Vietnam arrests two well-known Facebook users over ‘abusing democratic freedoms’
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The Vietnamese government said the two users posted articles on Facebook that infringe upon the interests of the state, and more.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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HANOI – The police in Vietnam have arrested two well-known Vietnamese Facebook users on charges over abusing democratic freedoms, the government said on June 8, after a recent major leadership reshuffle
Ex-reporter Truong Huy San, 62, and lawyer Tran Dinh Trien, 65, were arrested on accusations of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state”, the Vietnamese government said in a statement.
Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism.
The statement said San and Trien had posted articles on Facebook that infringe upon the interests of the state, and the lawful rights and interests of organisations and individuals, without elaborating.
Reuters could not immediately reach their lawyers for comments.
San’s and Trien’s Facebook posts were often critical of the Vietnamese administration and the law enforcement authorities. Their Facebook accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers disappeared from the platform less than a week ago, sparking rumours of their arrest.
The announcement of the arrests came after Vietnam’s National Assembly on June 6 approved its new police minister, and more than two weeks after a new state president new Parliament speaker
The Vietnamese government’s statement on June 8 said the police had searched San’s and Trien’s homes, adding that further investigation was under way. REUTERS
