBC and Star World as soon as the decree took effect. [read more]
La “Décision 20” provoque la suppression de 16 chaînes de télévision étrangères
21.05.2013 (Reporters sans frontières) - Depuis le 15 mai 2013, un nouveau décret, la Décision 20/2011/QD-TTG, impose à quatre catégories de chaînes de télévision étrangères la traduction intégrale et simultanée de leurs programmes. La société Vietnam Satellite Digital Television Company (VSTV), co-créée par le groupe français Canal +, a immédiatement cessé la diffusion de 21 chaînes, parmi lesquelles CNN, la BBC et Star World. “Nous réclamons auprès des autorités vietnamiennes le retrait immédiat de ce décret, qui vise clairement à contraindre les chaînes étrangères à se retirer du pays. Se conformer à cette loi provoquerait des coûts trop élevés pour les chaînes, qui ne pourront toutes s’y soumettre. Mais au-delà des frais engendrés, cette mesure, difficile à mettre en œuvre, ouvre surtout la porte à toutes les censures”, a déclaré Reporters sans frontières. [en savoir plus...]
Vietnam's Population Reaches Over 88.5 Million
21.05.2013 (Bernama) - Hanoi. As of April 1, 2012, Vietnam's population reached 88.5 million people, an increase of 915,000 people over the previous year, local Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Tuesday, quoting latest released statistics data.
Of the total, 28.5 million are urban citizens, accounting for 32.3 percent; and 43.7 million are male, accounting for 49.5 percent, reports China's Xinhua news agency.
The new data has brought the country's population density to 267 people per square kilometres, a high rate compared to that in the region and the world as well.
The latest data also revealed the fact that Vietnam's population tends to grow old remarkably. The under-15-year-old group made up 23.9 percent of the total, compared to 33.1 percent in 1999.
The country's aging rate, a result from comparing the number of people over 60 with those under 15 years old, increased from 24.3 percent in 1999 to 42.7 percent in 2012.
As of 2012, four percent of the people above 5 year old never went to school, while 5.3 percent of those above 15 were illiterate, and 20.8 percent of the population has not yet graduated from secondary school.
Women of the 15-49 year-old group having more than three children accounted for 14.2 percent of the total
China, Vietnam building military structures in Spratlys
21.05.2013 by Jaime Laude (The Philippine Star) - MANILA, Philippines - As the Philippine government is busy mending fences with Taiwan, China on the other hand is busy constructing military structures at Union Bank, a chain of reefs in the hotly contested Spratlys region.
Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon yesterday said that Union Bank, a wide body of shallow water located well within the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is now teeming with construction activities not only by the Chinese but also by the Vietnamese.
“That’s the report I’ve been receiving from our local fishermen coming from that area. They are building military structures,” Bito-onon said.
Aside from its military garrison in Mischief Reef, China has already established and fortified its military structure in Subi Reef, as it has already completed construction of a three-story building, wharfs and a helipad. Subi is located only 26 nautical miles off Kalayaan town in Pag-Asa Island.
Continuous monitoring at the West Philippine Sea region has registered an increase in the presence of Chinese warships in the area.
China’s naval deployment coincided with the recent pronouncement of a senior Chinese general that the killing of the Taiwanese fisherman by PCG personnel can already be considered as an attack on China since Taiwan is a Chinese territory.
Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat – Efforts to secure water have sparked tensions
21.05.2013 (Kuwait Times) - CHIANG MAI, Thailand: Fierce competition for water could trigger conflict unless nations cooperate to share the diminishing resource, leaders from Asia-Pacific nations warned yesterday. From Central to Southeast Asia, regional efforts to secure water have sparked tensions between neighbours reliant on rivers to sustain booming populations. Breakneck urbanisation, climate change and surging demand from agriculture have heaped pressure on scarce water supplies, while the majority of people in Asia-Pacific still lack access to safe water despite strong economic growth. “There could be a fight over resources,” Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra cautioned in an address to a regional water security forum in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. “No country in this region can handle these challenges alone,” she said, hailing forums such as the Asia-Pacific Water Summit as the route to satisfying countries’ thirst peacefully. A Thai firm is behind a controversial dam over the Mekong river in Laos, a project decried by downstream countries Vietnam and Cambodia which fear it could ruin their farming and fishing industries. [read more]
In Vietnam law makers are law breakers
21.05.2013 (Tobacco Reporter) - It was difficult for Vietnam to enforce tobacco control laws because the people who passed those laws also broke them, according to a story in Vietnam Net.
