Two Vietnamese activists, believed to have been unjustly detained by Vietnam's Communist government, are making their way to the United States as part of an agreement
negotiated before President Biden's recent visit to Hanoi, as revealed by U.S. officials to Reuters.
The individuals in question include a human rights lawyer who had been advocating for accountability in cases of police misconduct and a Catholic parishioner who had been forcibly evicted from their home, along with their respective families. They are departing Vietnam for the United States, with plans to seek resettlement under the "Priority 1" refugee program. It's important to note that these activists were not incarcerated but had been prevented from leaving Vietnam.
In a significant development, Vietnam's government had also committed to releasing two Vietnamese activists who were imprisoned and sought by the United States before President Biden's visit last week, according to a U.S. official. Additionally, a private agreement was reached to address several critical issues, including religious freedom, the operation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Vietnam, prison conditions, and labor laws. These details regarding the private agreement, not independently verified by Reuters, had not been previously disclosed. These agreements were signed as part of President Biden's visit, during which he endorsed Vietnam's aspirations as a high-tech leader and elevated Hanoi to Washington's highest diplomatic status, alongside China and Russia.
These developments have emerged amid criticism of the Biden administration's diplomatic engagements with countries like Vietnam, India, and Saudi Arabia, where political freedoms differ significantly from those in the Western world. Additionally, the administration has faced scrutiny over its negotiations concerning a prisoner exchange with Iran.
While the identities of the four individuals involved in these agreements have not been disclosed due to diplomatic and security sensitivities, it is known that legal advocate Nguyen Bac Truyen was released and traveled with his wife to Germany earlier this month. The release of independent journalist Mai Phan Loi had also been confirmed in recent weeks.
The situation regarding human rights in Vietnam remains concerning, with at least 159 political prisoners held in detention and 22 others in custody, as reported by Human Rights Watch earlier this month. The advocacy group further noted that 15 individuals had been sentenced to lengthy prison terms this year without fair trials. Vietnam is also reportedly crafting new regulations to restrict online freedom of expression, targeting social media users who publish news-related content without being registered as journalists.
Ben Swanton, co-director of Project 88, a human rights advocacy organization focused on Vietnam, expressed outrage at President Biden's decision to enhance diplomatic ties with Vietnam, given the ongoing crackdown on activism, dissent, and civil society within the one-party state.
U.S. officials involved in the negotiations hope that these issues will be addressed through annual rights dialogues with the Vietnamese government and ongoing talks between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son. The officials believe that this strengthened partnership and relationship will provide the framework for continued efforts on these critical human rights matters with Vietnam. Photo by NKSTTSSHNVN, Wikimedia commons.