The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in 2016 maintained its control over all public affairs and punished those who challenged its monopoly on power. Authorities restricted basic rights, including freedom of speech, opinion, association, and assembly. All religious groups had to register with the government and operate under surveillance. Bloggers and activists faced daily police harassment and intimidation, and were subject to arbitrary house arrest, restricted movement, and physical assaults.
Human Rights Watch
16 January 2017
"Vietnam continues to be one of the worst jailers of bloggers in the world"
Freedom House
31 October 2015
Ranked 186th in annual global media freedom report
Freedom House
1 May 2015
Bloggers and cyber-dissidents, ruthlessly suppressed
Reporters Without Borders
12 March 2014
"New decree requires Internet companies to reveal identity of their users"
Committee to Protect Journalists
11 February 2014
Ranked 174th in annual press freedom index
Reporters Without Borders
1 February 2014
Police harrass, arbitrary arrest and detain bloggers and rights activists
Human Rights Watch
22 January 2014
Reporters Without Borders
23 September 2013
ARTICLE 19, Access, English PEN and PEN International welcome the opportunity to contribute to the second cycle of the UPR process of Viet Nam.
ARTICLE 19
18 June 2013
Ranked 182nd in annual global media freedom report
Freedom House
1 May 2013
Reporters Without Borders
12 March 2013
Government drafts decree expanding the definition of speech crimes on the Internet and forcing Internet providers to block and filter content more thoroughly
Freedom House
16 January 2013
"Foreign media are effectively barred from covering controversial political issues"
Southeast Asian Press Alliance
3 May 2012
Citizen journalists fill void left by censored media
Reporters Without Borders
12 March 2012
Online media crackdown intensifies, "reasserting the government’s near-total control of domestic news media"
Committee to Protect Journalists
21 February 2012
Courts invoke state security laws to arrest critical journalists
Reporters Without Borders
26 January 2012
"Government blocks access to politically sensitive websites, requires internet cafe owners to monitor and store information about users’ online activities"
Human Rights Watch
22 January 2012