Workers excitedly shop at the 2025 Trade Union Tet Market organized by the Hanoi City Labor Federation

On June 30, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam and the European Union (EU) signed the Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), marking a new chapter in Vietnam-EU relations. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ms. Cecilia Malmstrom - EU Trade Commissioner, believed that the implementation of the Agreement will bring benefits to consumers and businesses of both Vietnam and the EU, while contributing to promoting investment between the two sides. Up to now, after nearly 5 years of implementing the EVFTA, cooperation, trade and investment connection activities for the business community and people between the countries have been taking place vigorously, bringing practical results. Notably, Vietnam has always been steadfast in its goal of putting people at the center of economic development, while ensuring human rights in environmental, land and labor issues; constantly improving people's lives, as well as focusing on improving domestic labor and environmental standards. The Vietnamese government considers the human rights commitments in the agreement as an opportunity for the country to quickly move towards the goals of “a rich people, a strong country, democracy, fairness, and civilization”. However, some reactionary, extremist, and ill-intentioned organizations and individuals always deliberately deny the efforts and achievements that Vietnam has made in ensuring human rights in general, and criticize Vietnam’s commitments in implementing the EVFTA regarding human rights in particular.

For example, in early February, four organizations, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Vietnam Committee for Human Rights (VCHR), Catholic Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Global Witness, loudly accused the Vietnamese government of persecuting human rights defenders, violating the EVFTA. They mentioned about 40 cases of so-called “labor, environmental and land rights activists” currently imprisoned in Vietnam, serving prison sentences ranging from 3.5 years to 20 years for their actions in support of sustainable development. Some of the names mentioned include Pham Chi Dung, Pham Doan Trang, Dang Dinh Bach, the family of Can Thi Theu and her two sons. “The Vietnamese government is imprisoning individuals who have raised legitimate concerns about environmental protection, labor and land rights violations, and the socio-economic impact of infrastructure and investment projects,” said Gaëlle Dusepulchre, Deputy Director of FIDH’s Business, Human Rights and Environment Department. “It is time for the EU to hold Vietnam accountable for its flagrant violations of the trade agreement. Vietnamese human rights defenders must be safe and free when they demand accountability from the government and stand up for their communities,” said Y Lan Penelope Faulkner, President of VCHR.

It must be affirmed that the criticism and condemnation of Vietnam by the four organizations mentioned above are not new. With a hostile attitude and one-sided views, reactionary and ill-intentioned organizations and individuals often make false statements and try to distort and misrepresent the issue of ensuring human rights in Vietnam through various forms of opinions, open letters, discussions, and lawsuits. For example, on November 25, 2024, on the YouTube channel of the terrorist organization Viet Tan, information was posted about the coordination with the Vietnam Worker Defenders Association and the Support Committee for Vietnam to file a lawsuit against the Vietnamese Government to the European Single Entry Point mechanism because they believe that the Vietnamese Government has not fulfilled its commitments in the EVFTA. Regarding the content of the lawsuit, on November 19, 2024, this group attended a meeting with the competent authorities of the European Parliament. At the meeting, the group gave inaccurate information about workers' rights in Vietnam.

Previously, on February 28, 2023, a number of members of the European Parliament (EP) held a workshop to review the level of human rights violations and the rights of Vietnamese workers after more than 2 years of implementing the EVFTA Agreement with many subjective accusations, based on information that did not accurately reflect the actual situation in Vietnam. It is worth noting that the workshop was held with the participation of a number of reactionary organizations, typically the terrorist organization Viet Tan. Therefore, it is understandable that the conference was an opportunity for hostile forces to distort the situation of freedom, democracy and human rights in Vietnam, such as attributing that "the human rights situation in Vietnam is getting worse and worse", "the Vietnamese government is trying every way to prevent and make it difficult for workers to form independent unions", "the Vietnamese government has violated Chapter 13 of the EVFTA Agreement", "Vietnam suppresses human rights activists and environmentalists"... From there, calling on EU parliamentarians to "put more pressure on the Hanoi government". Rehashing the old story, these contents continue to be mentioned in the complaint that four human rights organizations just sent to the European Commission in early February.

