Vietnam Detains Energy Think Tank Director, Marking Sixth Arrest of Environmental Experts
In a concerning turn of events, Vietnamese authorities have taken into custody the executive director of Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIET), Ngo Thi To Nhien, on September 15. This disconcerting development signifies the sixth instance in the past two years in which environmental and climate experts have been detained by Vietnamese authorities, according to human rights group The 88 Project.
Notably, the arrest was accompanied by a police raid on the think tank’s premises and subsequent interrogations of its staff members. The reasons behind Nhien’s arrest remain unclear, as authorities have previously cited suspicions of tax evasion in other cases involving energy experts.
While details surrounding the situation are still unfolding, Nhien’s detention holds substantial significance, signaling potential restrictions on energy policy research in Vietnam. This crackdown could have implications for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a venture aimed at facilitating Vietnam’s transition away from fossil fuels with substantial financial support from the Group of Seven advanced economies, where Nhien was actively involved.
The German government had previously expressed concern about the detainment of an environmental activist in Vietnam, emphasizing the critical role of civil society activists in the success of the JETP initiative.
Nhien’s professional background includes collaborations with international organizations such as the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations. Vietnam, classified as one of the few remaining communist single-party states, has displayed limited tolerance for dissent, as evidenced by the crackdown on activists, with over 170 individuals facing house arrest, travel restrictions, or even physical assaults by government agents, as reported by Human Rights Watch in 2022.