Communist Vietnam Arrests Catholic Blogger

Facing 20 years in prison

10.26.2016

Every so often, the government of Vietnam lifts up its mask to reveal that it's still actually Communist, though with a slightly more friendly face. Still, a tiger never changes stripes.

From ChurchMilitant:

Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, known by the blog name Mother Mushroom, was arrested on the morning of October 10 in Nha Trang. Quỳnh was walking an elderly woman to visit her son when security forces arrested Quỳnh and raided her home later the same morning.

Quỳnh is being charged with "conducting propaganda" in the Communist nation. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, High Commissioner of the UN Civil Rights Commission, criticized the arrest and cited 'similar cases,' where activists Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thu Ha were arrested last year for similarcrimes.

The Vietnamese government has been systematically harassing the blogger and has known of her activism for some time, according to Amnesty USA. Should they convict her, the mother of two children could face up to 20 years in prison.

The chairman of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, Dr. Pham Chi Dung, has deemed the arrest of Mother Mushroom as yet another sign of Vietnam's continued rollback on human rights, which also include fines of up to $4,740 for criticizing the regime on social media.

Of course, these Draconian measures all stem from America's withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1975 after Democrats halted funds to their military defense, resulting in the fall of Saigon and total Communist control of Southeast Asia. Had South Vietnam been adequately defended, the country may somewhat resemble the likes of South Korea at this point in history – religious freedom, vibrant economy, etc.

For better insight, watch the Prager U video on the subject or read Bruce Herschensohn's nail-biting page turner "An American Amnesia."