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In 2020, a land dispute in the village of Đồng Tâm, outside Hà Nội, ended with thousands of police storming the village before dawn. An 84-year-old village elder was shot dead in his home, three officers died, and two of his sons were later sentenced to death. Six years on, as residents of Ba Vì fight Sun Group’s safari park, many Vietnamese on Threads are drawing the comparison. “Đồng Tâm version 2 is coming,” one user wrote. Others posted photos of the slain elder, Lê Đình Kình, and asked why villagers must now “kneel and beg for their own land.” Some of these posts have since been deleted, and pro-government accounts have flooded the comments calling them “subversive.” The comparisons come as authorities push to clear Ba Vì’s land by Dec. 8, despite weeks of protests and warnings from police against gathering. Read more: tinyurl.com/2s37u9we

The police ministry wants to change the law so that police officers, soldiers, and militia members who cause harm while on duty can’t be prosecuted, as long as they “properly and fully” carried out their responsibilities. The proposal is part of a draft overhaul of the Penal Code now before the National Assembly. Critics asked for clear, transparent conditions. The ministry replied that existing rules are already "strict" and that the courts would issue guidance “if necessary.” The draft doesn’t say who would decide whether an officer acted properly or whether victims and their families could challenge that decision. It’s not the first time the police have sought such protection. The proposal comes after years of cases in which people died in police custody or during police chases, including a high school student in Đắk Lắk who died in April after a traffic officer chased him into a ditch. Read more: tinyurl.com/yc6y5ehr

PRESS RELEASE: USCIRF Commemorates International Religious Freedom Day uscirf.gov/news-room/release…

📣 NEW: #FreedomOnTheNet 2026 is now LIVE! Global internet freedom declined for the 16th consecutive year, as governments erected new barriers to how people access information and express themselves online. Expanding internet shutdowns, growing digital isolation, and new restrictions on online access are reshaping the global internet. Internet freedom deteriorated in 16 of the 38 countries assessed, while just 8 registered improvements. Iran experienced the year's largest decline, joining China and Myanmar among the world's worst environments for internet freedom. Bangladesh recorded the strongest improvement for the second consecutive year, while Estonia ranked as the freest online environment. Authoritarian governments accelerated efforts to isolate their populations from the global internet. Iranian authorities imposed the longest nationwide internet shutdown ever recorded by Freedom on the Net, cutting off most of the population for approximately 88 days. In Russia, authorities expanded internet shutdowns and consolidated control over internet service providers, advancing efforts to restrict access to the global internet. New age-verification requirements are transforming how people access online spaces. As governments increasingly mandate age checks for social media and other online content, these measures are creating new risks to privacy, security, and online anonymity. Repressive governments have also sought to exploit such requirements to expand surveillance. Governments are grappling with the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. New measures to address AI-generated impersonation, harassment, and other online harms have advanced, but some have raised concerns about government overreach and restrictions on free expression. Political change has also created opportunities for progress. Bangladesh and the Gambia demonstrated how the removal of repressive leaders and sustained democratic reforms can help reverse restrictions on internet freedom, even as significant challenges remain. As the internet undergoes seismic shifts, protecting free expression, privacy, and access to information must remain central to shaping its future. Explore the findings, country assessments, and recommendations from #FreedomOnTheNet 2026: freedomhouse.org/report/free…

Starting in 1 hour: Join Freedom House for the virtual launch of Freedom on the Net 2026: Seismic Shifts on the Global Internet. You still have time to register, click here for more info: freedomhouse.org/event/repor…

Leaders of the European Union, Belgium & Denmark should urge Vietnam to make concrete progress in improving its human rights record during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to Copenhagen & Brussels the week of October 19-24. More from @hrw 👇 hrw.org/news/2026/10/19/eu-b…

🇻🇳#Vietnam: The state of #civicspace remains 'closed'. In recent months, the government abducted #humanrights activists - Nguyen Duc Thuan and Tran Hiep - from Cambodia. Critics have been targeted and there are concerns over increasing controls of the media and online #censorship. Police have also tried to silence residents from criticising development protests. More here: web.civicus.org/VietnamOct20…