Vietnam activist put under house arrest for defacing flag

HANOi: A Vietnamese activist was put under house arrest and barred from leaving the country after she defaced the national flag, she said, vowing to fight for democracy in the one-party state where dissent is swiftly stamped out.

Authorities in the communist country show little tolerance for criticism of any kind, and desecrating national symbols such as the yellow-starred red flag is deemed particularly offensive.

Huynh Thuc Vy, 32, was ordered to remain in her home and is blocked from leaving the country until October while she is under investigation for “affronting the flag” after she smeared white paint on the national banner last year.

“The red flag shows the authoritarian rule of Vietnam’s Communist Party, which goes against human progress and symbolises the abuse of democracy and human rights,” she said yesterday from her home in central Dak Lak province.

It is common in Vietnam for suspects to be detained during investigations and if convicted, Vy could face up to three years in prison.

A co-founder of the Vietnamese Women for Human Rights group, Vy won a Hellman/Hammett grant from Human Rights Watch in 2012 for her writings on rights issues and persecution of ethnic minorities.

Vy said police came to her house on Thursday and confiscated her phones, computer and camera before interrogating her for 15 hours.

She said she is frequently “targeted” by officials and refused to stand down despite the investigation.

“I will continue doing what I need to do. I really want a free and democratic Vietnam so my children and grandchildren can live happily,” said Vy, who has an infant daughter.