Vietnam dissident lawyers jailed, why is Hanoi afraid?

Question

BBC News "Two human rights lawyers have been jailed in Vietnam, in the latest court case against political activists. Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan were sentenced to five years and four years respectively by the Hanoi People's Court."

These people only call for democracy. Isn't that what people want? Why are they jailed? Why is Hanoi afraid of free election? Afraid that nobody would vote for the party's candidates? Is that why only the Communist party's candidates can run for offices?

Answer 1

It's because they betrayed us, and I can tell you as a Vietnamese and citizen, Those guys are not stading for us;not at ALL.

We're living in peace, and we all head to peace and develope our economy; and in any goverment, they cannot treat us 100%. So what do you expect? no one is treated badly here. It's all their paranoid.The voice of people are not there..

Wanna be famous and trying as a crazy dog to get some pity from some other parties from oversea, which are dying and just airhead, lacking of information, deceiving themselves about a past had been over years ago; and turn thier backs to their own people is not a good choice.

I hate them in any aspect of politics game...Leave us alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The problem is not Hanoi. The problem is some Viet Kieu (Vietnamese living outside of Vietnam) remains stuck in the past and cause more problems than they think they are solving.  

I had thought of communism as being the ugly red monster for as long as I can remember, because I only knew what was happening in Vietnam from friends and relatives who had escaped Vietnam shortly after the War ended. There is every reason to believe that living under communism was horrific in the past, but I have seen nothing that would cause me to believe communism in Vietnam today is the ugly red monster that I had thought it was for so long.

I have been to Vietnam several times, and I have never experienced censorship of my democratic or religious beliefs while there. My uncle who lives in Hanoi is quite verbal about his negative opinions regarding his government, and he is yet to be arrested for his opinions. Contrary to popular Western belief, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists and others in Vietnam worship their religion every day without worry of being arrested.  

The human rights issues that you are lead to believe is a gross exaggeration created by those who are deliberately trying to cause problems and bring back what happened decades ago. Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and others are deliberately getting themselves arrested to draw media attention towards a problem that is not really a problem and certainly not their problem. They are no longer Vietnamese citizens; they have no right to meddle in Vietnam’s affairs and they should respect Vietnam’s laws as foreigners just like foreigners visiting the U.S. are to respect our laws.

If they really want to end communism in Vietnam, then all they need to do wait. Communism will destroy itself if left alone, and the communist leaders there already know that. Past and current leaders have already made decisions that will spell the end of communism, and they done so intentionally.

Instead of praising Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan for their suffering, someone should administer them a swift kick in the butt to knock their brains back into their head. They are the ones who are lying and not the communists that they are accusing of lying.

Answer 3

As a Vietnamese, I don't agree with the communist regime. However, Vietnam today is not like Vietnam 30 years ago when the commies first took over. Seems to me Vietnam is more socialist than communist. Those people who lead Vietnam are the same people who are discipline and determine to fight the intruders. It will take time before the next generation can change the way they think. Be patient.

My brother-in-law was banned couple years ago to return to Vietnam because he ran an anti Vietnamese government magazine in French. Recently, Vietnamese government let him back to the country and he spent over a month to visit his relatives. Vietnamese people will always love the country no matter where we live in this world. It's our home. It's our land. It's where our ancestors scarified for our generation.  

Although Vietnam is still struggling, I'm proud to say that Vietnam is doing what they can and what's best for the country without getting help from others. As I'm getting older, I see so many Vietnamese qualities in me. I will always love Vietnam.