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Media persons wait in line for a security check before the start of the opening session of the National Party Congress, in Hanoi, Vietnam, 26 January 2021, MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images In the weeks leading up to the Congress, courts handed down several lengthy sentences to individuals based on their online activities.
This statement was originally published on article19.org on 25 January 2021.
Vietnam has escalated its attack on online freedom of expression in advance of the national Communist Party Congress, which opens today, said ARTICLE 19. In recent weeks the Vietnamese government has imprisoned individuals for online activities and in recent years has enacted new laws and policies restricting online freedoms. Any new leadership emerging from the Congress should take immediate steps to reverse this trend.
Thailand: Record-breaking lèse-majesté sentence highlights need for legal reform
The conviction and sentencing of a 65-year-old woman said to have insulted the Thai monarchy is a shocking attack on human rights, said ARTICLE 19. The Thai government should reverse course and end a recent surge in the use of Thailand’s draconian
lèse-majesté provision to target peaceful protesters and those expressing critical opinions.
On 19 January, the Bangkok Criminal Court convicted Anchan Preelert, a retired civil servant, to 87 years’ imprisonment under Thailand’s draconian
lèse-majesté provision, codified in Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. The provision provides for up to 15 years’ imprisonment for each offence. Anchan was accused of re-posting 29 video clips and posts concerning the monarchy on YouTube and Facebook. The Court reduced the sentence to 43-and-a-half years after she acknowledged her guilt.
Malaysia: Blasphemy provisions must be repealed article19.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from article19.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.