Japan and Vietnam have agreed to deepen security cooperation in hopes of strengthening an alliance that shares concerns about China’s territorial assertiveness in regional waters. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for greater economic collaboration with Vietnam, following talks Wednesday with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi. Mr. Abe said the two countries […]
Japan, Vietnam Aim to Deepen Security Cooperation
Posted January 16th, 2013 at 1:25 pm (UTC-5)
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Vietnam Jails 13 Activists on Subversion Charges
Posted January 9th, 2013 at 6:15 am (UTC-5)
A Vietnamese court has given lengthy jail sentences to 14 rights activists convicted of plotting to overthrow the communist government. Following a brief two-day trial, the defendants received sentences Wednesday ranging from three to 13 years in prison. Another defendant was given three years of house arrest. The court in the northern Vietnamese province of […]
Vietnam Puts 14 Dissidents on Trial for Subversion
Posted January 8th, 2013 at 9:10 am (UTC-5)
Vietnamese authorities have put 14 dissidents on trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the nation’s Communist government. The defendants are accused of involvement with banned opposition group Viet Tan, which is based in the United States and labeled by Hanoi as a terrorist organization. Defense lawyer Tran Thu Nam said the trial opened on […]
China Warns Vietnam to Stop Oil Exploration in Disputed Region
Posted December 6th, 2012 at 6:00 am (UTC-5)
China has warned Vietnam to stop “unilateral oil and gas exploration” in disputed areas of the South China Sea, as the two countries’ long-standing maritime dispute continues to heat up. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei’s comments Thursday come after Vietnam’s state-owned oil and gas company accused Chinese vessels of cutting a cable on one of […]
Two Vietnamese Musicians Jailed for ‘Anti-State Propaganda’
Posted October 30th, 2012 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
Two prominent Vietnamese musicians have been given prison sentences for spreading songs that are critical of the government. A court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Vo Minh Tri, known as Viet Khang, to four years and Tran Vu Anh Binh to six years in jail following a brief hearing Tuesday. A lawyer for the […]
Typhoon Kills 3 in Vietnam
Posted October 29th, 2012 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
At least three people were killed Sunday, when typhoon Son Tinh swept across northern Vietnam. Authorities say that Son Tinh caused widespread power outages in provinces north of Hanoi, and that thousands of residents had been evacuated from flood-prone areas. The storm is expected to lose strength and become a tropical storm as it moves […]
Vietnam’s Government Apologizes for Struggling Economy
Posted October 16th, 2012 at 4:45 am (UTC-5)
Vietnam’s Communist Party has issued a rare criticism of its own performance, apologizing to the nation for the mismanagement of its struggling economy. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong says the party has admitted it “made some big mistakes,” especially in not preventing “corruption and deterioration” among some of its members. Trong’s comments, which appeared […]
Dissident Vietnamese Poet Nguyen Chi Thien Dies at 73
Posted October 4th, 2012 at 10:30 pm (UTC-5)
Dissident Vietnamese poet Nguyen Chi Thien, who memorized his poems while languishing in prison where he was not allowed to write, has died at age 73. A friend of Thien announced his death this week in Los Angeles, where he had lived since 1995. Thein was first jailed in 1960 after telling a group of […]
US Lends Vietnam $118 Million For Satellite
Posted October 1st, 2012 at 5:35 pm (UTC-5)
The United States says it will give Vietnam a loan of more than $100 million to buy a telecommunications satellite from a U.S. company. The U.S. Export-Import Bank Monday said the Vietnamese state-owned company, Vietnam Post, will use the satellite to meet the growing demand of telecommunications and television markets. Ex-Im says the satellite will […]
Vietnam Slammed for ‘Harsh’ Sentences Against Bloggers
Posted September 25th, 2012 at 6:05 am (UTC-5)
Rights groups and world leaders are slamming Vietnam for prison sentences given to three prominent bloggers who wrote about human rights abuses and corruption in their country. Following a brief trial in Ho Chi Minh City Monday, the defendants received sentences ranging from four to 12 years for spreading “propaganda against the state.” U.S. State […]
