Ngo Thi To Nhien’s detainment raises eyebrows, especially given her history with UN and US agencies
27 September 2023 - 08:34
by Agency Staff
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Hanoi — The UN human rights office has expressed concern about the arrest of a Vietnamese green energy expert, who had worked with UN and US agencies, just days after President Joe Biden signed business and human rights deals with Hanoi on a visit.
Hanoi police on September 15 detained Ngo Thi To Nhien, executive director of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET), an independent think-tank focused on green energy policy, Reuters reported last week citing a charity and a source.
“We are aware of the arrest and are following the developments with concern,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) told Reuters in a statement.
Nhien had worked for the World Bank, with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and with the US aid agency (USAID), according to her profile on LinkedIn.
She “has participated in international and national events, including consultations organised by UNDP on the topic of energy transition,” the UNDP in Vietnam confirmed in an email message to Reuters.
A state department official said Washington regularly calls on Vietnam to respect and protect human rights, but had no specific comment on Nhien’s detention and its timing close to Biden’s visit.
Over the last two years, Vietnam has arrested five environmental human rights defenders, accusing them of tax evasion, a OHCHR spokesperson said in June, noting the arrests happened while the country was negotiating international funding for an energy transition away from coal, of which it is a major user.
Nhien kept a very low public profile and was considered an expert, not an activist.
Vietnam’s government has not issued any public statement about Nhien’s arrest, and did not reply to requests for comment.
On Friday, Vietnam also executed a man, Le Van Manh, who had been sentenced to death in July 2005 after being found guilty of murder, child rape and robbery.
The EU had called to halt the execution.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said Manh had a strong alibi, which was disregarded.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
UN alarmed by green expert’s arrest in Vietnam
Ngo Thi To Nhien’s detainment raises eyebrows, especially given her history with UN and US agencies
Hanoi — The UN human rights office has expressed concern about the arrest of a Vietnamese green energy expert, who had worked with UN and US agencies, just days after President Joe Biden signed business and human rights deals with Hanoi on a visit.
Hanoi police on September 15 detained Ngo Thi To Nhien, executive director of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET), an independent think-tank focused on green energy policy, Reuters reported last week citing a charity and a source.
“We are aware of the arrest and are following the developments with concern,” Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) told Reuters in a statement.
Nhien had worked for the World Bank, with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and with the US aid agency (USAID), according to her profile on LinkedIn.
She “has participated in international and national events, including consultations organised by UNDP on the topic of energy transition,” the UNDP in Vietnam confirmed in an email message to Reuters.
A state department official said Washington regularly calls on Vietnam to respect and protect human rights, but had no specific comment on Nhien’s detention and its timing close to Biden’s visit.
Over the last two years, Vietnam has arrested five environmental human rights defenders, accusing them of tax evasion, a OHCHR spokesperson said in June, noting the arrests happened while the country was negotiating international funding for an energy transition away from coal, of which it is a major user.
Nhien kept a very low public profile and was considered an expert, not an activist.
Vietnam’s government has not issued any public statement about Nhien’s arrest, and did not reply to requests for comment.
On Friday, Vietnam also executed a man, Le Van Manh, who had been sentenced to death in July 2005 after being found guilty of murder, child rape and robbery.
The EU had called to halt the execution.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said Manh had a strong alibi, which was disregarded.
Reuters
Amazon nations rejoice after Ecuador’s Amazon oil drilling ban
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Green transition mustn’t compromise development, says Ramaphosa
GRAY MAGUIRE: SA bucks the trend of staying abreast of landmark US law
IDC doubles funding and profits in its latest fiscal year
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.