Human Rights Watch Urges EU to Confront President To Lam

Human Rights Watch is urging leaders of the European Union, Belgium, and Denmark to demand concrete human rights improvements from To Lam, the President of Vietnam, during his official visit to Copenhagen and Brussels from October 19-24, 2026.

In letters addressed to the prime ministers of Denmark and Belgium and the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, the organization highlighted Vietnam's failure to meet reform pledges established in a 2020 free trade agreement. Specifically, the group noted that Vietnam has not ratified International Labour Organization Convention No. 87. Human Rights Watch reports that the Vietnamese government holds at least 160 political prisoners and has sentenced 28 activists to prison in the first nine months of 2026.

The organization specifically cited the tenure of To Lam as minister of public security from 2016 to 2024 as a period of intensified repression of civil society and freedom of expression. This pressure comes after the European Union upgraded bilateral relations with Vietnam to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in January.