http://vov.vn/tin-24h/nam-2015-ca-nuoc-xay-ra-245- cuoc-dinh-cong-464800.vov
12 RFA. Tại sao công nhân Pou Yuen đình công?http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/y-do-pouyuen-wker- www.rfa.org/vietnamese/in_depth/y-do-pouyuen-wker- stike-03312015051500.html
April 14, 2015, police repressed demonstrators at the rally against pollution from a coal power plant at Tuy Phong District, Binh Thu- an Province. Photo tindachieu
express their opposition to Chinese invasions of Vietnam’s land and waters. For three days, from November 3 to November 5, many anti- Xi Jinping demonstrations were held in Hanoi, Saigon, and Can Tho that attracted thousands of participants.13
To deal with the strife, the government used security forces in uniform and plainclothes to violently block and suppress the demonstrators. Meanwhile, to deceive the world opinion, the government eased restrictions on less sensitive events such as the LGBT Viet Pride Festival. Ho Chi Minh City’s officials even went as far as allowing the Viet Pride Festival to be held in the Parliamentary guesthouse for 4 days.14 The ease of some restrictions on harmless social groups, in reality, was smokescreens to cover up the violation of human rights of those whom the government considers a threat to its political monopoly.
In summary, the government arbitrarily and selectively used the right to protest as a political tool to benefit the ruling party.
3.3 The right to Freedom of Movement and Residence
Pursuant to Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2013 Constitution of Vietnam stipulates, “Citizens have the right to free movement and residence within the country, and the right to leave the country and to return home from abroad.” (Article 23). Freedom of movement and freedom of residence are not only essential personal rights but more than that, they are the
13 RFA. Công an đàn áp dữ dội các cuộc biểu tình chống Chủ tịch TQ Tập Cận Bình.http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/ Chủ tịch TQ Tập Cận Bình.http://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/ in_depth/anti-xi-protes-thwarted-11052015050314.html
14 Một Thế Giới. Khai mạc ‘Ngày hội tự hào đồng tính 2015’ tại Sài Gòn. http://motthegioi.vn/van-hoa-giai- 2015’ tại Sài Gòn. http://motthegioi.vn/van-hoa-giai- tri-c-80/cau-vong-luc-sac-c-131/khai-mac-ngay-hoi-tu- hao-dong-tinh-2015-tai-sai-gon-27822.html
prerequisite for political rights of the citizens. Thus, the level of political rights enforcement can be measured by the respect of people’s freedom of dwelling and freedom of movement, especially those of the dissenting elements. In addition to detention and imprisonment, the government may restrict people’s right to residence and movement in a variety of administrative measures. The most common method is the regular household registration system, a form of population control being applied only in China, North Korea, and Vietnam. Vietnam has employed the household registration system since the 50s of last century. Although such measure has caused many negative consequences in economic and societal areas, the government refuses to give it up because this is one of the most effective means of political and security control.
Another form of control is “administrative detention” regulated by Decree 31/CP, which Mr. Vo Van Kiet issued in 1997. The Administrative decree enables the Provincial People’s Committee chairman to decide the citizens’ dwelling location, restrict their professional practices, movement, and contact with the public. It also prevents people from being interviewed and participating in government affairs if they are deemed to have infringed upon national security, but not to the extent that they can be prosecuted. Most dissidents in Vietnam have been punished in this manner. Currently, the leading opposition figures such as the Fourth Supreme Patriarch Thich Quang Do and Dr. Nguyen Dan Que are still being kept under house arrest by this measure.
In 2015, in addition to maintaining the above measures, the government blatantly continued to use security forces to carry out acts of interference and arrest, passport confiscation, and home and land eviction on the vague grounds of “protecting national security, social order, and safety”, all in pursuance of the 7/17/2007 Decree No. 136/2007/ND-
REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM 2015
CP. Followings are some typical cases of the government’s violations of the right to freedom of movement and residence under the pretext of “national security”:
- On April 3, Noi Bai Airport Security stopped Ms. Le Thu Ha, a member of the Democratic Brotherhood, when she was on her way to Sweden to attend the “Defender Day” Conference.
- On May 5, Mr. Nguyen Tuong Trong, the son of human right activist Nguyen Tuong Thuy, was stopped at Noi Bai Airport as he tried to go to the Philippines.
- On May 7, Mr. Le Anh Hung and Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (a.k.a. Maria Thuy) were detained at Noi Bai Airport for “reasons relating to National security.”
- On the same day, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhung (Ms. Phuong Uyen’s mother) was held at Tan Son Nhat Airport when she was on her way to Thailand.
- On May 18, the authorities seized the passport and prohibited Dr. Nguyen Hue Chi, co-founder of Beausite Vietnam, from visiting his daughter in the US.
- On July 11, Mr. Bui Quang Minh’s passport was confiscated at Tan Son Nhat Airport upon his return from the Philippines for “national security reasons”
- On July 12, human rights activists Vu Quoc Ngu and Tran Thi To were held back at Noi Bai Airport as they were on the way to attend the Human Rights Training Course in Thailand. - On July 12, security police stopped Ms. Huynh Thuc Vi at Tan Son Nhat Airport as she was about to depart to Bangkok, Thailand to attend a training course organized by Reporters Without Borders. On the same day, Tan Son Nhat Airport security prevented Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang (Facebooker Hoang Ngoc) from going to Thailand; and at Noi Bai Airport
security held back activist Tran Thi To as she was on her way to Thailand to visit her fiancé. - On May 18, 2015, Tan Son Nhat Airport security detained Messrs Vo Van Tao, Dung Mai, Khong Hy Thiem, and Uyen Thao Tran Le as they returned from a training session on communication techniques in Thailand.
- On September 1, Dr. Nguyen Quang A was detained at Noi Bai Airport for “national security reasons” when he returned from the overseas trip.
- On September 2, Tan Son Nhat Airport security stopped student Pham Ha Nam for “national security reasons”as he was on his way to Manila, the Philippines.
- On September 28, Tan Son Nhat Airport security prevented Mr. Hua Phi, Caodaist Chief Administrator and representative of the Inter-Faith Council of Vietnam, from going to Bangkok to attend the Asia-Pacific Region Conference on Religious Freedom.
- On November 12, human rights activist Nguyen Trang Nhung was banned from traveling overseas.
- On November 16, women’s rights activist Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lua of Saigon was banned from traveling overseas.
- On December 6, writers Pham Thanh, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and activists Truong Van Dung and Le Sy Binh of Hanoi were banned from traveling overseas.
Furthermore, using “national security reasons,” the government refused to issue or confiscated passports of many dissidents such as Misses Ta Minh Tu, Tran Thi Nga, and Blogger Me Nam Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh...