Singer Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi, voice of anti-regime dissent, has been arrested
Her husband lost contact with the artist after she arrived at Hanoi airport. Mai Khôi had gone to Europe to promote her latest album, " Bất Đồng" (disagreement). In a song, she pleads with the Communist Party secretary to grant the Vietnamese people the right to sing, publish, share and travel freely. There are 129 political prisoners in the country, arrested for criticising or protesting against the government.
Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agency) – Vietnamese singer activist Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi, known for her stand for free speech, was arrested yesterday in Hanoi after returning from Europe, her Australian husband, Benjamin Swanton, said.
Often dubbed a Vietnamese version of ‘Pussy Riot’ because of her activism and provocative style, Mai Khôi was among dozens of dissidents placed on the watch list of Vietnam’s Communist regime because of her strong words against the system.
Swanton said he lost contact with his wife yesterday morning, when the singer landed at Nội Bài airport in Hanoi.
Mai Khôi, who last year protested against US President Donald Trump’s motorcade during his visit to Vietnam, had not yet been subjected to a travel ban by Vietnamese authorities.
The artist had travelled to Europe to promote her latest album, ‘Bất Đồng’ (disagreement). In the song "Please, sir", Mai Khôi pleads with the leader of the Communist Party to allow ordinary Vietnamese people to sing, publish, share and travel freely.
In recent months, activists and bloggers have been targeted by a government campaign against dissent.
According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) last February, the South-East Asian country is currently holding 129 political prisoners for criticising or protesting against the communist regime.
Vietnamese authorities have rejected such a claim saying that the country has no prisoners for crimes of opinion, but only offenders punished for breaking the law.
Vietnam occupies one of the lowest positions in terms of press freedom in the world. According to Reporters Without Borders, it ranks 175th out of 180 countries in its 2017 index.
Dissidents suffer daily harassment, intimidation, police surveillance and interrogation and are subjected to long periods of preventive detention, without access to legal counsel or family members.
Many Catholics have also paid a price for their actions. Sentences against Catholic activists are frequent and harsh, as evidenced by the recent cases of Nguyễn Văn Oai (five years in prison), Trần Thị Nga (nine), Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (ten) and Nguyễn Văn Hóa (seven).
.png)
17/06/2008
06/10/2020 16:04
04/12/2018 17:06
18/02/2020 10:04
