Thammasat University's conferral of an honorary doctorate degree on the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has upset regional human rights defenders.
Nguyen Phu Trong, right, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, receives an honorary doctorate in political science from Noranit Setabutr, president of Thammasat University Council at Thammasat University yesterday. APICHART JINAKUL
Nguyen Phu Trong was awarded an honorary PhD by the university's faculty of science at a ceremony yesterday.
Activists within the region and in Europe signed an open letter saying the award was inappropriate in light of the intensifying crackdown on dissidents over the past year in Vietnam.
"How can a person like Mr Nguyen Phu Trong, who is responsible for the increasing number of human right abuses in a nation under the repressive rule of a mono-political party in which he is a top leader, be honoured by one of the oldest universities in Thailand that educates and advocates students to emphasise the benefits of living by the sufficiency economy philosophy, democratic values and social justice?" the letter said.
Mr Trong, 69, is on a state visit to Thailand, the first by a CPV leader since Do Muoi's trip in 1993.
"We fear that by awarding Mr Trong an honorary doctorate, Thammasat University will be seen as providing support to a politician whose words and deeds have proven to run counter to human rights and democratic values, and that the university may be mistaken by others as an advocate for repressive rulers and dictators," the letter said, urging the faculty and the university to call off the awards ceremony.
Vietnam has been mired in its worst economic recession since 1986 and is faced with escalating tension with China over maritime sovereignty disputes.
Mr Trong's opponents claim that in these circumstances Vietnam's record of human right violations has worsened, with crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations, arbitrary detention and severe prison sentences against dissidents and rights activists.