ACTIVISTS JAILED
There are currently 193 activists in Vietnamese prisons, according to The 88 Project, which advocates for freedom of expression in the country.
They include noodle seller Peter Lam Bui, who went viral for impersonating Salt Bae after the celebrity chef served a gold-leaf steak to a powerful Vietnamese official during a trip to London.
Lam was jailed for "anti-state propaganda" and his appeal was rejected last week.
And prominent climate activist Hoang Thi Minh Hong, who had been widely recognised for her work, is in pre-trial detention over alleged tax evasion.
For those that are left in the democracy movement, the picture is bleak.
"I think the Communist Party has certainly been successful in curbing the voice of people like myself," said Nguyen Vu Binh, 54, a political activist who served almost five years in jail in the early 2000s.
Civil society groups have been dissolved and what protests there used to be have mostly stopped, while a draconian cybersecurity law has smothered online debate.
But while the situation has worsened, Washington has been ramping up ties with Vietnam as it seeks to counter Beijing's influence in the region and diversify supply chains away from the likes of China and Russia.
A spokesperson for the US State Department told AFP that "human rights is a topic we raise at the highest levels with Vietnam".
But with geopolitical concerns dominating, most activists have little hope that Biden's visit will do much to change Vietnam's behaviour.
"I do not expect any serious push (for change) from the US and the EU," said Le Cong Dinh, a former human rights lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City who was imprisoned for subversion.
"These countries look at Vietnam as a strategic partner for their security and trade policies in Southeast Asia... human rights protection is no longer a top priority issue in the relationship, especially during Russia's war in Ukraine."
TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
Some, like Nguyen Truong Chinh, whose son is on death row, continue to protest no matter the consequences.
Chinh has been campaigning to free his son Nguyen Van Chuong - whose murder conviction came after allegations of torture - for 16 years, and faces regular harassment from authorities.
"I have not asked for an amnesty or a sentence reduction, because he is innocent," Chinh, 77, told AFP.
Chuong's sentence was condemned as "arbitrary and a violation of the right to life" by the United Nations, which last month demanded an immediate halt to his looming execution.
For the moment, he is still alive.
But his father says "it has been a slow death" for the rest of the family, as their noisy push for release aggravates the government.
"I want to help but I feel very desperate," Chinh said.
For Hung, his belief in a good future for Vietnam remains.
There will be a "Vietnam with freedom and democracy and human rights", he said.
The Link LonkSeptember 05, 2023 at 01:17PM
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Biden trip offers little hope to 'desperate' Vietnam activists - CNA
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