VIETNAM (continued)
Comment by South East Asia Department:
The first half of the second sentence implies that torture is in fact an accepted practice. We would suggest a rating of 8.
(iii) So far as we are aware, slavery does not exist.
Comment by South East Asia Department: It depends what you call 'slavery'. In addition to the imprisonment without trial of anti-social elements, minor civil or political injunctions, or being out of a job, are used as a pretext for forcibly trans- porting people from cities to work on the fields in inhospitable areas. We would suggest a rating of 6.
ST
(iv)
There is almost no freedom of speech and the media are totally government controlled.
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(v)
(vi)
The judiciary almost certainly has no independence.
Trade Union organisations do have a voice in certain types of enterprise. There have been indications earlier this year of some sort of minor industrial actions (stopping far short of striking) by the miners, the most important industrial workers in Vietnam. However, there is no 'collective bargaining' as we know it.
Comment by South East Asia Department:
In our view there is no trade union freedom. We would suggest a rating of 10.
(vii) In order to leave the country it is necessary
to obtain an exit visa, which is granted solely on the 'merits' of the case by the authorities.
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