The Rehab Archipelago - Human Rights Watch

Some centers implement what are termed “collective therapy” classes. 253 Cua Lo spent 18
months in Center No. 5 in Dak Nong province. He explains that the content of the classes in
his center involved the portrayal of drugs as a “social evil.”
They talked to us a lot about the evils of drug use, how it got more serious
with time, and how people with addictions spent more and more money
and then robbed people. We sometimes shouted slogans, maybe once
every few months. Usually we just worked. 254
Huong Son, who was released in late 2009, told Human Rights Watch that marching while
chanting slogans was the only attempt at drug dependency treatment at Phuoc Binh.
No treatment for the disease of addiction was available there. Once a
month or so we marched around for a couple of hours chanting slogans. 255
Thai Hoa related that morning exercises at his center involved shouting the slogan “Try
your best to quit drugs!” three times. 256 Similarly, Kinh Mon explained he had to shout
“Healthy! Healthy! Healthy!” while performing morning exercises. 257
Legal Principles
The right to health includes the principle of treatment following informed consent. Article
12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights addresses the
right to health which the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights deems to
include “the right to be free from ... non-consensual medical treatment and
experimentation.” 258
253 According to law, “collective therapy” classes include: “Arranging for drug addicts to study about morality, life
styles, citizen rights and responsibilities, learning about the Drugs Law as well as other legal documents, enforcing
a healthy way of behavior and living free from drugs.” Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Health, Interministrial
Circular No. 41/2004/TTLT/BLDTBXH-BYT dated December 31, 2010, art. 5 [translation by Human Rights Watch].
254 Human Rights Watch interview with Cua Lo, Ho Chi Minh City, 2010.
255 Human Rights Watch interview with Huong Son, Ho Chi Minh City, 2010 .
256 Human Rights Watch interview with Thai Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, 2010.
257 Human Rights Watch interview with Kinh Mon, Ho Chi Minh City, 2010.
258 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), adopted December 16, 1966, G.A.
Res. 2200 A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 49, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1996), 993 U.N.T.S. 3, entered into
force January 3 1976, accede to by Vietnam on September 24, 1982. The Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights is the U.N. body responsible for monitoring compliance with the ICESCR. U.N. Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 14: The right to the highest attainable standard of
health, UN Doc. E/C.12/2000/4, adopted August 11, 2000, para. 34.
71 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2011