Observations in practice show that a number of demands have emerged that the anti-government elements deliberately focus on, such as demanding the right of workers to freely form trade unions; demanding the release of human rights activists and environmentalists. Regarding the issue of establishing representative organizations of workers, Clause 3, Article 3 of the Labor Code (2019) clearly states: "A representative organization of workers at the grassroots level is an organization established on the basis of the voluntary participation of workers at an employer with the aim of protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of workers in labor relations through collective bargaining or other forms as prescribed by the law on labor".

At the same time, in Chapter XIII, with 9 articles (from Article 170 to Article 178), the Labor Code also specifically regulates the organization of workers' representatives at the grassroots level. Recently, on November 27, 2024, at the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly passed the Law on Trade Unions (amended), with a number of notable new points, namely perfecting the regulations on the organization of the trade union apparatus, the mechanism for managing trade union officials; perfecting the trade union financial mechanism in the context of deep international integration and the emergence of workers' organizations at enterprises outside the Vietnam Trade Union system. Thus, it can be seen that Vietnam always attaches importance to the rights of workers as well as seriously internalizes the commitments on labor and trade unions mentioned in trade agreements such as EVFTA or CPTPP. Meanwhile, the "independent labor unions" that reactionary elements call for the establishment of are actually anti-government organizations hiding under the guise of "protecting workers", but their purpose is to take advantage of difficulties and shortcomings in labor and employment to entice workers and laborers to participate in illegal activities, causing social instability.

As for the individuals called “human rights and environmental protection activists arrested and imprisoned by the Vietnamese State” that some overseas organizations and individuals have been promoting, praising and defending, it is necessary to frankly expose the true nature of these people. It is necessary to clearly see that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a socialist state of law of the people, by the people, for the people; human rights, civil rights, political, civil, economic, cultural and social rights are recognized, respected, protected and guaranteed according to the Constitution and the law. In Vietnam, no one is arrested for human rights and environmental protection activities, but only individuals who violate the law, take advantage of personal freedom to oppose the State, infringe upon national interests, and infringe upon the rights and interests of others are handled according to the provisions of the law.

Therefore, the condemnation of Vietnam for imprisoning “human rights and environmental activists” that hostile forces are trying to spread is actually a trick of “cheating”, turning criminals into “models” fighting for democracy and human rights.

For example, in the case of Pham Chi Dung, on January 5, 2021, the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City opened a first-instance trial of defendant Pham Chi Dung and his accomplices Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan for the crime of "Making, storing, disseminating or propagating information, documents and items against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam". According to the trial panel, the defendants' actions were especially dangerous to society, directly harming national security and social order and safety. The defendants' actions aided disaffected elements and political opportunists, aiming to erode people's trust in the Party and State, causing confusion among the masses, and causing division within the Party and State.

At the trial, the defendants confessed that the details were consistent with the documents and evidence in the case file. On that basis, the jury sentenced defendant Pham Chi Dung to 15 years in prison. Thus, there was absolutely no case of Pham Chi Dung being “suppressed” or “silenced” for his human rights activities as fabricated by the anti-government elements. This duplicity has partly shown the evil nature of the ill-intentioned, reactionary organizations and individuals who are seeking every means and trick to sabotage Vietnam.

The strong development of Vietnam in recent times has further demonstrated the absurdity and absurdity of the above-mentioned one-sided, distorted and imposed accusations. This reality requires every citizen to be extremely alert in identifying and fighting against false and hostile arguments, not to spread unverified information, not to create opportunities for bad elements to entice and entice, and to carry out acts that go against the interests of the nation and people. At the same time, it is necessary to be determined, join hands, and wholeheartedly contribute to the development of the country, firmly believing in the leadership of the Party and State.

According to nhandan.vn