Although we are only getting started, we aim to progressively extend our coverage of countries around the world.
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Vietnam is a one-party state, dominated for decades by the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Although some independent candidates are technically allowed to run in legislative elections, most are banned in practice. Freedom of expression, religious freedom, and civil society activism are tightly restricted. The authorities have increasingly cracked down on citizens’ use of social media and the internet to voice dissent and share uncensored information.
Internet freedom remained restricted in Vietnam, as the government enforced stringent controls over the country’s online environment. Though the government did not disrupt connectivity or throttle Facebook servers as it had done previously, the state continued mandating that companies remove content and imposed draconian criminal sentences for online expression. A COVID-19 surge in late 2021 propelled government surveillance, and authorities have also sought to expand control over content on social media platforms.
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia,
with an area of 331,212 square kilometres (127,882 sq mi) and a population of over 100 million,
making it the world's fifteenth-most populous country.
Human rights in Vietnam are among the poorest in the world, as considered by various domestic and international academics,
dissidents and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW),
and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
While the Constitution of Vietnam officially provides for freedom of religion,
in practice the government imposes a range of legislative measures restricting religious practice
(such as registration requirements, control boards, and surveillance).
All religious groups must register and seek approval from the government.
The government requires all Buddhist monks to be approved by and work under
the officially recognized Buddhist organization, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS).