Vietnam frees dissidents as it eyes US & regional trade deals
Radio Australia
Vietnam frees dissidents as it eyes US & regional trade deals
16 April 2014
Vietnam has released two more high-profile dissidents, making a total of four political prisoners freed over the past three weeks.
Observers say the releases were spurred by Vietnam’s desire to conclude a trade agreement with the US and other Asian countries, under the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Reporter: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the Asian division of Human Rights Watch; Dr Thong Nguyen, the Australian representative of Viet Tan
SABAPATHY: Blogger Nguyen Tien Trung and democracy activist Vi Duc Hoi were released on Monday and put under house arrest.
Their release comes just a week after that of prominent activist and lawyer Cu Huy Ha Vu who left soon after for the US, which had campaigned for his freedom.
Late in March another activist Dinh Dang Dinh was given a presidential amnesty after it became clear that he was dying from cancer which was not attended to while he was in prison. He passed away two weeks later.
Dr Thong Nguyen, the Australian representative of Viet Tan, the banned Vietnam Reform Party based in the US, says Hanoi is once again, as in 2006 when it was seeking entry into the World Trade Organisation, using dissidents as a bargaining chip.
NGUYEN: So what they do is they arrested and imprisoned a score of activists and then when there’s something coming up, this particular time the TPP coming up, then they release them as a bargaining chip, saying that the human rights situation has improved, but in fact, it is not.
SABAPATHY: Vietnam is in negotiations with the US over the Trans Pacific Partnership or TPP, which also includes 10 other countries, including Australia.
But members of the US Congress warn it would be difficult to pass a free trade deal involving Vietnam if there is no progress made by Hanoi on its poor human rights record.
Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the Asian division of Human Rights Watch says Vietnam is anxious enough for a deal to make these very limited concessions.
ROBERTSON: What we’re seeing now is Vietnam responding to international pressure, that the important message that comes out of all of this is that Vietnam is susceptible to international pressure. But so far, with the exception of a few of these releases, we’re not seeing a consistent pattern of significant change within the Vietnam government about what they’re doing related to dissidents and activists.
SABAPATHY: Last year despite being criticised strongly at the Universal Periodic Review , Vietnam managed to score a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
Dr Nguyen says despite Vietnam’s promise to respect , protect and promote all fundamental human rights that is not happening.
NGUYEN: We demand that they have to obey by the standard now that they are part of it. At this point in time, there are still hundreds of human right activists, all pro-democracy activists being imprisoned, so if Vietnam is to show to the world that they are improving, then they should release all of them.
SABAPATHY: Phil Robertson agrees.
ROBERTSON: They’ve consistently been voting with some of the worst abusers of human rights, like China and Russia and Saudi Arabia and so Vietnam has not turned over a new leaf in our view. I think that they’re again responding to international pressure.
SABAPATHY: Vietnam sees membership within the TPP as essential to boost a flagging economy that is fuelling public disillusionment with the communist leadership, says Dr Nguyen.
NGUYEN: We have seen in recent times more bloggers criticising the government and openly expressing their opposed view on human rights, on dictatorship. We’ve seen a lot more people now get out on the street and protesting against the government.
SABAPATHY: Given the fact that Vietnam borders China, how hard will the US push Hanoi on its human rights? Phil Robertson.
ROBERTSON: Certainly Vietnam is seen as an important ally against a more resurgent and expansionist China. There are issues in the South China Sea, there are other issues where the United States wants Vietnam on its side.
All we can say so far is that we have seen consistent US pressure on some cases, particularly the high profile cases.