At a meeting of the National Assembly’s Committee on Social Affairs, deputy Cuong described smoking in public places as a chronic disease that was never cured. “At the meetings of the National Assembly (NA), just during the break, the hallway was filled with cigarette smoke,” said Cuong. “It looked terrible.”
In the offices of the NA committees, he added, deputies closed the doors, turned on the air-conditioners and smoked.
Cuong said the implementation of the law had to begin with Congress because this was the law-making agency. After the NA had done so, the government and the agencies of the ministry of justice had to implement the law strictly, he added.
Google challenger in Vietnam redirecting queries
18.05.2013 (The Asahi Shimbun) - HANOI, Vietnam - A Russian-financed search engine seeking to challenge Google's dominance in Vietnam is redirecting queries for some politically sensitive terms to the American company's search engine, apparently as a way of avoiding government anger or legal liability for sending surfers to sites containing criticism of the ruling party. The move May 16 follows an Associated Press story on the well-funded start up, Coc Coc, which noted it didn't seem to be censoring results. The shift illustrates the difficulties facing companies in Vietnam's booming Internet industry, which must contend with a government intent on stifling online dissent that is a challenge to its authoritarian rule. For Coc Coc, it sends a message to the ruling Communist Party that it doesn't have to worry about it encouraging opposition to one party rule. But it points to possible difficulties for Google if it wants to open offices and promote its products in Vietnam--and not have to act as a government censor. Google doesn't have an office in Vietnam because it is concerned about liability for content on its servers. Coc Coc has more than 300 staff and a large office in Hanoi, the capital. [read more]
Vietnam's people are finding their political voice
15.05.2013 by Jonathan London (South China Morning Post) - Important things are happening in Vietnam. Most attention has been given to the state repression that continues to sully its reputation internationally. Yet, within the past few months, Vietnam has experienced indisputable changes in its political culture, a development that is of much greater significance. The changes consist not only of petitions or sporadic acts of defiance; in a very short period, the country has developed a lively, even pluralistic, political culture. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Vietnam: Gesetz zur Zensur ausländischer Sender zeigt Folgen
16.05.2013 (DeutschlandRadio) Weil sie sich nicht an vietnamesische Gesetze halten, hat ein Satellitenanbieter des Landes die Ausstrahlung internationaler Fernsehsender eingestellt. Denn CNN und die BBC lassen ihre Programme nicht in die Landessprache übersetzen. Das aber sieht ein Gesetz vor, das gestern von der Regierung in Hanoi verabschiedet wurde. Es fordert zudem, dass nur Inhalte gesendet werden, die der Gesundheit des vietnamesischen Volkes zuträglich sind. Auch muss die Werbung aus Vietnam kommen. Ausnahmen gibt es nur für Direktübertragungen von Sportveranstaltungen. Vietnam wird von einer sozialistischen Einheitspartei regiert.
Vietnam provider drops foreign news TV channels
16.05.2013 By Chris Brummitt (Associated Press) - HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- A Vietnamese satellite TV company stopped airing international channels including BBC and CNN on Thursday, citing a law that foreign governments have warned would result in international news and entertainment channels ending their broadcasts in a country increasingly cracking down on freedom of expression. Underlining the confusion that has reigned about the law's scope and implementation, Vietnam's other major cable and satellite providers continued to broadcast as normal. The government said international news channels were exempt from one main aspect of the law requiring broadcasters to translate their content into Vietnamese before airing it. The United States and other governments, especially those with national broadcasters, have been urging Hanoi to abandon or modify the law, which came into effect on Wednesday. [read more]
Vietnam to produce lethal injections
16.05.2013 (The Bangkok Post) - HANOI - Vietnam has issued a new law allowing domestically produced chemicals to be used in lethal injections, a change that should enable it to resume the currently stalled executions of more than 530 people on death row. The holdup was a result of a European Union ban on its factories exporting chemicals used in lethal injections. The ban was issued because the EU regards capital punishment as a human rights violation. It has left Vietnam unable to execute a prisoner since November 2011, when the country decided to switch from firing squads to lethal injections on humanitarian grounds. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Russians attempt to topple Google in Vietnam
16.05.2013 by Chris Brummitt (ECN Magazine) - HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- A Russian-financed search engine seeking to challenge Google's dominance in Vietnam is redirecting queries for some politically sensitive terms to the American company's website, apparently as a way of avoiding government anger or legal liability for sending surfers to sites containing criticism of the ruling party. The move Thursday follows an Associated Press story on the well-funded start up, Coc Coc, that noted it didn't seem to be censoring results. The shift appears to illustrate the difficulties facing companies in Vietnam's booming Internet sector, which must negotiate the government's intent on stifling online dissent that is posing a challenge to its authoritarian, one-party rule.
