Political activists muzzled in Vietnam during visit by President Obama

• Several activists reported having been detained or otherwise barred from meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Hanoi.
• President Obama met with a group of civil society leaders and spoke to ongoing concerns over the suppression of free expression and assembly in the country.
• International human rights groups estimate more than 100 political prisoners languish in Vietnamese prisons, while most of the more than 100 who attempted to run as independents in recent elections were excluded from the ballot.

Read more:
“As Obama Presses Vietnam on Rights, Activists Are Barred From Meeting” (The New York Times)
“Obama prods Vietnam on rights after activists stopped from meeting him” (Reuters)
“In shadow of Obama’s visit, Vietnam cracked down on protests over dead fish” (The Washington Post)

(Image Credit: Kham/Reuters, via The Washington Post)