Vietnam has announced its
candidacy to join the UN Human Rights Council, basing its case mostly on the country’s
successful containment of COVID-19. However, when it comes to Vietnam’s own human rights
record, the government has done everything to curtail people’s fundamental
civil and political rights.
Vietnam has announced its bid to join the
UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the body’s 2023-2025 term.
The country’s foreign minister, Pham
Binh Minh, justified the application by saying that people’s freedom can only be
safeguarded if a country defends itself against pandemics like that of COVID-19.