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Fresh from an April trip to China focused on economic alignment and rail ambitions , Việt Nam's top leader, Tô Lâm, arrived last week in New Delhi to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the India-Việt Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

While the formal diplomatic ceremonies and displays of cultural heritage projected an image of two nations advancing a unified vision, the reality is far more calculated. Behind the pageantry and publicized visits to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial, a closer look at Lâm’s itinerary reveals a meticulously curated agenda.

An Enhanced Strategic Partnership

During the visit, Tô Lâm and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially elevated the relationship between the two countries to an " Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership " based on a " shared vision ."

The two nations pledged to deepen defense ties and set an ambitious bilateral trade target of $25 billion by 2030 . Behind closed doors, the meeting reportedly included discussions of a potential $629 million sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

Additionally, the leaders exchanged 13 memorandums of understanding across sectors such as health care, education, and other fields. Việt Nam also promised to diversify its supply chains by importing more Indian goods, and both nations agreed to expand joint oil and gas exploration operations .

These agreements—which include technological collaboration and 6G communications—are impressive, but they conveniently neglected to address an uncomfortable shared reality.

Human Rights and Freedom of Expression

Despite the public boasting of strategic alignment and the signing of major trade deals, Việt Nam and India share a remarkably abysmal record on freedom of expression.

Unsurprisingly, diplomats conspicuously left the broader issue of human rights off the agenda. Both governments permitted only highly curated discussions focused on ethnic, religious, and minority affairs .

In these limited sessions, Việt Nam’s minister of ethnic and religious affairs met with Indian ministers to discuss belief-related policies, social welfare, and cultural preservation, aiming to ensure that "no communities are left behind."

Beyond this highly targeted and sterilized exchange, human rights were entirely ignored. The silence from both leaders was deafening, though perhaps expected; it is likely that neither side wishes to acknowledge their horrifying 2026 World Press Freedom Index statistics.

Press Freedom in Việt Nam and India

Việt Nam’s position at 174th out of 180 countries cements its status as Southeast Asia's worst environment for press freedom.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) bluntly labels Vietnam "one of the world's largest prisons for journalists," citing the imprisonment of media professionals such as independent journalist Phạm Đoan Trang , who has been languishing in prison on vague "anti-state" charges since 2020.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Communist Party has continued to tighten its control over the media, bringing major state outlets such as VTV and VOV directly under its central authority in early 2026.

In contrast, India, the " world’s largest democracy ," is experiencing an "unofficial state of emergency" in its media landscape, according to RSF.

The country has devolved into one of the most dangerous countries globally for media professionals, where journalists endure arbitrary arrests, vicious online harassment, and an average of two to three targeted killings per year.

Pluralism in mainstream news has effectively ended, replaced by state-backed propaganda as Indian media ownership has been concentrated into a few government-allied conglomerates.

To aggressively silence dissent, the Indian government has further armed itself with sweeping legislation, most notably the 2023 Telecommunications Act .

Economic Gains VS Human Rights

While high-level economic agreements, tech partnerships, and missile deals present an impressive facade, the mutual silence on human rights speaks volumes.

The glaring omission of press freedom and democratic values from the diplomatic agenda was not an accidental oversight. Rather, it was a willful, conscious decision by two administrations that actively prefer their journalists caged or compliant.

As India and Việt Nam stride proudly into their Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, they appear perfectly aligned in their shared vision: a prosperous future where trade flows freely, but the truth most certainly does not.

References: +

Access Now. (2024, June 25). Partial enforcement of India's Telecom Act — a total eclipse of digital rights. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/india-telecom-act-2023-enforcement/

Huỳnh, L. (2026, April 16). Tô Lâm eyes China’s high-speed rail success to accelerate Việt Nam’s megaprojects. The Vietnamese Magazine. https://thevietnamese.org/2026/04/to-lam-eyes-chinas-high-speed-rail-success-to-accelerate-viet-nams-megaprojects/

Nhan Dan Online. (2026, May 6). Top Vietnamese leader's visit elevates Viet Nam-India ties: Indian scholar. Nhan Dan. https://en.nhandan.vn/top-vietnamese-leaders-visit-elevates-viet-nam-india-ties-indian-scholar-post161890.html

Reporters Without Borders. (2026, April 30). 2026 RSF index: Press freedom at a 25-year low. https://rsf.org/en/2026-rsf-index-press-freedom-25-year-low

Reuters. (2026, May 5). India may discuss Brahmos missile sale Vietnam during presidential visit sources. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/india-may-discuss-brahmos-missile-sale-vietnam-during-presidential-visit-sources-2026-05-05/

The Vietnamese Magazine. (2026, May 4). Jailed Vietnamese journalist Phạm Đoan Trang named among world's most urgent press freedom cases; Việt Nam ranked last in Southeast Asia in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index. https://thevietnamese.org/2026/05/jailed-vietnamese-journalist-pham-doan-trang-named-among-worlds-most-urgent-press-freedom-cases-viet-nam-ranked-last-in-southeast-asia-in-reporters-without-borders-2026-world-press-freedom/

Trường, A. (2026, April 20). From state to party: The unprecedented and illegal transfer of VTV, VOV, and TTXVN in Việt Nam. The Vietnamese Magazine. https://thevietnamese.org/2026/04/from-state-to-party-the-unprecedented-and-illegal-transfer-of-vtv-vov-and-ttxvn-in-viet-nam/

Vietnam Law Magazine. (2026, May 6). Party General Secretary, President To Lam begins state visit to India. https://vietnamlawmagazine.vn/party-general-secretary-president-to-lam-begins-state-visit-to-india-79407.html

Vinh, T., and Duy, L. (2026, May 7). Vietnam, India elevate ties to enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership. Tuoi Tre News. https://news.tuoitre.vn/vietnam-india-elevate-ties-to-enhanced-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-103260507121359832.htm

Voice of Vietnam. (2026, May 7). Vietnam, India issue joint statement on enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership. https://english.vov.vn/en/politics/vietnam-india-issue-joint-statement-on-enhanced-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-post1289664.vov

Tô Lâm in India: Trade Deals Amidst Silence on Human Rights

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