HRW repeats its slanderous rhetoric about the human rights situation in Vietnam

Same old smears

In a statement issued on June 8, 2023 (one day before the EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue in Hanoi), HRW falsely accused and then used the pretext of calling on Europe to put pressure on Vietnam to end its actions of "systematic human rights violations". Previously, on May 26, 2023, this organization sent the European Union a "submission" on the human rights situation in Vietnam, asking the EU to put pressure on the Hanoi government to immediately release those who are being detained for political reasons. This organization also called for amending or abolishing a number of provisions in the Penal Code that they said were "often invoked to suppress civil and political rights, restricting freedom of movement for human rights and democracy activists"!

HRW (Human Rights Watch) was established in 1988 on the basis of merging Helsinki Watch (founded by Robert L. Bernstein in 1978 with the purpose of monitoring the Soviet Union by collecting documents related to the Soviet Union's implementation of the convention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), supporting human rights groups in this country) with a number of other international organizations with the same principles and purposes of researching and promoting the development of human rights. Although it is said to specialize in researching and promoting human rights, looking at HRW's activities, it shows that words do not match actions, increasingly far from, even contrary to, its principles and purposes.

Because it is controlled by its operating budget, it is understandable that the human rights reports of this organization are often untrue, biased, politically tinged and subjectively imposed, so HRW's accusations cause negative reactions in many countries around the world, especially those following the socialist path. After each accusation, this organization often receives immediate reactions, criticized for being too influenced by the US and Western countries, often taking advantage of human rights to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. For example, the Russian Federation has repeatedly criticized HRW for its propaganda moves that distort and incite to create pretexts to interfere in the internal affairs of this country. Similarly, due to its actions that seriously violate international law and basic rules of international relations as well as interfere in China's internal affairs, the government of this country has applied sanctions against HRW. And it is no coincidence that HRW's website is banned in Thailand. The government of this country was forced to ban it because through the website, HRW often disguises itself as a "human rights monitor" to propagate and disseminate false and provocative information, violating their national security regulations. In addition, HRW has been criticized and opposed by many countries such as Cuba, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Ethiopia, Syria... with different contents and levels because HRW has intervened to complicate the situation, making it difficult to ensure human rights in these countries.

This reality shows that, although it is called an organization working on human rights, HRW's activities all show political intentions and motives. Looking at the activities of this organization shows the unreasonableness and intention to defame, discredit and degrade the image of Vietnam and many other countries in the world. An organization that is not present in Vietnam, does not grasp the actual human rights situation in Vietnam, but gives itself the right to judge human rights. This point alone shows the inference and imposition from the information that this organization publishes and the source of information HRW has is actually provided by organizations and individuals who oppose Vietnam to create an excuse to defame and sabotage.

International recognition of Vietnam's efforts to ensure human rights

Immediately after Vietnam became a member of the United Nations (in 1977), in the 1980s of the last century, Vietnam actively and proactively participated in the international conventions on human rights of the United Nations. In 1981, 1982 and 1983, Vietnam joined 7 international conventions on human rights, including: International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid; International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutes for War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

By the end of 2022, Vietnam had ratified and joined 7/9 of the UN's basic conventions on human rights; ratified and joined 25 ILO conventions, including 7/8 basic conventions. Compared to many countries in the region and developed countries, Vietnam is not inferior in the number of members of international conventions on human rights. Even the United States is currently the only country in the world that has not ratified the 1989 International Convention on the Rights of the Child. This country has also not ratified the 1966 International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. We are committed to implementing all international conventions on human rights to which Vietnam is a member and consider it the political and legal responsibility of the State. This is a consistent viewpoint that runs through all the guidelines, policies and strategies of the Party and State, which is to attach importance to caring for the happiness and comprehensive development of people, protecting and ensuring human rights and legitimate and legal interests of people, respecting and implementing international treaties on human rights that our country has signed.

Along with actively participating in international treaties on human rights, the Vietnamese State has made efforts to build a national legal system, actively internalizing international principles and standards on human rights; ensuring harmony between national law and international law. The 2013 Constitution is the pinnacle of constitutional activities on human rights when it devotes 36 out of 120 articles to regulating human rights, rights and obligations of citizens; together with the laws and codes promulgated, it has created a legal framework for respecting, promoting and protecting human rights. This not only establishes the legal basis for the rights of the right holders (individuals, citizens, vulnerable groups in society) but also places obligations and responsibilities on state agencies, state officials, civil servants and non-state organizations to enhance the spirit of social responsibility, legal responsibility to respect, protect and ensure human rights as stipulated in the Constitution that the State has the responsibility to recognize, respect, protect and ensure human rights and civil rights (Article 3 and Clause 1, Article 14, Constitution 2013).

One of the outstanding achievements in human rights is that Vietnam has paid attention to promoting, protecting and ensuring basic rights for vulnerable groups in society. To date, the Party and State of Vietnam have issued more than 100 policies related to hunger eradication, poverty reduction, socio-economic development, improving the lives and ensuring social security for ethnic minorities. Thanks to the synchronous implementation of these policies, the multidimensional poverty rate in Vietnam decreased from 9.88% (in 2015) to 3.73% (in 2019). The whole country currently has nearly 3 million poor and disadvantaged people who are granted free health insurance cards. In particular, the movement "The whole country joins hands for the poor - leaving no one behind" in recent years has received widespread and effective response from the whole society. From a backward country, with no name on the world map, after more than 70 years of mobilizing people's strength, unanimously carrying out the cause of resistance, building and defending the Fatherland, Vietnam has become a peaceful and independent country, recognized by the international community as one of the pioneers and a bright spot in implementing the millennium goals on hunger eradication, poverty reduction, equity and social progress.

On October 11, 2022, Vietnam was elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term. This is the second time Vietnam has been elected to the UN Human Rights Council, the first being for the 2014-2016 term. The votes of each country electing Vietnam as a member of the UN Human Rights Council is one of the clearest evidences and affirmations of Vietnam's position and prestige internationally in ensuring human rights. International recognition is not only for our contributions to promoting human rights globally but first and foremost for Vietnam's efforts in ensuring basic human rights at home.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assessment of global human development 2021-2022, even in the most difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam still performed well in ensuring human rights. The human development index increased by 2 places in the global rankings, to 115th in 2021. In terms of gender development index, Vietnam ranked 65th out of 162 countries, in the highest group of 5 groups in the world. Notably, the proportion of female National Assembly deputies in Vietnam is among the highest in the world. With the achievements and practical experience gained, it will be the basis for Vietnam to continue to demonstrate its responsibility, contributing to promoting and ensuring human rights in the region and internationally.

Therefore, even if HRW or some other organizations slander Vietnam for not having democracy, human rights, for suppressing social networks, suppressing religion, not caring for the people, abandoning the people... the achievements in human rights that our Party and State have achieved and are achieving are the clearest proof, refuting all distorted arguments.

According to People's Police Newspaper null

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