Australia Sends More Vietnamese Asylum Seekers To Manus Island
11.05.2013 (Bernama) - Melbourne - The Australian government has transferred more Vietnamese asylum seekers to its detention centre on Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s Manus Island. The 21 men departed Darwin early Saturday morning and have now arrived in PNG, the Immigration Department said. They are the third group of Vietnamese boat arrivals sent to Manus in recent weeks. Overall, the Vietnamese are the fourteenth group of asylum seekers the government has sent to Manus Island since August last year. [read more]
Chinese Foreign Minister Stumbles in Asean
09.05.2013 Written by Hai Hong Nguyen (Asia Sentinel) - Southeast Asia Tour, designed to build regional confidence, sows mistrust
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ended his tour last week of four Asean countries - Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei - by reaffirming his country's recalcitrant position on its so-called nine-dash line, which gives it sovereignty over the South China Sea almost up to other countries' doorsteps. The message that Wang delivered left no doubt of the continuity of the policy shaped by the preceding Chinese government towards its disputes over territory and sovereignty in the South China Sea with the littoral nation claimants: Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. While Wang was still on his four-nation tour, some Chinese scholars and hawk generals in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) made aggressive statements, with one commentator even speaking of the possibility of opening fire on the Philippines as a method of intimidating Vietnam from defending its share of the disputed islands in the sea. [read more]
40 Years On, Fleeing Vietnamese Take To Seas Again
09.05.2013 By Chris Brummitt, The Associated Press (Yahoo! News) - HANOI, Vietnam - Nearly 40 years after hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled the country's Communist regime by boat, a growing number are taking to the water again.
This year alone, 460 Vietnamese men, women and children have arrived on Australian shores — more than in the last five years combined. The unexpected spike is drawing fresh scrutiny of Hanoi's deteriorating human rights record, though Vietnam's flagging economy may also explain why migrants have been making the risky journey. The latest boat carrying Vietnamese cruised into Australia's Christmas Island one morning last month, according to witnesses on the shore. The hull number showed it was a fishing vessel registered in Kien Giang, a southern Vietnamese province more than 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) from Christmas Island, which is much closer to Indonesia than it is to the Australian mainland. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Communist Vietnam - Human Trafficker Extraordinaire
04.05.2013 By Michael Benge (American Thinker) - Vietnam is now the proud possessor of the inglorious title "The Worst Human Rights Violator in Southeast Asia," according to recent testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. State-affiliated labor export companies are major suppliers of men, women, and children to the forced labor and sex trafficking markets, while government officials profit from kickbacks. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
‘China Model’ Harms the World
08.05.2013 by He Qinglian (The Epoch Times) - China’s “neo-colonialism” became a popular topic again when Chinese Communist Party head Xi Jinping visited Africa in mid-March.
Neo-colonialism roughly means: China, exploiting Africa’s resources while disregarding the environmental impact, has also been dumping cheap industrial products into Africa.
China’s economic development has brought few job opportunities for Africans. What’s worse, China’s policy of “unconditional financial aid” and “not interfering with other countries politics,” has broken Western countries’ pattern of providing aid only when certain political requirements are met. This has loosened the reins on some African dictators. [read more]
Le modèle chinois nuit au monde
08.05.2013 par He Qinglian (The Epoch Times) - Le «néo-colonialisme» de la Chine redevint un sujet populaire lorsque le chef du Parti Communiste Chinois Xi Jinping fit une visite en Afrique à la mi-mars. Néo-colonialisme, grosso-modo, signifie: la Chine, exploitant les ressources de l’Afrique tout en négligeant l’impact environnemental, déverse aussi des produits industriels bon marché sur l’Afrique. Le développement économique chinois a apporté fort peu d’opportunités d’emploi aux Africains. Pire encore, la position chinoise d’«aide financière inconditionnelle» et de «non-intervention dans les affaires politiques d’autres pays», a cassé le modèle suivi par les pays occidentaux de ne fournir une aide qu’une fois certaines exigences politiques satisfaites. Ceci a relâché les rênes sur certains dictateurs africains. [en savoir plus...]
