Tran Van Bang, a Vietnamese human rights activist, was arrested on March 1, 2022, by the Ho Chi Minh City police for allegedly criticizing the government under article 117 of the penal code. Human Rights Watch has condemned the arrest and called for the immediate release of Tran Van Bang. According to the article, individuals are prohibited from “making, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, materials and products that aim to oppose the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” If convicted, Tran Van Bang could face up to 12 years in prison.
“The Vietnamese government has repeatedly rolled out article 117 of the penal code to silence any citizen who dares to use the internet to criticize the government or voice support for human rights and democracy,” says Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should immediately release Tran Van Bang and abolish this draconian legal provision.”
Tran Van Bang has been an advocate for human rights and environmental issues in Vietnam. He has supported various political prisoners and detainees, gone on a hunger strike to support a blogger campaigning for democracy, and helped raise money for fellow activists in need. He has also spoken out against Vietnam’s 2018 cybersecurity law, which has been criticized as repressive.
According to Human Rights Watch, since 2018, courts in Vietnam have convicted at least 60 bloggers and activists under article 117 and sentenced them to between four and 15 years in prison. During the same period, at least 13 other rights campaigners were convicted under the old article 88, which was the law at the time of their alleged violation, and sentenced them to between four and 12 years in prison.
This crackdown on freedom of expression is deeply concerning, and it shows the Vietnamese government’s lack of commitment to protecting human rights and allowing citizens to express their views and opinions freely. Instead, the government uses the article 117 provision to silence voices of dissent and punish those who speak out against their policies and actions.
It is essential that the Vietnamese government immediately drops all charges and releases Tran Van Bang and other political prisoners, respect the right to freedom of expression, and work to create a more open and democratic society where citizens’ voices are heard and valued. The international community must also pressure the Vietnamese government to respect human rights and take action against such blatant violations of individual freedoms.
<< photo by Min An >>
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