[CREATE] Free as in Speech, and Vietnam?

[Tor Lillqvist]

> How is hosting the LGM in Vietnam forcing anyone attending the LGM to
> ignore the human rights violations of the Vietnamese government?

Maybe because being too open and vocal in one's ciritique of such
violations might mean less chance to get a visa?

> They always laugh with our 'superior' track record of human
> rights. For them Western democracies are not innocent at all. Maybe in
> their own country, but not in the world abroad.

Who said any country is without faults? Responding to criticism with
"you are not perfect either, so shut up" is not a useful approach.
Let's talk about Vietnam in this thread, and other countries, when
necessary, in other threads, please.

Note that we are talking about very basic human rights and freedoms
here. Principles that as far as I know all countries, at least those
who have joined the UN, accept and claim to support. Free speech. Open
and fair elections. Freedom to form political organisations. Right to
a fair trial. Etc.

> I agree with Cyrille, that hosting the LGM in Vietnam rather promotes
> freedom, than supports human rights violations.

Could well be. Still, it can also be used as a propaganda showcase by
the government.

But anyway, my intent is not to stop LGM from being held in Vietnam. I
just want to raise the awareness of the fact that it *is* a
single-party state that isn't too hot on "freedom as in speech".

I really wish for some advice from some well-known organisation like
Amnesty, or Reporters Without Borders.

--tml