Vietnam jails rights activist for posting defaced flag photo on Facebook
The draconian sentence shows that despite the country’s sweeping social reforms it still retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism
Hanoi — The founder of a Vietnamese rights group was sentenced on Friday to two years and nine months in prison for spraying paint on Vietnamese flags and posting a photo of them on Facebook. Huynh Thuc Vy, 33, was convicted of “desecration of the national flag”, at a one-day trial at the People’s Court of Buon Ho town in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism. Vy’s lawyer could not be reached for comment. A court official declined to comment about the case, which was condemned by international rights groups. She was found spraying white paint on two flags and erecting them on a street in the town during the National Day holiday last year, the report cited the indictment as saying. The report said Vy posted a photo of the flags on Facebook with a comment saying “...
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