UNDER PRESSURE:

Vietnam frees dissident from jail (BBC, 8/30/06)

Prominent Vietnamese dissident and pro-democracy activist Pham Hong Son has been released early from prison.

Mr Son was jailed more than four years ago, after he translated an article on democracy and posted it on the internet.

The release was part of a general amnesty of more than 5,300 prisoners to mark National Day on 2 September.

The move follows diplomatic pressure from the US and other Western nations on Vietnamese human rights.

A series of crucial votes is due to take place in the US Congress on normalising trade ties with Vietnam, and President George W Bush is due to visit Vietnam in November.