Vietnam faces US criticism for imprisoning critics AFP, HANOI Vietnam yesterday faced criticism from the US and rights groups after jailing three pro-democracy bloggers weeks ahead of the National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The run-up to a leadership transition later this month is a particularly tense period for the government as candidates jostle for power behind closed doors. In the past few months, the authoritarian regime has stepped up its crackdown on dissent and has arrested numerous critics. At a quick trial on Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City, three critics of the government who belong to the outlawed Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAV) were sentenced to jail for “making and disseminating information against” Vietnam.