Attacks against political dissidents, ethnic and religious minorities reported in Viet Nam

Viet Nam New Years celebrations shattered by police brutality

Nguyen Phong and Nguyen Binh Thanh, co-founders of the Vietnam Progression Party (VPP), were allegedly detained last week. Vietnamese police officers were seen outside both members’ housesm and the whereabouts of the two remain unknown, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported Sunday. According to the article, “pro-democracy groups have warned that the government has been launching major crackdowns on all dissident activities in the past year.”

For more Deutsche Presse-Agentur article, click here.

Catholic priest detained

Additionally, multiple media outlets reported that Chan Tin, a Catholic Priest and editor-in-chief of “Freedom of Speech” magazine, was arrested early this week in Viet Nam. Although Tin remains in custody, the charges against him are unknown.

For more information on the arrest of Chan Tin, click here.
For the Reports Without Borders press release on the arrest, click here.

Police brutality against Montgnards alleged

There has been a recent spike in police attacks against the residents of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, most of whom are Christian Degar Montagnards. It was rumored that one women was brutally beaten when the police discovered that her husband was a political prisoner and that her sister recently fled to Cambodia, Journal Chretien reported this week.

For more information, click here.