Democracy Alert: Growing Repression in Vietnam

The World Movement for Democracy expresses its concern about the recent and growing number of violations of human rights in Vietnam. Since February there has been an evident increase in state repression of individuals who are involved in religious, human rights, and/or pro-democracy work. The arrests and interrogations violate international standards of human rights and Vietnam’s own Constitution, which upholds human rights for the citizens of Vietnam in the political, civic, economic, cultural, and social realms. (www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/learn_about_vietnam/politics/constitution/chapter_five/)

Individuals who have been arrested, detained, or interrogated since February include the following:
- Buddhist youth leader Le Cong Cau’s house in Hue was surrounded on March 17 and he has been forbidden to leave since then;
- Human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan were arrested in Hanoi on March 6 and charged under article 88 of the criminal code, which bans propaganda against the government;
- Democracy activists Bach Ngoc Duong and Pham Van Coi were arrested in February;
- Human rights and democracy activist and Catholic priest Father Nguyen Van Ly’s house was raided and his computers, phones, and documents were seized on February 18, and he was subsequently charged under article 88 of the criminal code, which bans propaganda against the government;
- Head of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam Youth Commission Thich Thien Minh has been accused of activities opposing the government and was summoned for interrogations on March 19;
- Vietnam Progression Party members Nguyen Binh Thanh and Hoang Thi Dao were arrested in February;
- Lawyer Le Quoc Quan was arrested on March 8 and charged under article 79 of the criminal code, which bans “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government”; and
- Buddhist monk Thich Chi Thang was detained on March 16 for interrogation.
Moreover, Buddhist dissident Thich Huyen Quang, Patriarch of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, and the UBCV’s Deputy Leader Thich Quang Do are both under house arrest. (They have both spent over 25 years in detention for their non-violent advocacy of religious freedom, human rights, and democracy). Thich Quang Do is held in isolation at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery, deprived of the right to preach, communicate or travel, and forbidden to receive visits. He was denied the right to travel to Norway in November 2006 to receive the Rafto Human Rights Award, and representatives of the Rafto Foundation were arrested on March 15, 2007 when they came to Vietnam to hand him the Rafto Diploma.

In April 2006, at the Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, the World Movement for Democracy paid tribute to Vietnamese democracy activists. The WMD recognized two particularly heroic figures: Hoang Minh Chinh, a former high-ranking member of the Communist Party, and Buddhist dissident Thich Quang Do, Deputy Leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, who has spent over 25 years in detention for his non-violent advocacy of religious freedom, human rights, and democracy. Even from prison, these men and many others like them from both the secular and religious communities have courageously disseminated messages defending human rights, increased pluralism, and the rule of law in Vietnam.

The following are statements and reports issued by various individuals and organizations concerning the growing repression and recent human rights violations in Vietnam:
Committee to Protect Journalists: www.cpj.org/news/2007/asia/vietnam06mar07na.html
US Congressman Chris Smith: www.house.gov/list/press/nj04_smith/vietnamhrpresser.html
Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/03/09/vietna15466.htm
International Buddhist Information Bureau: www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=775
www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=772
www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=768
www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=760
Radio Free Asia: www.rfa.org/english/news/2007/03/16/vietnam_buddhist
Rafto Foundation (Norway):
www.rafto.no/DesktopModules/ViewAnnouncement.aspx?ItemID=275&Mid=42
Voice of America: www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-14-voa91.cfm www.voanews.com/english/2007-03-15-voa78.cfm
World Movement for Democracy: www.wmd.org/fourth_assembly/istanbulReport.pdf (Full Report on World Movement's Istanbul Assembly; see p. 8.)