Aussie link as Vietnam crackdown continues
07.05.2013 Greg Dyett (SBS) - As the Vietnamese government continues a crackdown on dissent, it is facing a new challenge from activists at home and abroad who are using the internet to contact each other and voice their views... Since late 2009, Vietnam's Communist government has stepped up efforts to silence its critics. Dozens of people have been convicted of anti-state activity, and jailed for up to 13 years. [read more]Wie man schwule Touristen in eine Diktatur lockt26.04.2013 Von Marko Martin (Die Welt) - Das rigide Vietnam gibt sich in Gleichstellungsfragen liberal. Damit schielt das Land nicht nur auf einen finanziell potenten Gay-Tourismus. Es will auch die junge Mittelschicht ruhigstellen. [weiter lesen]
In Hard Times, Open Dissent and Repression Rise in Vietnam
23.04.2013 By Thomas Fuller (The New York Times) - Published: April 23, 2013 - His bookshelves are filled with the collected works of Marx, Engels and Ho Chi Minh, the hallmarks of a loyal career in the Communist Party, but Nguyen Phuoc Tuong, 77, says he is no longer a believer. A former adviser to two prime ministers, Mr. Tuong, like so many people in Vietnam today, is speaking out forcefully against the government. “Our system now is the totalitarian rule of one party,” he said in an interview at his apartment on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. “I come from within the system — I understand all its flaws, all its shortcomings, all its degradation,” he said. “If the system is not fixed, it will collapse on its own.” [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Psychological warfare in the South China Sea
10.04.2013 By Roberto Tofani (Asia Times) - To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. - The Art of War, ancient Chinese military treatise attributed to Sun Tzu.
HANOI – Maritime disputes between China and Vietnam have entered a dangerous new realm: psychological warfare. Tit-for-tat provocations, including marine patrol deployments in disputed areas in the South China Sea and Beijing’s decision to include territories it claims on maps printed in its national passports, have intensified in recent months, adding new destabilizing variables to an already volatile situation. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Elderly women used to block US access to Vietnam dissident
20.04.2013 (Associated Press in Hanoi) Squad of elderly deployed to stop embassy car picking up activist for meeting with official. Vietnamese authorities seeking to stop a well-known democracy activist from meeting an American diplomat last weekend deployed an unusual weapon - a group of elderly women.
The women blocked the road leading to the dissident's house, preventing a US embassy vehicle gaining access. The vehicle was supposed to take the dissident to a downtown Hanoi hotel to meet deputy assistant secretary of state Dan Baer, who was trying to get first-hand accounts from activists and the families of people jailed in Vietnam.
Another activist on the guest list was taken to a police station until Baer had departed. [read more]
Opinion: The Promise of a Democratic Vietnam
19.04.2013 by Khanh Vu Duc (Asia Sentinel) - Scholars and dissidents deliver a manifesto
The struggle for democracy and political reform in Vietnam has a found itself a banner around which to rally. It is called Petition 72, with "72" referring to the original number of respected scholars and former government officials who drafted the proposed constitution as an alternative to Vietnam's current one. Petition 72, among other significant proposed changes, would abolish Vietnam's one-party structure.
It remains to be seen what comes of this petition. However, where the government has failed to address the needs of the people, the people have taken it upon themselves to effect much needed change. [read more]
Fleeing the peace in Vietnam
19.04.2013 By Hoi Trinh (Asia Times) - April 30, 2013 will mark the 38th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the annihilation of South Vietnam by communist forces in the North, or otherwise popularly known as the end of the Vietnam War. Without this day, there wouldn't be as many Vietnamese restaurants in your 'hood. And without this day I certainly wouldn't be where I am today.
The current UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of assembly, Maina Kai, recently referred to this as a "peace coma", that in the name of peace we choose to ignore flagrant violations of the most basic human rights by the world's most repressive regimes. ...
But its social and political systems remain unchanged. To this day all land still belongs to the state. Hundreds of dissidents still remain in prison for challenging the one-party rule of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Facebook and pro-democracy blogs and websites are banned, no independent media is allowed, protests are forbidden, and civil rights defenders face constant harassment and persecution.
