Vietnam rejects claims of cracking down on environmentalists: Foreign ministry

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang rebuked the allegations as "ill intent" at the regular press conference held on Thursday in Ha Noi, in response to questions over recent arrests and the jailing of leaders of environmentalist NGOs.

"This is false information used with ill intents with regards to Vietnam's efforts to combat and prevent crimes, as well as Vietnam's diplomatic activities," Hang said.

The information regarding these cases has been provided to press members through the Ministry of Public Security, she noted.

"These cases involved the violation of Vietnamese laws, and the individuals have been investigated, prosecuted and brought to trial in accordance with the laws of Vietnam," Hang said.

The latest one to be detained is Ngo Thi To Nhien, Executive Director of Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition Social Enterprise, who is charged with appropriating internal documents from the state-owned utility corporation Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).

She is accused of 'hiring' on contracts two officials from EVN to gain illegal access to its internal documents and information.

"These are internal documents, which are not allowed to be shared or publicised," Lieutenant To An Xo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security said last week.

"The Ministry of Public Security rejected the slanderous allegations and considered it an act of interference in Vietnam's internal activities," he said in response to foreign media's claims of a "crackdown" on environmentalists.

Previously in late September, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, 51, leader of the environmental NGO CHANGE, was sentenced to three years in prison for 'tax evasion' on unreported revenues of VND69 billion.

She was also ordered to pay an additional fine of VND100 million.

Four other cases that were brought to trial in 2022 include Dang Dinh Bach (born in 1978), director of the non-profit Law & Policy of Sustainable Development (LPSD), who was given a five-year prison sentence, also for tax evasion with regards to unreported use of funds from foreign and domestic organisations; Mai Phan Loi (1971) and Bach Hung Duong (1975) executives from Media Education for Community (MEC), who were given 48 months and 30 months, respectively, in prison for tax evasion crimes; and Nguy Thi Khanh, founder of GreenID, who was imprisoned for two years, also for tax evasion.

Weapons deal

On the allegation of Vietnam's talks with the United States on the potential purchase of F16 fighter jets, spokesperson Hang said currently they don't have information regarding the case.

"However, if you have recalled recently, the joint leaders' statement between Vietnam and the US on the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development outlined the key direction of cooperation in the next 10 years and beyond across 10 areas of cooperation, including bilateral collaboration and cooperation on regional and global issues," she said.

VNS