HANOI (REUTERS) - Vietnam has jailed a third activist this month for anti-government posts on social media platform Facebook, state media said on Thursday (Nov 28), handing him a nine-year term for defaming the ruling Communist Party and the government.

Despite sweeping economic reform and openness to social change, the party does not tolerate criticism and its leader, Mr Nguyen Phu Trong, has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and activists since being re-elected in 2016.