Key Events * European Union Pressures Vietnam Over Human Rights Violations at UN Meeting * Vietnam Moves to Amend the Constitution and
Lam Hồng wrote this Vietnamese op-ed, published in Luat Khoa Magazine on January 3, 2025. Jason Nguyen translated it into
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has unveiled its priority campaigns for 2025, focusing on grave threats to press freedom and the
RFA reports that at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on March 6, 2025, the EU voiced significant concerns regarding Vietnam's detention of human rights defenders, labor rights activists, and environmental experts.
Ambassador Lotte Knudsen, head of the EU delegation to the UN, emphasized that such arrests have a "chilling effect" on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. She urged Vietnam to release all individuals imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views and to ensure that civil society can participate freely in all aspects of development without harassment or intimidation.
The EU also called on Vietnam to suspend and eventually abolish the death penalty. While acknowledging Vietnam's ratification of several International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the EU encouraged the country to adopt ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize. This step would enable Vietnamese workers to establish independent trade unions beyond the state-managed General Confederation of Labor.
Vietnam, serving as a UNHRC member for the 2023-2025 term, announced its candidacy for re-election for the 2026-2028 tenure on Dec. 12, 2024. Despite its commitments under international agreements, human rights organizations have criticized Vietnam for not upholding promises related to human rights and environmental protections.
On Feb. 4, 2025, four human rights groups filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that Vietnam violated commitments outlined in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement by imprisoning activists, including journalists Pham Chi Dung and Pham Doan Trang, and lawyer Dang Dinh Bach.
These developments highlight ongoing international concerns about human rights practices in Vietnam and the challenges faced by activists within the country.
The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was first established in 1946. For almost 80 years, Vietnam has had five constitutions, including the Constitution of 1946, the Constitution of 1959, the Constitution of 1992 (in which the government amended and supplemented some articles in 2001), and the Constitution of 2013.
On Feb. 28, the Standing Committee of the Communist Party announced Conclusion 127, which emphasized revising and adding some articles of the 2013 Constitution, the Party Charter and related legal provisions to streamline and improve the efficiency of the state apparatus.
This revision takes place against the background of preparing the second “grand restructuring” of the apparatus, that is, the abolishment of the district level of government and the annexation of the provinces.
Regarding amendments and additions to the 2013 Constitution and related laws (such as the Law on the Organization of Local Government, the Law on Planning, etc.), the party requests that the National Assembly Committee Party and the Government Committee of the Party direct the study no later than June 30.
Regarding amendments to the Party Charter, the Party's Organizing Committee and the Central Examination Committee shall coordinate and submit proposals no later than April 9.
On March 5, many newspapers reported on the discussion meeting of the Standing Committee of the Government Committee of the Party on the possibility of abolishing the district level of the government and merging provinces.
Some newspapers published a photo of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holding an unprecedented map of Vietnam, listing many new administrative units. This photo was widely shared on social networks. Later, state newspapers removed or cropped the photo to remove parts of the map.
Also related to the police sector, the Ministry of Public Security has also announced it would assume new functions in terms of state management. This includes (1) information security, (2) aviation security, (3) drug detoxification and post-detoxification management, (4) issuance of driver's licenses, (5) judicial records and the issuance of private judicial history.
In addition, Mobifone (a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Information and Communications and is one of the country’s three major mobile network operators, alongside Viettel and Vinaphone) was also officially transferred to the Ministry of Public Security’s control beginning Feb. 27.
Before the government restructuring, much of Vietnam’s “revolutionary press" - the state-owned media’s self-description - had to stop their media work and now could only remember each other with their commemorative names.
One of the examples was last week's story of VnExpress and VietnamNet. VnExpress, founded by FPT Group and launched in 2001, claims it is the most widely read electronic newspaper in Vietnam. VietnamNet, established in 1997, is known as one of the pioneers of electronic journalism in the country.
Over the past week, news that VietnamNet and VnExpress would not be merging has garnered significant interest from readers.
On March 1, the government considered a plan to “research and integrate VietnamNet and VnExpress becoming one media,” citing the merger of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) - the owner of VietnamNet - with the MST - the owner of VnExpress.
Yet, on March 3, state media announced that VnExpress online newspaper will be the mouthpiece of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST), while VietnamNet newspaper will transfer its governing body to the Ministry of Ethnicity and Religion (MER).
Soon, many people discovered that VietnamNet had deleted several articles related to the Communist Party of Vietnam discipline of Dao Ngoc Dung in May 2024. Dung, formerly the head of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, is now the minister of MER.
Earlier, according to the policy of streamlining the apparatus, many major television stations, VTC, VOV, People's Republic, and the National Assembly, were dissolved, and their functions transferred to Vietnam Television (VTV).
At the same time, numerous electronic newspapers and magazines in various units and localities have also been reorganized. Currently, there are many large newspapers, especially popular newspapers in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Thanh Niên (The Youth), Người Lao Động (The Laborer), Pháp Luật Thành phố (City Laws), Phụ Nữ Thành phố (City Women), etc., are at risk of being wiped out and be reorganized into one unit.
