"I am trying to pass this life day by day, but I don't know how long I can stand it." Nothing relates to nothing," said Dinh Hoang Thang, Vietnam's former ambassador to the Netherlands, when asked if the recent judicial action against dissidents stemmed from the Trump administration's indifference to human rights. Two activists, including high-profile human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and his colleague Le Thu Ha, were charged on July 30 with attempting to "overthrow" the government. These dissidents are known for their activities protesting China's maritime claims in the South China Sea, Vietnam's human rights record and perceived state indifference to environmentalism. Vietnam denied any link between Trump and the recent crackdown on dissidents at an August 3 government press conference in Hanoi.

Source: The China Post August 08, 2017 05:26 UTC