Drilled
In Vietnam, Tax Evasion Charges Help Lock Up Climate Activists
Sep 11, 2023
The podcast explores the use of trumped-up tax evasion charges in Vietnam to suppress civil society groups and imprison climate activists. It discusses the political motives behind the charges, the impact on open debate, and President Biden's visit. The chapters cover the imprisonment of activists, the lack of democratic control in Vietnam, the criminalization of climate activism, and the alarming increase in human rights abuses.
23:09
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Climate activists in Vietnam are being imprisoned through false tax evasion charges as a method to suppress civil society and limit citizen participation in politics.
- The Vietnamese Communist Party's crackdown on climate activists and human rights abuses undermines commitments to a just energy transition and underscores the need for climate negotiators to incorporate human rights considerations.
Deep dives
Environmental Activist Hong-Wei-ti Wins Goldman Prize and Faces Political Persecution in Vietnam
Hong-Wei-ti, a Vietnamese activist, won the prestigious Goldman Prize in 2018 for her work in convincing the government to exclude a massive coal build-out in its energy blueprint for Hanhoye. However, she and four other prominent environmental activists have been arrested and imprisoned for false tax evasion charges since 2021. This crackdown on climate activists reflects a broader trend of criminalization of policy activism and civil society movements under the hardline faction of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Their arrests are seen as a response to the activists' success in advocating for progressive climate policies, challenging the party's monopoly on policy making.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
