The Rehab Archipelago - Human Rights Watch

In correspondence with Human Rights Watch, UNODC’s deputy executive director noted
that “human rights principles, including those relating to privacy and client confidentiality,
were included in the [H68] training progamme.” A question on whether the training
discussed forced labor or “labor therapy” was answered “N/A” (i.e. not applicable). 334
Neither training manual mentions labor therapy or forced labor. Neither training manual
mentions the UNODC and WHO position that “only in exceptional crisis situations of
high risk to self or others, compulsory treatment should be mandated for specific
conditions and periods of time as specified by the law.” 335 While WHO and UNODC have
stated elsewhere that, “neither detention nor forced labor have been recognized by
science as treatment for drug use disorders,” that significant point is omitted from both
training manuals. 336
HIV-Focused Engagement
In 2009, adult HIV prevalence in Vietnam was 0.4%. 337 The HIV epidemic in Vietnam is
concentrated among people who inject drugs, female sex workers, and men who have sex
with men. 338 HIV prevalence among drug detention center detainees is hard to ascertain
with any degree of accuracy. One study that measured HIV prevalence among detainees in
six specific centers from 2000 to 2005 recorded rates between 30 and 60 percent. 339
Many organizations base their involvement in drug detention centers on humanitarian
grounds, with the stated position that external donors and their implementing partners
have an obligation to relieve the suffering of detainees and provide access for them to lifesaving
treatment. For instance, the Vietnam CCM’s most recent proposal to the GF notes
that the requested funding:
334 Letter from Sandeep Chawla, deputy executive director, UNODC, to Human Rights Watch, August 10, 2011.
335 UNODC/WHO, “Principles of Drug Dependency Treatment,” p.9.
336 Ibid., p. 14.
337 UNAIDS, “Report on the global AIDS epidemic 2010,” p. 188,
http://www.unaids.org/globalreport/Global_report.htm (accessed July 28, 2011).
338 Ibid.
339 “Does drug rehabilitation in closed settings work in Vietnam,” Duc T. Tran, presentation at Harm Reduction 2009,
Bangkok, April 21, 2009, direct attendance by Human Rights Watch researcher. Vietnam’s CCM stated that in 2008
the rate of detainees who were HIV positive was an average of 40-50 percent, although in 2010 it claimed that the
HIV prevalence rates of detainees was 15-20 percent. Vietnam Country Coordinating Mechanism, “Proposal Form-
Round 8,” 2008, p. 30; Vietnam Country Coordinating Mechanism, “Proposal Form- Round 10,” 2010, p.21.
91 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2011