Human Rights Watch urges Canada to confront Vietnam

Human Rights Watch urged Canadian leaders to publicly confront Vietnam's worsening human rights record during President To Lam's September 2026 state visit. The group issued a statement on September 22, 2026, addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Louise Arbour.

Human Rights Watch said Vietnam's commitments to Canada had not resulted in improved respect for rights. It urged Carney and Arbour to make clear that failures to adopt reforms would harm the bilateral relationship, including trade. The group also urged them to raise the cases of specific political prisoners.

Evidence of ongoing repression in Vietnam

Vietnam continues to imprison activists, bloggers, and critics under laws targeting free expression. During To Lam's rule, Vietnam held more than 160 political prisoners under draconian laws criminalizing free expression and peaceful activism for human rights and democracy.

During the first nine months of 2026, Vietnamese courts convicted and sentenced at least 28 activists to long prison terms. Prominent bloggers Hoang Thi Hong Thai and Huynh Ngoc Tuan are among those convicted. Police arrested at least 39 other people in the same period for allegedly criticizing the government or affiliating with disfavored religious or political groups.

Patricia Gossman, the senior Asia associate director at Human Rights Watch, said, "The Vietnamese government’s intense crackdown on freedom of speech and association flies in the face of its human rights pledges to Canada."

Unfulfilled commitments to Canada

Vietnam's agreements with Canada in recent years included commitments to human rights reforms. The country pledged to ratify International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 on worker's rights by January 2024. The Vietnamese government had largely failed to implement legal reforms promised in its free trade and partnership agreements.

Historic visit shows diplomatic moment

President To Lam's visit to Canada was scheduled for September 24, 2026. A special flight carrying the Vietnamese delegation arrived at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport on September 23. Canadian Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu welcomed the Vietnamese Party chief and state president at the foot of the aircraft stairs.

This is the first visit to Canada by a Vietnamese Party general secretary and state president since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel stated, 'For Canada, this is a historic visit. We have never welcomed a Vietnamese Party general secretary and state president, so this is the first time in more than 50 years of Vietnam-Canada diplomatic relations. That in itself is a milestone.'

The visit aims to create additional political momentum to turn cooperation in trade, investment, defense, security, culture, education, science, technology, and innovation into concrete projects. Canada emphasized that Vietnam is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and Canada reached US$8.6 billion in 2025. The figure stood at $4.92 billion in the first six months of 2026, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam is Canada’s leading trading partner in ASEAN and its sixth-largest trading partner among 40 Indo-Pacific countries. Canada is Vietnam’s third-largest export market in the Americas and seventh-largest export market worldwide. Canada ranks 14th among 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

Over 20,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Canada, up from 14,000 in 2017. The Vietnamese community in Canada numbers around 300,000 people.

Human Rights Watch urged Prime Minister Carney and Governor General Arbour to raise the cases of specific political prisoners. Patricia Gossman said, "Prime Minister Carney should press Vietnam to immediately release everyone detained for peacefully exercising their basic rights."