Human rights defender denied entry into Vietnam
On 9 September 2018, Debbie Stothard, the Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights, was denied entry into Vietnam to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), due to be held from 11 September 2018. She has been deported to Malaysia.
Debbie Stothard is the Coordinator of the Alternative ASEAN Network (ALTSEAN) on Burma and the Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). She is a pro-democracy human rights defender who has been organising advocacy meetings and campaigns on human rights in Burma and other ASEAN countries for over 30 years. ALTSEAN Burma is a network of organisations working towards the strengthening of human rights, with a focus on women’s rights, business & human rights, democracy, and atrocity prevention in Southeast Asia.
On 9 September 2018, Debbie Stothard, the Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights, was denied entry into Vietnam to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), due to be held from 11 September 2018. She has been deported to Malaysia.
Debbie Stothard is the Coordinator of the Alternative ASEAN Network (ALTSEAN) on Burma and the Secretary-General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). She is a pro-democracy human rights defender who has been organising advocacy meetings and campaigns on human rights in Burma and other ASEAN countries for over 30 years. ALTSEAN Burma is a network of organisations working towards the strengthening of human rights, with a focus on women’s rights, business & human rights, democracy, and atrocity prevention in Southeast Asia.
On 9 September 2018, at 3 p.m., Vietnamese immigration authorities at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi denied Debbie Stothard access to the country. She was consequently arbitrarily detained overnight in the airport without any access to a lawyer. On the of morning of 10 September, the human rights defender was deported to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.
Immigration authorities justified her entry refusal on the basis of Article 21(9) of the 2014 Law On Foreigners’ Entry Into, Exit From, Transit Through and Residence in Vietnam. Article 21(9) allows authorities to bar individuals from entry to Vietnam on justifications such as “national defence, security or social order and safety”.
On 6 September 2018, WEF staff were informed by Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister’s Office that Debbie Stothard was blacklisted because of her human rights work. Debbie Stothard was travelling to Vietnam for the WEF on ASEAN, where she was scheduled to speak at a panel discussion on 13 September 2018.
The crackdown on human rights defenders in Vietnam has worsened in the past year, especially for those working on freedom of expression. Many have been unjustly imprisoned or arbitrarily detained for long periods before being given long prison sentences. Many also face restrictions of movement and are subject to surveillance.
Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the denial of entry and arbitrary detention of human rights defender Debbie Stothard, which it believes is solely motivated by her peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.