RFA Vietnamese reports that during the United Nations' review of Vietnam's implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on March 7, 2025, concerns were raised about the welfare of former soldiers and disabled veterans of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) who were injured during the Vietnam War.
Amalia Gamio, vice chair of the CRPD Committee, highlighted reports indicating that since April 30, 1975 numerous disabled RVN veterans have not received state support comparable to other individuals with disabilities in Vietnam. She noted that many of these veterans rely on charitable contributions from individuals and foreign organizations, often facilitated through programs organized by certain temples and churches in Ho Chi Minh City.
In response, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Van Hoi asserted that Vietnam's laws do not categorize veterans based on their backgrounds. He stated that disability certification cards issued in Vietnam only contain information about the individual's name, type, and degree of disability and the local authority responsible for their support. Hoi emphasized that Vietnam has measures in place to penalize any officials who deny assistance to persons with disabilities and that there is no discrimination against any religious institutions or organizations.
However, Nguyen Bac Truyen, who was present at the review session and who has worked with Dòng Chúa Cứu Thế (the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer) in Saigon to support RVN veterans, disputed the government's claims. Truyen stated that, based on his experience assisting approximately 5,000 former RVN soldiers, none had received the support described by the government. He also mentioned he faced significant challenges from authorities while aiding these veterans, including being abducted in July 2017 and interrogated about the support program.
The Congregation's program, initiated in 2012 to provide financial aid, medical care, and essential supplies to former RVN soldiers, ceased operations in April 2024 after 12 years. A priest associated with the program cited increased governmental pressure and control as the primary reasons for its termination.
These developments have drawn international attention to the plight of former RVN soldiers, prompting discussions about their recognition and support within Vietnam's broader disability assistance framework.
The United States has withdrawn from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with Vietnam, a multinational initiative aimed at assisting developing countries in transitioning from coal to cleaner energy sources. This decision aligns with President Donald Trump's America First policy, as articulated in an executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2025, which mandates reevaluation of international environmental agreements that may not serve U.S. interests.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent officially announced on Mar. 6, 2025 that the U.S. withdrawal from JETP agreements involving Vietnam, South Africa, and Indonesia. A Treasury Department spokesperson stated that previous U.S. participation in such initiatives did not adequately reflect the nation's values or contributions toward economic and environmental goals.
The JETP, established during the 2021 UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, is composed of 10 donor nations committed to aiding developing countries in reducing reliance on coal. Vietnam became a beneficiary of this partnership in 2022, securing a $15.5 billion commitment to support its transition to cleaner energy sources.
The U.S. exit from the JETP raises concerns about the availability of funds pledged to assist Vietnam's energy transition. While other international partners have reaffirmed their commitment to the initiative, the loss of U.S. support may necessitate adjustments in funding strategies and timelines for Vietnam's shift toward renewable energy.
Vietnamese officials have yet to issue a formal response to the U.S. withdrawal. The development prompts questions about the future of Vietnam's energy policies and its ability to meet climate goals without anticipated U.S. financial support.
After nearly three months of walking across Thailand, Vietnamese monk Thich Minh Tue and his delegation successfully entered Malaysia on March 6, marking a new phase in their pilgrimage to India.
Facing passport expiration issues at the Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Laos borders, Thich Minh Tue refused Laotian officials' request to travel to Laos for renewal. Instead, his group embarked on a 1,900 km overnight journey to Mae Sot before detouring through Malaysia.
Born in 1981, Thich Minh Tue gained recognition for his ascetic walking practice and began his journey to India in December 2024.
European Union (EU) leaders are set to visit Vietnam as geopolitical tensions between the EU and the United States escalate. The visit underscores the bloc’s growing economic ties with Vietnam, which saw a 16% increase in exports to the EU, reaching $68 billion in 2024.
On March 2, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized Vietnam’s appeal as a “safe investment destination” with attractive tax policies. The EU, now Vietnam’s third-largest export market, continues to deepen its trade and diplomatic engagement with the Southeast Asian nation.
Taipei Times/AFP, Hanoi/Mar. 6
“In the last three months the Vietnamese capital has regularly topped a list of the world’s most polluted major cities, leaving its 9 million residents struggling to breathe and even to see through a thick blanket of smog.
The World Bank estimates that air pollution — which returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels in 2023 — costs Vietnam more than US$13 billion every year, equivalent to almost three percent of the country’s GDP last year.
Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the WHO warning strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be triggered by prolonged exposure."
Lam Hồng wrote this Vietnamese op-ed, published in Luat Khoa Magazine on January 3, 2025. Jason Nguyen translated it into
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has unveiled its priority campaigns for 2025, focusing on grave threats to press freedom and the
Huỳnh Kha and Hiếu Mạnh wrote this article in Vietnamese, which was published in Luat Khoa Magazine on February 24,
Key Events * Freedom House Reports on Vietnam’s Ongoing Repression of Activists and Journalists * Vietnamese Journalist Huy Duc Jailed for
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