The legal framework regulating the Internet in Viet Nam is increasing. Many provisions are in breach of Viet Nam’s international human rights obligations. In November 2003 Amnesty International published a report detailing the cases of 10 cyber-dissidents considered by the organization to be prisoners of conscience. This report updates the ambiguous developments since then, and shows how the Internet continues to be a crucial tool both for both state repression and political opposition. It also indicates that the Internet has, despite a strict regulatory regime, filtering and self-censorship, developed into the primary public sphere for dissent.
