Vietnam denies having ‘prisoners of conscience’

Bloomberg

Vietnam denied that it held any “prisoners of conscience,” calling an Amnesty International report that said the Communist government is jailing more of its critics “unfounded.”
“Amnesty International has deliberately made repeated nonobjective, unfounded judgments based on wrongful information and false prejudices on Vietnam,” Le Thi Thu Hang, spokeswoman for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), said.
“This is an abusive, politically motivated practice, aimed to obstruct international cooperation and promotion of human rights in the world.”
Amnesty, in a report released, said the number of “prisoners of conscience” jailed in Vietnam has increased to 128 from 97 last year as the government implements a controversial new cyber security law. The group pressed the US to reiterate to Vietnam that closer relations between the countries will depend on progress on human rights.
“Vietnam upholds its consistent policy of respecting the
residents’ fundamental rights, creating favourable conditions for residents to execute their legal rights,” she said.