The Vietnamese government is accused by its critics at home and abroad of systematically shirking its international commitments on human rights, writes Pham Le Vuong Cac, a human rights defender and Hanoi law student:
Despite signing up to a number of human rights agreements at the United Nations, Vietnam rarely complies with its obligation to report on any progress.Activists, however, see opportunities to use Hanoi’s legally agreed international obligations to hold it to account.
They say 2016 should provide many such opportunities, as Vietnam is required to report to a number of international bodies. Pham outlines ways that activists can challenge a government that continues to persecute pro-democracy activists, independent bloggers and other government critics.
