Vietnam jails activist over anti-govt posts

HANOI: A court in Vietnam has jailed an activist for two years and three months on accusations of abusing democracy rights following antigovernment posts on social media site Facebook, authorities said.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

A district court found Doan Khanh Vinh Quang, 42, guilty of “abusing democratic and freedom rights” to infringe the interests of the state, individuals and organisations, police in Can Tho City said on Monday.

Quang’s actions “seriously affected the political security and social order and safety”, the police said in a statement, adding that he had admitted to having written and shared posts insulting the Party and the country since 2015.

He was arrested in early September as authorities found his Facebook posts “distort the guidelines and policies of the party and the state” and called for people to protest, they said on their website. Reuters could not trace contact details for Quang’s lawyer to seek comment.

Facebook has a direct channel for Vietnam’s information ministry to request the blocking or removal of accounts, content or posts deemed to violate the law. Many activists have complained about growing blocking of content this year.— Reuters