Vietnam jails two activists for ‘spreading propaganda’ on FB

HANOI: A Vietnamese court has jailed two activists on charges of publishing damaging anti-state propaganda about the communistrun country, state media reported, the latest convictions under a hardline leadership intolerant of dissent.

The women, Vu Thi Dung and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Suong, were sentenced to six and five years respectively for posting videos and articles on Facebook against proposed special economic zones and a beefed up cybersecurity law, the People’s Police newspaper reported.

The court, in the country’s south, found them both guilty of “making, hoarding and spreading propaganda information, documents and materials against the socialist republic of Vietnam”.

Both market vendors, the two women are the latest to face harsh blowback for publicly opposing the cybersecurity law, which would require internet companies to hand over user data and remove content if requested by the government.

The proposed special economic zones are also deeply sensitive and sparked rare nationwide protests last year in which police stations and government offices were ransacked.

Independent media is banned in Vietnam, with online posts, comments and critics strictly monitored and bloggers, activists and rights lawyers routinely jailed.

The hardline leadership in charge since 2016 has been harsh on dissidents, with nearly 60 put behind bars last year according to an AFP tally. — AFP