Viet Nam: UN rights experts urge release of activists jailed for protesting toxic spill
GENEVA (23 February 2018) – UN human rights experts have called for the release of individuals jailed for writing about
and reacting to a discharge of toxic industrial chemicals into coastal waters of Viet Nam.
On 6 February 2018, a court in the central province of Nghe An, Viet Nam, sentenced Hoang Duc Binh to 14 years in prison
for blogging about protests regarding the Formosa “marine life” disaster. Also, Nguyen Nam Phong, a victim of the
pollution disaster, was sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly refusing to obey orders of public officials while
driving to a protest.
“Imprisoning bloggers and activists for their legitimate work raising public awareness on environmental and public
health concerns is unacceptable,” said Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and Hazardous Substances and
Wastes.
“We call on the authorities to release Hoang Duc Binh and Nguyen Nam Phong who were detained following their efforts to
raise awareness and ensure accountability in relation to the spill of the Formosa Steel plant. Authorities must ensure
that Viet Nam’s rapid economic expansion does not come at the expense of human rights, in particular those of local
communities and workers.”
David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, said he was deeply concerned by the increasing number of
arrests and the detention of rights activists and journalists covering issues of public relevance in Viet Nam.
Last year, the blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, widely known as "Me Nam” (Mother Mushroom), was sentenced to 10 years in
prison for her activities online including her reporting on a protest following the industrial toxic spill in Formosa.
The blogger Nguyen Van Hoa also received a seven-year sentence last November for the same reason.
“These convictions not only violate the rights to freedom of expression of these individuals but also undermine the
rights of everyone in Viet Nam to receive vital information on toxic pollution and to debate the best remedy for it and
ultimately to hold those responsible for the disaster accountable,” said Kaye.
The April 2016 Formosa “marine life” disaster involved the discharge of cyanide, phenol, and other toxic waste into the
ocean by a steel mill built by Taiwan’s Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation. The spill reportedly polluted more than 200
km of local waters, killing a large number of fish affecting tens of thousands of livelihoods. The spill sparked
numerous protests demanding accountability for the damage caused.
UN experts have previously urged the Government of Viet Nam to release other bloggers and activists in other cases related to the Formosa spill. The
experts concluded noting that they communicated their concerns to the Vietnamese authorities and remain ready to visit
the country in order to further their understanding on this case.
ENDS