Don't deliberately 'politicize' tax evasion cases

Kim Ngoc DNUM_AEZABZCACE 16:00

(Baonghean.vn) - Some social "activists" and foreign newspapers deliberately distort the nature of tax evasion cases to infer and accuse Vietnam of violating human rights protection in terms of the environment. Such false arguments are unacceptable.

VOA Vietnamese has just released a document titled “UN expert accuses Vietnam of suppressing environmental rights defenders”. The document quotes Mr. Surya Deva, the UN’s special expert on development rights, saying: “The arrest and conviction of some environmental human rights defenders on charges such as tax evasion is having a negative impact on the willingness of independent NGOs to contribute to the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP)”. It must be seen here that VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva have deliberately distorted the nature of tax evasion cases to infer and accuse Vietnam of violating environmental human rights.

We are familiar with the trick of "politicizing" criminal cases and then attributing them to sensitive political issues such as democracy, human rights, ethnicity, religion, environment... to sabotage Vietnam by hostile, reactionary forces and ill-intentioned organizations and individuals.

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Dang Dinh Bach (born in 1978, Director of the Center for Research on Law and Policy for Sustainable Development - abbreviated as LPSD) received a 5-year prison sentence for tax evasion (August 2022). Photo: VNA

The above arguments of VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva further demonstrate that conspiracy, trick, and scheme. The tax evasion cases that VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva want to talk about here are: Nguy Thi Khanh (tax evasion of 456 million VND); Dang Dinh Bach (tax evasion of 1.38 billion VND); Mai Phan Loi, Bach Hung Duong tax evasion of nearly 2 billion VND and most recently Hoang Thi Thu Hong (tax evasion of 6.7 billion VND)...

In fact, these are criminal cases of tax evasion that have been investigated, prosecuted and brought to public trial in accordance with the law, with clear documents and evidence. In court, the defendants all admitted to violating the law, repented and regretted their crimes and hoped for leniency.

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Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Hong was sentenced to 3 years in prison for tax evasion by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court (September 2023). However, VOA Vietnamese has falsely claimed to arrest the environmental activist.

The truth of each case is very clear and transparent. Yet VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva have put forward false arguments, distorting the nature of the cases; deliberately embellishing and fabricating to create the defendants in each case as "environmental protection heroes". In fact, this is still the trick of "politicizing" criminal cases that hostile and reactionary forces have often used for a long time. From individual criminal cases, they turn the issue in another direction and then infer and accuse that "Vietnam suppresses environmental rights defenders"; "Vietnam prevents environmental activists"; Vietnam imprisons those who speak out to protect the environment"...

VOA Vietnamese and the United Nations special expert said that the defendants in the above cases were “suppressed” because their “environmental advocacy” activities were not true to the nature of the case, deliberately ignoring the truth, distorting, inferring, and fabricating stories to slander the Vietnamese government. The statements of VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva were excessive, ignored the truth, and had bad intentions towards Vietnam.

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An Giang Provincial Police searched the homes of people involved in a major tax evasion case in the area. Photo: File

The Vietnamese State attaches great importance to environmental protection. The 2020 Law on Environmental Protection emphasizes: “Environmental protection is a condition, foundation, key factor, and prerequisite for sustainable socio-economic development”. The environment is also an issue that the Communist Party of Vietnam pays special attention to with many specific viewpoints, guidelines, and policies throughout its leadership.

For Vietnam, environmental protection is one of the issues of special importance, great influence, relationship, interaction, and together determine the sustainable development of the country. The documents of the 13th National Congress of our Party continue to affirm the viewpoint that economic growth is always associated with environmental protection in each step and each development policy; taking the protection of the living environment and people's health as the top goal;...

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Environmental protection work is participated by all people in all regions of Vietnam with many meaningful activities. Photo: Minh Thai

Vietnam has always strongly affirmed its commitment to environmental protection, climate change response, green and sustainable development. In Vietnam, associations, groups, individuals, and non-governmental organizations are guaranteed to operate normally in accordance with regulations; at the same time, they must comply with and be responsible before the law for their activities.

The Vietnamese Government always encourages and creates favorable conditions for all individuals, associations, groups, and non-governmental organizations to participate in environmental protection activities to contribute to the country's sustainable development in accordance with the provisions of law. Collectives and individuals who have made positive contributions to environmental protection are recognized and honored by the Vietnamese State.

Ngày “Chủ nhật xanh” thực hiện dọn dẹp vệ sinh môi trường, trồng và chăm sóc cây xanh đã được các cơ sở Đoàn triển khai hiệu quả. Ảnh: Thanh Quỳnh
“Green Sunday” to clean up the environment, plant and take care of trees has been effectively implemented by Youth Union branches in Nghe An. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Although the tax evaders mentioned above have made certain contributions to the environmental field, tax evasion is still a violation of the law and has a negative impact on society. Like every country in the world, in Vietnam, only lawbreakers and criminals are arrested, detained, investigated and tried. There is no such thing as Vietnam arbitrarily detaining “environmental defenders” as reported by VOA Vietnamese and Mr. Surya Deva.

Putting on the cloak of “environmental protection” tax evasion to carry out political intentions, fabricating stories, accusing the Vietnamese State of violating human rights regarding the environment, and interfering in Vietnam’s internal affairs are unacceptable actions. Vietnam resolutely opposes, condemns, and rejects such false arguments./.

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Don't deliberately 'politicize' tax evasion cases
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