Some activists have fled the country, seeking asylum elsewhere; others who have stayed have been imprisoned up to 16 years for their human rights and pro-democracy advocacy. The hard truth is that refugees continue to flee from Vietnam. Neither peace nor justice has ever been achieved under communist rule. [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Naked child in iconic Vietnam War photo offers a challenge for peace
April 16, 2013 By Louis Templado/AJW Staff Writer (The Asahi Shimbun) - It is an iconic image that turned a nation against a war: A young girl, naked and badly burned, her injured arms held from her body, flees screaming and crying from her smoking village in South Vietnam toward the unseen camera. ... Soon spent as a propaganda tool, Kim Phuc was sent to study in Cuba, where she stayed six years and met her eventual husband, Buy Hui Toan. The couple married in 1992 and honeymooned in Moscow, although at first only Hui Toan had permission to travel. On the flight back to Cuba, their airplane made a fueling stop in Gander, Newfoundland, where the newlyweds made the decision to get off the plane and seek political asylum. [read more]
Vietnam: Christian leader dies in prison
12.04.2013 (CWN) Hoang Van Ngai, an elder of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam, has died in prison in Dak Nong Province, which is located in the southern part of the Communist nation.
While police claim that Ngai committed suicide, Ngai’s brother, who was imprisoned in an adjacent cell, heard him being beaten by prison authorities on the night of his death. In addition, “over 300 witnesses saw Ngai’s body with bruises, deep cuts and broken skull,” the Fides news agency reported. [read more]
Vietnam jails farmer who fought eviction - and one of his foes
11.04.2013 By Emily Alpert (Los Angeles Times) - When the government came for his land, Doan Van Vuon fought back -- first with the law, then with a shotgun.
The fish farmer used rifles and explosives to battle police and soldiers seizing his converted swampland, injuring several officers in the clash. His resistance made him a hero to dispossessed peasants fed up with losing property in Vietnam, where the government can confiscate farms and give little in return. Street protests erupted in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City over his case. Bloggers championed his cause.
Now, more than a year later, Vuon is behind bars. And so is one of his foes.
Last week, the farmer and his brother were sentenced to five years in prison, to the dismay of local bloggers and activists who complained that the trial was riddled with irregularities. [read more]
Vietnam jails official over ‘hero’ farmer eviction
10.04.2013 (South China Morning Post) - (Agence France-Presse in Hanoi) A Vietnamese local government official was jailed for two and a half years Wednesday for the destruction of the home of a farmer who became a national hero for resisting eviction, state media said.
Doan Van Vuon become a symbol of rising public dissatisfaction over land rights after arming his family with homemade shotguns in an attempt to keep their fish farm east of Hanoi. [read more]
U.S. Helps Vietnam Defend Fishermen Who 'Get into Trouble' With China
09.04.2013 (U.S.News & World Report) - The U.S. Coast Guard actively helps Vietnam protect its fishing vessels at a time when the Chinese are testing the boundaries of their Pacific neighborhood, a top official says. [read more]
Vietnam Crony Communists Resist Constitution Backlash
08.04.2013 (Bloomberg News) - While filming a documentary about Ho Chi Minh as his compatriots battled U.S. forces in the 1960s, Tran Van Tan observed how the Communist leader’s embrace of a simple lifestyle endeared him to Vietnam’s poor.
Five decades later, Tan says the Communist Party’s leaders are more concerned with enriching themselves than adhering to Ho Chi Minh’s ideals. Abolishing the one-party system would lead to “healthy competition” and narrow the wealth gap, said Tan, 65, a retired civil servant who now sells tea in downtown Hanoi.
“There are people who don’t have enough food to eat, whose children don’t have enough clothes to cover their bodies in winter,” Tan said. “There are farmers who don’t have land. They are so poor, while many in the leadership are very wealthy. These leaders are so rich that even their children, grandchildren wouldn’t be able to use it all up.” [read more] - [tiếng Việt]
Kambodschas autoritäre Führung - Die unheimliche Allmacht des Hun Sen
07.04.2013 von Marco Kauffmann, Phnom Penh (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) - Der kambodschanische Ministerpräsident Hun Sen hält sich seit mehr als einem vierteljahrhundert mit Repression und Einschüchterungen an der Macht. Die stark zersplitterte Opposition hat dem Haudegen wenig entgegenzusetzen. [weiter lesen]
Vietnam ‘hero’ farmer jailed for five years
06.04.2013 (The Gulf Today) - HAI PHONG: A Vietnamese farmer who became a folk hero after using homemade weapons to resist eviction was handed an unexpectedly lenient sentence of five years on Friday for attempted murder.
Doan Van Vuon and his family rose to prominence after arming themselves with makeshift shotguns to hold off local officials trying to remove them from their fish farm in Tien Lang district, 90 kilometres east of Hanoi.
The January 2012 incident, in which seven policemen were injured, quickly became a symbol of rising public dissatisfaction over land rights. [read more]
4 Vietnamese get prison for attempted murder
06.04.2013 (The Japan News) - HAIPHONG, Vietnam (AP) - A court sentenced a family of four Vietnamese fish farmers to between two and five years in prison on Friday after finding them guilty of attempted murder for fighting back against a state eviction squad with homemade guns and land mines.
The men have been lauded on the Internet for defending their land in such spectacular fashion. Land grabs by corrupt officials are the leading source of public anger toward the one-party government in this autocratic Southeast Asian nation. [read more]
Vietnam land eviction farmer sentenced to five years
05.04.2013 (BBC) - A farmer who used home-made bombs and shotguns to fight land eviction has been sentenced to five years in prison. Doan Van Vuon, 53, his brother and two other relatives were found guilty of attempted murder for injuring several police officers in January 2012. His three relatives were sentenced to between two and five years in prison, while his wife and sister-in-law received light suspended sentences. [read more]
ASEAN - In kleinen Schritten vorwärts26.04.2013 von Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Zum 22. Mal hat sich der Verband südostasiatischer Nationen (ASEAN) zu einem Gipfel getroffen. Trotz unterschiedlicher Interessen der Mitgliedstaaten wurden kleine Fortschritte erzielt. ... Dabei hat sich die ASEAN in den vergangenen Jahren hohe Ziele gesteckt. In der ASEAN-Charta von 2007 wurde neben einer Wirtschaftsunion auch eine gemeinsame Sicherheitspolitik und eine soziokulturelle Gemeinschaft vereinbart. Der Südostasienexperte Gerhard Will hält dies für den richtigen Weg: "Die Länder haben nur eine Chance, wenn sie eine stärkere Kooperation eingehen. Die Frage ist aber, ob die Einsicht in diese Notwendigkeit so stark ist, dass man nationale Egoismen überwinden kann." [weiter lesen]
Vietnam fish farmer sentenced to five years in prison
05.04.2013 (Radio Australia) - A Vietnamese fish farmer turned local hero for resisting a forced eviction is sentenced to five years in prison.
A Vietnamese farmer who became a local hero after resisting forced eviction has been sentenced to five years in prison for attempted murder.
Doan Van Vuon and his family rose to prominence after arming themselves with homemade shotguns to hold off local officials trying to remove them from their fish farm in Tien Lang district. [read more]
Vietnam farmer jailed for military-style defence of land
05.04.2013 (Reuters) - A fish farmer who became a cult hero in Vietnam after fighting off an illegal eviction with homemade guns and mines was jailed on Friday for five years for attempted murder in a case that has stirred public anger over state-backed land grabs.
Doan Van Vuon, plus two of his brothers and one nephew, were given jail terms of between two and five years for injuring seven police and soldiers in northern Haiphong last January, state media reported. Two of their wives received suspended sentences of 15-18 months for resisting officials. [read more]
Vietnam farmers sentenced to 5 years
05.04.2013 (The Bangkok Post) - HAIPHONG – A court sentenced a family of four Vietnamese fish farmers to between two and five years in prison on Friday after finding them guilty of attempted murder for fighting back against a state eviction squad with homemade guns and land mines. The men have been lauded on the internet for defending their land in such spectacular fashion. Land grabs by corrupt officials are the leading source of public anger toward the one-party government in this autocratic nation. [read more]
Vietnamese Farmers Who Fought Land Grab Jailed for 5 Years05.04.2013 Marianne Brown (VOA) - HANOI — A court in northern Vietnam has sentenced two shrimp farmers charged with attempted murder during a land seizure to five years in prison. The case has stoked debate over crucial land use reforms in the country.
On Friday, the Hai Phong People’s Court handed down the sentence to shrimp farmer Doan Van Vuon and his brother Doan Van Quy.
The Vuon clan made international headlines in early 2012 by using homemade weapons to resist police and soldiers during a land seizure. Seven officers were wounded. [read more]
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