Germany Alarmed by Detention of Vietnam Climate Activist, Warns on Coal Phase-Out Pact With Hanoi

BERLIN (AP) The German government said Wednesday that it is concerned by the recent detention of a prominent environmental campaigner in Vietnam, warning that a recent multi-billion-dollar deal to help the country phase out coal use requires the involvement of civil society activists.

Hoang Thi Minh Hong was detained by police in Ho Chi Minh City last week and held on a temporary order charged with tax evasion, the United Nations Human Rights Office said, citing credible sources. It said Hoang is the fifth prominent environmental activist arrested in Vietnam for alleged tax evasion in the last two years.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said the arrests of Hoang and others are an alarming signal for civil society actors across the country, as well as for environmental and climate protection.