Human Rights Watch Urges Canada to Confront Vietnam's President

Human Rights Watch urged the Canadian government to confront Vietnamese President To Lam regarding Vietnam's human rights record during his official visit to Canada on September 24, 2026. In a letter sent on September 22 to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Louise Arbour, the organization stated that the Vietnamese government failed to implement promised legal reforms, including the ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 by January 2024.

Human Rights Watch highlighted an intense crackdown on freedom of speech and association, reporting that Vietnam holds over 160 political prisoners. The organization noted that in the first nine months of 2026, Vietnamese courts sentenced at least 28 activists to long prison terms while police arrested 39 others.

Patricia Gossman, senior Asia associate director at Human Rights Watch, advocated for the immediate release of those detained for peacefully exercising their basic rights. The organization warned that continued human rights failures could damage bilateral diplomatic and trade relations between the two nations.