Global Coalition Urges U.S. Secretary of State to Address Vietnam's Human Rights Abuses

In advance of Vietnam Human Rights Day on May 11, a coalition of international human rights and free expression organizations—including PEN America, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV), PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Vietnamese Abroad PEN Centre, and Vietnamese Advocates for Change—released a joint letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press the Vietnamese government for immediate reforms to protect freedom of expression and release imprisoned writers and journalists.

The letter highlights Việt Nam's ongoing crackdown on free expression, noting that the country is the third-largest jailer of writers, with 23 currently imprisoned—including Phạm Đoan Trang, the 2024 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award recipient.

Specifically, the coalition calls on the U.S. State Department to support persecuted Vietnamese voices by facilitating humanitarian visas and providing financial assistance to Vietnamese journalists, writers, and dissidents facing persecution—particularly those affected by the defunding of the U.S. Agency for Global Media such as journalists working with Radio Free Asia or Voice of America. The coalition also urges the Department to bolster independent media by allocating funding and resources to media outlets and organizations that promote press freedom in Vietnam.

In addition, the coalition issues several key demands directed at the Vietnamese government:

1. The unconditional and immediate release of imprisoned writers, journalists, and dissidents including Phạm Đoan Trang, Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn, Phạm Chí Dũng, Nguyễn Tường Thụy, and Nguyễn Vũ Bình;
2. Ensure fair treatment and due process for jailed writers, journalists, and dissidents through prison visits, independent medical care, fair legal representation, and adherence to international human rights standards;
3. End all harassment, threats, and intimidation targeting imprisoned or prosecuted writers, journalists, dissidents, and their families; and 
4. Repeal repressive laws and halt the use of restrictive legal provisions—including Articles 117 and 331 of the Penal Code, the Cybersecurity Law, and related decrees—that suppress free expression and independent journalism.

The joint letter underscores the urgent need for the U.S. to prioritize human rights in its diplomatic engagements with Vietnam, especially as the country continues to suppress dissent and restrict press freedoms.

Read the full joint letter here: Joint Letter to US Secretary of State for Vietnam Human Rights Day