The government's human rights record remains poor. Police sometimes beat suspects during arrests, detention, and interrogation. Several sources also reported that security forces detained, beat, and were responsible for the disappearances of several people during the year. Incidents of random detention of citizens, including detention for peaceful expression of political and religious views, continued. .
For example, geophysicist Nguyen Thanh Giang was detained for 2 months for writing letters calling for respect for human rights. Prison conditions remained harsh, particularly in some isolated regions, and some people died as a result of mistreatment in custody. Prisons reportedly required inmates to work for little compensation and no wages. The judiciary was not independent, and the Government denied some citizens the right to fair and quick trials. .
The Government continued to hold a number of political prisoners. Although the Government amnestied over 9,500 prisoners during the year, it was unknown whether any political or religious prisoners were among them. The Government significantly restricted freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. The Government continued its longstanding policy of not tolerating most types of public dissent, although it made exceptions in some instances. .
For example, a number of persons circulated letters that were highly critical of senior leaders and called for political reform; these authors were subjected to close surveillance by public security forces.
The Government continued to hold back basic political and some religious freedoms. Although the Vietnamese Communist Party continued its efforts to change internal debate and to allow a method for citizens to ask the Government with complaints the Government continued to deny citizens the right to change their government. There were credible reports that security officials beat detainees.
