Tens of thousands of political detainees and re-education camp inmates have been released, thousands of Vietnamese who had fled abroad as refugees have returned, and the government has shown an increased willingness to cooperate with the U.N. on human rights issues. At the same time, significant human rights problems remain. Freedom of expression, free association, and other basic rights are still seriously constrained. Corruption purges have been used, in part, to target party leaders advocating economic reforms while hardline conservatives appear virtually unaccountable. Vietnam's domestic media remains under strict state control.
Critics have few sanctioned outlets for independent expression.
Communication among dissidents and between them and the outside world is hampered by interception of mail, blockage of telephone lines, and suspension of Internet accounts. When dissidents do speak out in criticism of the Party or call for democratic reforms, they are subject to interrogation by officials and heightened monitoring of their activities. Instead they are subjected to less overt forms of harassment and intimidation, including surveillance and restriction of their freedom of movement or their ability to work. But the threat of imprisonment remains real for those who publicly challenge the Party's authority. The Party leadership retains a decidedly anachronistic emphasis on suppressing its public critics.