Civil Society: First Step to Democracy in Vietnam

1 . POL IT ICAL LANDSCAPE

THE 2013 AMENDED CONSTITUT ION AFF IRMS C IV IL AND POL IT ICAL R IGHTS .

BUT… IN PRACTICE THE GOVERNMENT HAS STR ICT CONTROL OVER THE EXERC ISE OF THESE

R IGHTS .

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY1000 CSOs IN V IET NAM

BUT…MOST OF THEM ARE GONGOs

AS A MEMBER OF THE UN HUMAN R IGHTS COUNCIL , V IETNAM WAS UNDER REV IEW DURING THE UPR PROCESS IN 2014

BUT... THE GOVERNMENT RETAL IATES AGAINST THOSE WHO PARTIC IPATED ITS UPR SESS ION .

RANK 18

VIETNAM IS THE SECOND LARGEST JA I LER OF INTERNET USERS AROUND THE WORLD

THERE ARE ABOUT 900 NEWSPAPERS

BUT…ONLY 1 “EDITOR IN CHIEF”:

THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF PROPAGANDA OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM.

2. WHAT TACTICS HAS THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT USED TO REPRESS THE EMERGING CIVIL SOCIETY IN VIETNAM?

ABUSING AND PHYSICALLY HARASSING HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

BANNING HRDS FROM LEAVING VIETNAM (MORE THAN 80 ACTIVISTS)

BANNING HRDS FROM ATTENDING CONFERENCES OR PUBLIC EVENTS

ARRESTING HRDS (MORE THAN 150 ACTIVISTS ARE CURRENTLY IMPRISONED)

BLOCKING AND HACKING WELL-KNOWN BLOGS WHICH COVER SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES.

FINING BLOGGERS UP TO $5000 FOR “CRITICIZING THE GOVERNMENT, THE PARTY OR NATIONAL HEROES”

ARRESTING BLOGGERS (31 CURRENTLY BEHIND BARS)

3. HOW C IV IL SOCIETY REACT TO GOVERNMENT TACT ICS

LAUNCHING UNDERGROUND SAMIZDAT-STYLE PUBL ISHERS AND INDEPENDENT ONL INE NEWSPAPERS

LAUNCHING DOMEST IC AND INTERNAT IONAL CAMPAIGNS

G E N E V A , J A N U A RY- 2 0 1 4 ( V I E T N A M U P R )

O R G A N I Z I N G S E M I N A R S A N D M E E T I N G S O N H R D I S S U E S

REPORT ING TO INTERNAT IONAL HUMAN R IGHTS MECHANISMS (UPR , SPEC IAL RAPPORTEUR)

TRAIN ING BLOGGERS IN D IG ITAL SECUR ITY AND SHARING WITH NET IZENS THE TOOLS TO OVERCOME F IREWALLS

PROVID ING F INANCIAL ASS ISTANCE TO HRD S AND POCS

THANK YOU