Vietnam intensifies crackdown on online dissent: Amnesty report

23 Sept 05:57 Key points summarised by AI

Amnesty International reports a nearly one-third increase in prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, intensifying a crackdown on online dissent.
A significant portion of these prisoners were jailed for posting anti-state comments on social media platforms like Facebook, which authorities view as a 'last safe space' for dissent.
The crackdown follows Vietnam's new cybersecurity law, effective January, which mandates local data storage and offices, raising concerns among global tech firms and human rights advocates.
Recent court cases, including two women sentenced to several years in prison for disseminating anti-state content found on Facebook, demonstrate the law's immediate impact on online expression.

Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package: Myanmar govt

Today 03:08 Key points summarised by AI

Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two gardening books, a sealed envelope, and diplomatic communication.
The event marked the first release of images of Suu Kyi in two months and saw Myanmar authorities describe her as a "special female prisoner" for the first time.
Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a 2021 military coup that triggered an ongoing civil war, remains under house arrest on charges that rights groups contend are politically motivated.