A Show (and Tell) Trial in Vietnam
Time
By Kay Johnson/Hanoi
When Vietnam granted rare access to the trial of prominent dissidents, it may not have expected to produce the sight of communist officials slapping their hands over the mouth of a 60-year-old man — a Catholic priest, no less — and wrestling him out of the courtroom. But that is exactly what happened foreign journalists and diplomats saw in the trial of dissident priest Father Nguyen Van Ly and four other activists.
In Vietnam's highest-profile political case in years, the five defendants were found guilty of "conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic" after a raucous, half-day trial Friday in which the priest loudly denounced the court as "the law of the jungle." At that point he was hushed up and hustled out to follow the proceedings by loudspeaker in an adjoining room where he eventually heard his sentence: Eight years in prison for helping set up and publicize a small, illegal opposition party, known as the Progression Party.
Such harsh punishment of dissent is not surprising in Vietnam, where the Communist Party remains firmly in control despite 20 years of economic liberalization. What was new is that the court spectacle in the ancient imperial capital of Hue was so open. Politically sensitive trials especially tend to be held quietly and — perhaps — announced after the fact.
For the past several years, Western diplomats have been urging Vietnam's government to promote "transparency and rule of law" as essential ingredients for fighting corruption and fostering smooth business transactions. The same terms are often polite code for allowing democratic movements to exist as well. Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, says he's not sure what message Vietnam's leaders were sending with the open trial in Hue. "It's possible they were just trying to tell everyone that they are so strong and so confident that, yeah you can come into our trials, and they're phony and it's a kangaroo court — and tough luck," Adams says. "It's also entirely possible that somebody in the system considers this is a small reform in opening up trials, even if what happened in the courtroom isn't very pretty." If Vietnam says it's just following the law in its dissident crackdown, the open trial could be seen as delivering on pledges of transparency, too.
Vietnam's government routinely denies that it has any political prisoners, but only punishes "criminals." Technically, at least, that's true. Under the country's criminal law, Article 88 — under which Father Ly and his colleagues were charged — forbids "conducting propaganda" against the state, with penalties from three to 12 years in prison. Articles 87 and 89, respectively, lay out punishments of up to 15 years for "undermining national unity" and "disrupting security." Recently, Vietnam has been cracking down against a small-but-determined group of dissidents — collectively calling themselves Bloc 8406 — that have recently been using the Internet to disseminate petitions for multi-party elections.
The government's evidence against Father Ly was clear enough. Prosecutors said when police raided Father Ly's diocese office and several homes in Hue over the lunar new year in February, they seized eight computers, nine cellphones and 147 SIM cards as well as 200 kilograms of documents denouncing one-party rule. "Their crime is damaging national security and serving as a tool of overseas reactionary and hostile forces against the government of Vietnam," the prosecutor told the court. The defendants had no lawyers present, but at least one didn't deny the charges. "For the country and the people of Vietnam, I will continue to fight for democracy," said the Progression Party co-founder Nguyen Phong, 32. Soon after that, the audio feed from the courtroom was abruptly cut-off. Phong was later handed a six-year sentence. (Two other defendants were given probation and Father Ly's assistant, Nguyen Binh Thanh, was sentenced to five years.)
Human rights groups quickly decried the trial as an attempt to silence others in Vietnam, saying the sedition laws violate Vietnam's constitution guaranteeing free speech. U.S. Deputy Consul Kenneth Chern attended the trial in Hue and said: "We call upon the Vietnamese government to allow individuals to peacefully exercise their rights of the freedom of speech without fear or recrimination." Whether Hanoi is prepared to listen could be seen later this year: police recently arrested a pair of human-rights lawyers and Bloc 8406 supporters, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, who had organized training sessions for political activists in the capital. They, too, are charged under Article 88. It's unknown whether their eventual trials will be so open.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Dissident Catholic Priest Sentenced to 8 years in Prison
BEN STOCKING
Associated Press
A high-profile dissident Catholic priest denounced Vietnam's Communist Party as he went on trial Friday, March 30, 2007, accused of disseminating materials intended to undermine the country's government.
HUE, Vietnam - A Vietnamese court sentenced a dissident Catholic priest to eight years in prison for anti-government activities during dramatic proceedings Friday in which the priest shouted denunciations of Vietnam's Communist leaders.
Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced in Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Court on charges of disseminating materials intended to undermine the government, and communicating with anti-communist groups overseas.
Authorities said Ly, 60, is one of the founders of the "Vietnam Progression Party" and was plotting to merge with overseas democracy activists to form a new political umbrella group called "Lac Hong."
"Down with the Communist Party of Vietnam!" Ly shouted when he was first brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, along with four co-defendants.
It was a striking outburst of defiance in a country where dissent is harshly punished.
A police officer quickly covered Ly's mouth, and removed him to a nearby room where the proceedings were broadcast on a loudspeaker. Ly was later brought back, but he refused to answer prosecutors' charges against him, declaring "The Communists use the law of the jungle!" before being removed again.
"Father Ly turned his bedroom into the headquarters of political parties opposing the government," one of the prosecutors said during sentencing arguments. "His actions were extremely dangerous and violated national security.
"Authorities allowed limited press coverage of the trial, a highly unusual move in a country where judicial proceedings against political defendants are typically conducted behind closed doors. About a dozen reporters and foreign diplomats watched the proceedings on a closed-circuit television in a separate room of the courthouse.
The sound was cut briefly when Ly shouted.
Last month, authorities moved Ly from his home in the central city of Hue, where he was under virtual house arrest, and took him to a smaller parish outside the city.
They seized hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 mobile phone cards, and much of that evidence was on display at the front of the courtroom on Friday.
The court sentenced four co-defendants who were accused of being Ly's accomplices.Ly's four co-defendants stood and identified themselves at the start of proceedings Friday, while he defiantly remained seated on a chair.
Ly, has spent more than a decade in prison for his political activism and is one of the best-known members of Vietnam's small dissident community. In 2001, after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.Western governments and international human rights groups protested, and Ly was released early in a 2005 prison amnesty.
Ly's arrest comes as Vietnamese authorities have been cracking down on dissidents. On March 6, they arrested Hanoi human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The day-to-day freedoms of ordinary Vietnamese have increased greatly in the last 20 years, as the country has opened its economy and increased contact with other countries.
But the Communist Party still does not allow challenges to its single-party rule, and it is especially vigilant about efforts by Vietnamese dissidents to join forces with overseas pro-democracy groups.
Associated Press
A high-profile dissident Catholic priest denounced Vietnam's Communist Party as he went on trial Friday, March 30, 2007, accused of disseminating materials intended to undermine the country's government.
HUE, Vietnam - A Vietnamese court sentenced a dissident Catholic priest to eight years in prison for anti-government activities during dramatic proceedings Friday in which the priest shouted denunciations of Vietnam's Communist leaders.
Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced in Thua Thien Hue Provincial People's Court on charges of disseminating materials intended to undermine the government, and communicating with anti-communist groups overseas.
Authorities said Ly, 60, is one of the founders of the "Vietnam Progression Party" and was plotting to merge with overseas democracy activists to form a new political umbrella group called "Lac Hong."
"Down with the Communist Party of Vietnam!" Ly shouted when he was first brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, along with four co-defendants.
It was a striking outburst of defiance in a country where dissent is harshly punished.
A police officer quickly covered Ly's mouth, and removed him to a nearby room where the proceedings were broadcast on a loudspeaker. Ly was later brought back, but he refused to answer prosecutors' charges against him, declaring "The Communists use the law of the jungle!" before being removed again.
"Father Ly turned his bedroom into the headquarters of political parties opposing the government," one of the prosecutors said during sentencing arguments. "His actions were extremely dangerous and violated national security.
"Authorities allowed limited press coverage of the trial, a highly unusual move in a country where judicial proceedings against political defendants are typically conducted behind closed doors. About a dozen reporters and foreign diplomats watched the proceedings on a closed-circuit television in a separate room of the courthouse.
The sound was cut briefly when Ly shouted.
Last month, authorities moved Ly from his home in the central city of Hue, where he was under virtual house arrest, and took him to a smaller parish outside the city.
They seized hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 mobile phone cards, and much of that evidence was on display at the front of the courtroom on Friday.
The court sentenced four co-defendants who were accused of being Ly's accomplices.Ly's four co-defendants stood and identified themselves at the start of proceedings Friday, while he defiantly remained seated on a chair.
Ly, has spent more than a decade in prison for his political activism and is one of the best-known members of Vietnam's small dissident community. In 2001, after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.Western governments and international human rights groups protested, and Ly was released early in a 2005 prison amnesty.
Ly's arrest comes as Vietnamese authorities have been cracking down on dissidents. On March 6, they arrested Hanoi human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The day-to-day freedoms of ordinary Vietnamese have increased greatly in the last 20 years, as the country has opened its economy and increased contact with other countries.
But the Communist Party still does not allow challenges to its single-party rule, and it is especially vigilant about efforts by Vietnamese dissidents to join forces with overseas pro-democracy groups.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Dissident Catholic priest challenges Vietnam court
by Frank Zeller
A dissident Catholic priest defiantly shouted "Down with the Communist Party" as he went on trial in Vietnam on Friday with four co-defendants for spreading propaganda against the state.
Father Nguyen Van Ly, 60 -- who has already spent a total of 14 years in jail for his activism -- could face up to 20 more years behind bars if convicted by the court in the central city of Hue.
Police say he is a founding member of the outlawed "Bloc 8406" pro-democracy coalition, named after its April 8 launch last year, and a driving force behind the banned Vietnam Progression Party and another political group.
The other defendants all admitted to be members of the Vietnam Progression Party, one of several grassroots organisations to emerge last year in Vietnam, where the government controls the media and all political activity.
Ly's co-defendants -- founding committee chairman Nguyen Phong, 32, office secretary Hoang Thi Anh Dao, 21, technical advisor Nguyen Binh Thanh, 51, and teacher Le Thi Le Hang, 44 -- all face the same charge.
Authorities in Hue took the unusual step of allowing foreign media and diplomats into the courtroom for the first few minutes of the trial and letting them watch proceedings via closed-circuit television.
But the sound feed from the court to the media room was briefly cut after a gaunt-looking and handcuffed Ly twice yelled "Down with the Communist Party" before a policeman could cover his mouth with his hand.
Judge Bui Quoc Hiep reprimanded Ly, saying, "If you violate the rules for a third time, if you don't keep silent, we will ask the police to take you out of the courtroom." Ly was later moved to a separate holding area.
Phong told the court he had drafted the party's charter and platform, and written a "call for the establishment of non-communist political parties" in Vietnam, citing documents that have been published online.
The trial, set to last just one day, will be the first of several expected in coming months against prominent pro-democracy advocates, also including two Hanoi human rights lawyers detained this month.
Ly -- who has been jailed three times since the 1970s for peaceful activism against the state -- is accused of resuming his political activities after he was freed from jail in a 2005 amnesty and placed under house arrest.
He has in the past drawn the ire of the government by submitting written testimony to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Diplomats from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Sweden and Switzerland attended the trial in Hue, the former royal capital.
Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders called on the court not to impose prison sentences in the case.
"Father Ly's trial is a very important test for the credibility of the Vietnamese judicial system," said the Paris-based group in a statement.
"Vietnam's constitution protects free expression, but the Communist Party does not tolerate criticism. We call on the judges to adhere to the law and acquit the defendants."
Police raided Ly's residence on February 18 and seized computers, mobile phone cards, Internet connection devices and stacks of documents, and moved him to the Ben Cui parish, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Hue.
Computers, equipments and printers were exhibited as evidence in court on Friday.
Under article 88 of Vietnam's criminal code, which bans "propagating against" the state, he would face three to 12 years' jail if found guilty, or a 20-year sentence for "particularly serious crimes."
In coming months two other dissidents, arrested on March 6, are expected to be tried on the same charges -- Hanoi human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and his colleague Le Thi Cong Nhan, also a member of the Vietnam Progression Party.
Vietnam -- one of the world's five remaining communist-ruled states alongside China, North Korea, Laos and Cuba -- has been adamant that it will prosecute those who oppose the government.
"The Vietnamese constitution states that Vietnam has a one-party political system," Deputy Public Security Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Huong was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien daily last week.
"It's illegal if some people want to establish another party, not to mention secretly inciting other people to join their organisation and aim to overthrow the existing government."
A dissident Catholic priest defiantly shouted "Down with the Communist Party" as he went on trial in Vietnam on Friday with four co-defendants for spreading propaganda against the state.
Father Nguyen Van Ly, 60 -- who has already spent a total of 14 years in jail for his activism -- could face up to 20 more years behind bars if convicted by the court in the central city of Hue.
Police say he is a founding member of the outlawed "Bloc 8406" pro-democracy coalition, named after its April 8 launch last year, and a driving force behind the banned Vietnam Progression Party and another political group.
The other defendants all admitted to be members of the Vietnam Progression Party, one of several grassroots organisations to emerge last year in Vietnam, where the government controls the media and all political activity.
Ly's co-defendants -- founding committee chairman Nguyen Phong, 32, office secretary Hoang Thi Anh Dao, 21, technical advisor Nguyen Binh Thanh, 51, and teacher Le Thi Le Hang, 44 -- all face the same charge.
Authorities in Hue took the unusual step of allowing foreign media and diplomats into the courtroom for the first few minutes of the trial and letting them watch proceedings via closed-circuit television.
But the sound feed from the court to the media room was briefly cut after a gaunt-looking and handcuffed Ly twice yelled "Down with the Communist Party" before a policeman could cover his mouth with his hand.
Judge Bui Quoc Hiep reprimanded Ly, saying, "If you violate the rules for a third time, if you don't keep silent, we will ask the police to take you out of the courtroom." Ly was later moved to a separate holding area.
Phong told the court he had drafted the party's charter and platform, and written a "call for the establishment of non-communist political parties" in Vietnam, citing documents that have been published online.
The trial, set to last just one day, will be the first of several expected in coming months against prominent pro-democracy advocates, also including two Hanoi human rights lawyers detained this month.
Ly -- who has been jailed three times since the 1970s for peaceful activism against the state -- is accused of resuming his political activities after he was freed from jail in a 2005 amnesty and placed under house arrest.
He has in the past drawn the ire of the government by submitting written testimony to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Diplomats from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Sweden and Switzerland attended the trial in Hue, the former royal capital.
Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders called on the court not to impose prison sentences in the case.
"Father Ly's trial is a very important test for the credibility of the Vietnamese judicial system," said the Paris-based group in a statement.
"Vietnam's constitution protects free expression, but the Communist Party does not tolerate criticism. We call on the judges to adhere to the law and acquit the defendants."
Police raided Ly's residence on February 18 and seized computers, mobile phone cards, Internet connection devices and stacks of documents, and moved him to the Ben Cui parish, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Hue.
Computers, equipments and printers were exhibited as evidence in court on Friday.
Under article 88 of Vietnam's criminal code, which bans "propagating against" the state, he would face three to 12 years' jail if found guilty, or a 20-year sentence for "particularly serious crimes."
In coming months two other dissidents, arrested on March 6, are expected to be tried on the same charges -- Hanoi human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and his colleague Le Thi Cong Nhan, also a member of the Vietnam Progression Party.
Vietnam -- one of the world's five remaining communist-ruled states alongside China, North Korea, Laos and Cuba -- has been adamant that it will prosecute those who oppose the government.
"The Vietnamese constitution states that Vietnam has a one-party political system," Deputy Public Security Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Huong was quoted as saying by the Thanh Nien daily last week.
"It's illegal if some people want to establish another party, not to mention secretly inciting other people to join their organisation and aim to overthrow the existing government."
The Not-So-New Vietnam - Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
March 30, 2007
Vietnam's democracy movement will soon mark the anniversary of a ground-breaking manifesto and the birth of a major new pro-rights group. So naturally Hanoi is marking the occasion by arresting activists, five of whom are due to appear in court today. Vietnam's much heralded economic opening may be continuing apace, but when it comes to politics, it's business as usual for the Communist Party leaders.
This story begins a year ago, with Vietnam perched on the brink of World Trade Organization accession and preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. The government quietly eased up on its political opponents to enhance its international image in advance of the visit of President Bush and other world leaders for the APEC meeting.
The dissidents not so quietly took advantage of the opportunity. On April 6, 116 signed an open letter demanding an end to one-party rule and encouraging underground parties to come into the light. That was followed, on April 8, with release of a manifesto demanding basic freedoms for the Vietnamese people. We reprint excerpts1.
In the past year, the letter and manifesto have spurred a full-blown democracy movement known as "Block 8406." The message to the Communist government is clear: Vietnam may yet have a one-party government, but it is no longer a one-party country.
With WTO accession complete and APEC's foreign dignitaries safely seen off, the crackdown began in earnest on February 16, the eve of the Tet holiday. The government's harassment has hit members of groups such as the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, the People's Democratic Party, and the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam. A Protestant pastor, Nguyen Cong Chinh, and his wife reportedly were beaten by police before he was arrested. In some cases the dissidents were held and interrogated for only a few hours. Others remain in jail indefinitely. Some sit under house arrest. Many have "only" been threatened with prosecution. The whereabouts of several are unknown.
Hanoi's outrageous behavior has even touched the U.S. Le Quoc Quan was arrested on March 8, four days after returning to Vietnam following a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., where he pursued research on the role of civil society in emerging democracies. "It is a deep insult to the United States that the Vietnamese regime would harass someone in this way who has just participated in a citizen exchange program supported by the U.S. Congress and Department of State," president Carl Gershman says in a statement posted on NED's Web site.
The Catholic Church has also been hit. The February crackdown included the ransacking of the rectory of a Catholic priest, Nguyen Van Ly, 60, a founder of Block 8406. Father Ly has been relocated to a remote rural parish to await trial; he is among the five who will face Vietnamese "justice" today. The others, named nearby, include a 21-year-old woman, a teacher and an electrician.
Political repression is old hat for the Vietnamese government. But this latest wave of arrests is notable because it follows a year in which Hanoi has tried to present a "new" Vietnam to the outside world. And therein may lie what passes for good news in this story: Because Hanoi is increasingly sensitive to its image abroad -- and because it is seeking foreign investment -- the free world has considerable leverage. Experience already suggests that Hanoi is susceptible to international pressure.
In 2004, Washington's inclusion of Vietnam on its list of "Countries of Particular Concern" for religious rights abuses embarrassed Hanoi. The government curtailed some of its most glaring violations such as forcing believers to renounce their faith and banning house churches and even went so far as to sign an agreement with the U.S. in May 2005 in which it promised to behave.
As a reward, Vietnam was taken off the list shortly before the APEC summit opened last year.
World leaders are again starting to take an active interest in the plight of Vietnam's dissidents. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised the issue during recent meetings in Washington with Vietnam's foreign minister. A bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen has introduced a resolution linking ties with Vietnam to its "adherence to the rule of law and respect [for] the freedom of religion and expression."
In Europe, a group of Swedish MPs recently traveled to Vietnam, where they met with family members of some of the jailed dissidents. When a Vatican delegation visited Vietnam this month, the leader raised the case of Father Ly with officials. Rights activists in Europe report concern among members of the European Parliament in Brussels. About the only major international body that appears to be averting its eyes is the United Nations, where Vietnam stands nominated for a rotating seat on the Security Council for 2008-09.
This week Hanoi bowed to pressure on at least one front and announced that it will stop placing dissidents under house arrest indefinitely without trial. The tack had been a favorite of the government since it effectively isolated political troublemakers without creating the public stir of a trial. The new policy appears to be the result of outside pressure. A September government analysis reportedly noted that the practice "has shown many limitations in the context of recent international integration. "
The five democrats who go on trial today stand accused of threatening the Vietnamese state for demanding rights that citizens of free countries take for granted. Those dissidents, and all Vietnamese people hungry for liberty, deserve support from the free world.
REVIEW & OUTLOOK
March 30, 2007
Vietnam's democracy movement will soon mark the anniversary of a ground-breaking manifesto and the birth of a major new pro-rights group. So naturally Hanoi is marking the occasion by arresting activists, five of whom are due to appear in court today. Vietnam's much heralded economic opening may be continuing apace, but when it comes to politics, it's business as usual for the Communist Party leaders.
This story begins a year ago, with Vietnam perched on the brink of World Trade Organization accession and preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. The government quietly eased up on its political opponents to enhance its international image in advance of the visit of President Bush and other world leaders for the APEC meeting.
The dissidents not so quietly took advantage of the opportunity. On April 6, 116 signed an open letter demanding an end to one-party rule and encouraging underground parties to come into the light. That was followed, on April 8, with release of a manifesto demanding basic freedoms for the Vietnamese people. We reprint excerpts1.
In the past year, the letter and manifesto have spurred a full-blown democracy movement known as "Block 8406." The message to the Communist government is clear: Vietnam may yet have a one-party government, but it is no longer a one-party country.
With WTO accession complete and APEC's foreign dignitaries safely seen off, the crackdown began in earnest on February 16, the eve of the Tet holiday. The government's harassment has hit members of groups such as the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, the People's Democratic Party, and the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam. A Protestant pastor, Nguyen Cong Chinh, and his wife reportedly were beaten by police before he was arrested. In some cases the dissidents were held and interrogated for only a few hours. Others remain in jail indefinitely. Some sit under house arrest. Many have "only" been threatened with prosecution. The whereabouts of several are unknown.
Hanoi's outrageous behavior has even touched the U.S. Le Quoc Quan was arrested on March 8, four days after returning to Vietnam following a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., where he pursued research on the role of civil society in emerging democracies. "It is a deep insult to the United States that the Vietnamese regime would harass someone in this way who has just participated in a citizen exchange program supported by the U.S. Congress and Department of State," president Carl Gershman says in a statement posted on NED's Web site.
The Catholic Church has also been hit. The February crackdown included the ransacking of the rectory of a Catholic priest, Nguyen Van Ly, 60, a founder of Block 8406. Father Ly has been relocated to a remote rural parish to await trial; he is among the five who will face Vietnamese "justice" today. The others, named nearby, include a 21-year-old woman, a teacher and an electrician.
Political repression is old hat for the Vietnamese government. But this latest wave of arrests is notable because it follows a year in which Hanoi has tried to present a "new" Vietnam to the outside world. And therein may lie what passes for good news in this story: Because Hanoi is increasingly sensitive to its image abroad -- and because it is seeking foreign investment -- the free world has considerable leverage. Experience already suggests that Hanoi is susceptible to international pressure.
In 2004, Washington's inclusion of Vietnam on its list of "Countries of Particular Concern" for religious rights abuses embarrassed Hanoi. The government curtailed some of its most glaring violations such as forcing believers to renounce their faith and banning house churches and even went so far as to sign an agreement with the U.S. in May 2005 in which it promised to behave.
As a reward, Vietnam was taken off the list shortly before the APEC summit opened last year.
World leaders are again starting to take an active interest in the plight of Vietnam's dissidents. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised the issue during recent meetings in Washington with Vietnam's foreign minister. A bipartisan group of U.S. Congressmen has introduced a resolution linking ties with Vietnam to its "adherence to the rule of law and respect [for] the freedom of religion and expression."
In Europe, a group of Swedish MPs recently traveled to Vietnam, where they met with family members of some of the jailed dissidents. When a Vatican delegation visited Vietnam this month, the leader raised the case of Father Ly with officials. Rights activists in Europe report concern among members of the European Parliament in Brussels. About the only major international body that appears to be averting its eyes is the United Nations, where Vietnam stands nominated for a rotating seat on the Security Council for 2008-09.
This week Hanoi bowed to pressure on at least one front and announced that it will stop placing dissidents under house arrest indefinitely without trial. The tack had been a favorite of the government since it effectively isolated political troublemakers without creating the public stir of a trial. The new policy appears to be the result of outside pressure. A September government analysis reportedly noted that the practice "has shown many limitations in the context of recent international integration. "
The five democrats who go on trial today stand accused of threatening the Vietnamese state for demanding rights that citizens of free countries take for granted. Those dissidents, and all Vietnamese people hungry for liberty, deserve support from the free world.
Vietnam repeals detention practice
By BEN STOCKING, Associated Press WriterWed Mar 28, 3:02 AM ET
Vietnam has abolished a measure used to hold dissidents without trial, a government official said Wednesday. However, analysts said the move could prove to be largely symbolic.
President Nguyen Minh Triet signed a decree last week to abolish "administrative probation," used to hold people suspected of national security crimes, a National Assembly official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.
Analysts and Western diplomats praised the president's move, but said authorities still have ways to harass and detain pro-democracy activists who oppose the Communist Party's total control of the government.
"This measure has attracted the most criticism from human rights groups, and getting rid of it is a positive step," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
"But does it necessarily improve the ability of dissidents to operate in Vietnam? No."
The detention practice was first included in a piece of 1997 legislation known as "Decree 31."
It allowed provincial governors to impose administrative probation for up to two years on those who "violate the laws, harming national security, but not so serious as to justify prosecution."
Nearly 200 people are thought to have been held under the measure, including Thich Quang Do and Thich Huyen Quang, leaders of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
Vietnamese courts still will be allowed to impose house arrest on people convicted of national security crimes.
The government has recently come under increasing criticism for launching a crackdown on the country's small number of political dissidents.
Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly goes on trial this week, charged with undermining the government by trying to organize an independent political organization.
On March 6, police arrested and jailed Hanoi human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of distributing information harmful to the state.
Human Rights Watch said the three had been targeted in one of the worst crackdowns on Vietnamese dissidents in 20 years.
Vietnam first raised the possibility of abolishing administrative probation in August 2006.
State-controlled media last September quoted a government report as saying that "in the initial stage of the revolutionary regime, this measure proved to be effective to defend the regime, maintain political security and social order."
"Apart from the achievements, this measure has shown many limitations in the context of recent international integration," the report said "Some regulations of the decree did not meet the rights of people enshrined in the Constitution."
The United States, the European Community and international rights groups have frequently criticized Vietnam for jailing dissidents, but Vietnamese authorities insist they only arrest people who violate the law.
Vietnam has abolished a measure used to hold dissidents without trial, a government official said Wednesday. However, analysts said the move could prove to be largely symbolic.
President Nguyen Minh Triet signed a decree last week to abolish "administrative probation," used to hold people suspected of national security crimes, a National Assembly official said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.
Analysts and Western diplomats praised the president's move, but said authorities still have ways to harass and detain pro-democracy activists who oppose the Communist Party's total control of the government.
"This measure has attracted the most criticism from human rights groups, and getting rid of it is a positive step," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
"But does it necessarily improve the ability of dissidents to operate in Vietnam? No."
The detention practice was first included in a piece of 1997 legislation known as "Decree 31."
It allowed provincial governors to impose administrative probation for up to two years on those who "violate the laws, harming national security, but not so serious as to justify prosecution."
Nearly 200 people are thought to have been held under the measure, including Thich Quang Do and Thich Huyen Quang, leaders of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
Vietnamese courts still will be allowed to impose house arrest on people convicted of national security crimes.
The government has recently come under increasing criticism for launching a crackdown on the country's small number of political dissidents.
Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly goes on trial this week, charged with undermining the government by trying to organize an independent political organization.
On March 6, police arrested and jailed Hanoi human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of distributing information harmful to the state.
Human Rights Watch said the three had been targeted in one of the worst crackdowns on Vietnamese dissidents in 20 years.
Vietnam first raised the possibility of abolishing administrative probation in August 2006.
State-controlled media last September quoted a government report as saying that "in the initial stage of the revolutionary regime, this measure proved to be effective to defend the regime, maintain political security and social order."
"Apart from the achievements, this measure has shown many limitations in the context of recent international integration," the report said "Some regulations of the decree did not meet the rights of people enshrined in the Constitution."
The United States, the European Community and international rights groups have frequently criticized Vietnam for jailing dissidents, but Vietnamese authorities insist they only arrest people who violate the law.
Vietnam crackdown targets dissidents
By BEN STOCKING, Associated Press WriterWed Mar 28, 10:50 PM ET
For a short time last year, things were looking up for the tiny band of Vietnamese dissidents who dared challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power. They circulated petitions for democracy, organized online, even formed political parties.
Now the window has slammed shut.
In recent weeks, police have arrested two well-known human rights lawyers in Hanoi, and Nguyen Van Ly, one of Vietnam's best-known dissidents, goes on trial Friday. Ly, a Catholic priest who was freed from prison less than 2 1/2 years ago, is now accused of crimes against the state.
Human rights groups say that other, lesser known dissidents are also suffering a new wave of police harassment.
The crackdown comes against a backdrop of two decades of increasing personal and religious liberty for ordinary Vietnamese. Day to day, they have more freedom to live, worship and work where they like, travel abroad, buy imported luxuries and listen to whatever music they choose.
But one thing remains constant: The Communist Party brooks no competition.
"They do not like unauthorized political activity, and they won't tolerate the formation of organizations that the state cannot control," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Last year's thaw came as Vietnam prepared to host a Pacific Rim summit and stood on the threshold of joining the World Trade Organization.
Now, with the international spotlight gone, authorities apparently feel freer to crack down on those who don't toe the party line, according to diplomats, scholars and organizations that monitor human rights in Vietnam.
Very few of Vietnam's 84 million people seem eager to challenge the leadership. They have a long history of authoritarian government and tend to value stability over political freedoms. Most Vietnamese appear content that the economy is one of the world's fastest-growing, and two international polls find Vietnamese extremely upbeat about their nation's future.
Nevertheless, there are some signs of a new political assertiveness, most connected to corruption and land rights. The state-owned media was unusually aggressive in reporting on a corruption case in the Ministry of Transportation, and small groups have gathered publicly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, to complain that the government took their land without fair compensation.
As the late-November APEC summit approached, activists used the Internet to promote the 8406 Bloc — named for its founding date — and reported collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for a multiparty state. A handful of new pro-democracy parties were established.
Police harassed them, but unlike in the past, none was sent to jail.
Then things changed.
On Feb. 18, police raided the home of Ly, the priest. They took hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 cell phone cards before transferring him from the central city of Hue to a rural parish where he remains under virtual house arrest.
Ly, 60, is a member of the outlawed Vietnam Progression Party. His previous imprisonment, in 2001, came after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in January, 2005 along with other dissidents in an amnesty. Among those pressing for his release was Republican Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) of Kansas.
This time he is accused of trying to undermine the state because he was talking to overseas democracy activists about starting a political umbrella group.
As the Internet takes root in Vietnam, authorities are increasingly sensitive to contact between domestic and overseas democracy activists.
On March 6, they arrested human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The U.S. Embassy and European Union states have voiced concern.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," said Sophie Richardson, a spokeswoman for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The government says Human Rights Watch routinely distorts the truth and insists it only arrests people who break the law.
While politics remains a touchy area, religious freedom has increased in recent years; Ly was apparently arrested because of his politics, not his religion.
Conflicts continue between the government and members of unsanctioned faiths. But most ordinary Vietnamese feel free to express their faith; Catholic churches and Buddhist temples are typically packed with worshippers.
The United States recently removed Vietnam from its list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom. Vietnam is talking to the Vatican about establishing diplomatic ties.
And Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk exiled for nearly four decades, has visited twice in two years, drawing large crowds with his calls for national reconciliation.
But all this is scant consolation for political dissidents.
Shortly after lawyer Dai's arrest, one of his fellow dissidents abruptly cut off an online conversation with The Associated Press. "I have to go now," he said. "I'm afraid the police will come."
For a short time last year, things were looking up for the tiny band of Vietnamese dissidents who dared challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power. They circulated petitions for democracy, organized online, even formed political parties.
Now the window has slammed shut.
In recent weeks, police have arrested two well-known human rights lawyers in Hanoi, and Nguyen Van Ly, one of Vietnam's best-known dissidents, goes on trial Friday. Ly, a Catholic priest who was freed from prison less than 2 1/2 years ago, is now accused of crimes against the state.
Human rights groups say that other, lesser known dissidents are also suffering a new wave of police harassment.
The crackdown comes against a backdrop of two decades of increasing personal and religious liberty for ordinary Vietnamese. Day to day, they have more freedom to live, worship and work where they like, travel abroad, buy imported luxuries and listen to whatever music they choose.
But one thing remains constant: The Communist Party brooks no competition.
"They do not like unauthorized political activity, and they won't tolerate the formation of organizations that the state cannot control," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Last year's thaw came as Vietnam prepared to host a Pacific Rim summit and stood on the threshold of joining the World Trade Organization.
Now, with the international spotlight gone, authorities apparently feel freer to crack down on those who don't toe the party line, according to diplomats, scholars and organizations that monitor human rights in Vietnam.
Very few of Vietnam's 84 million people seem eager to challenge the leadership. They have a long history of authoritarian government and tend to value stability over political freedoms. Most Vietnamese appear content that the economy is one of the world's fastest-growing, and two international polls find Vietnamese extremely upbeat about their nation's future.
Nevertheless, there are some signs of a new political assertiveness, most connected to corruption and land rights. The state-owned media was unusually aggressive in reporting on a corruption case in the Ministry of Transportation, and small groups have gathered publicly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, to complain that the government took their land without fair compensation.
As the late-November APEC summit approached, activists used the Internet to promote the 8406 Bloc — named for its founding date — and reported collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for a multiparty state. A handful of new pro-democracy parties were established.
Police harassed them, but unlike in the past, none was sent to jail.
Then things changed.
On Feb. 18, police raided the home of Ly, the priest. They took hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 cell phone cards before transferring him from the central city of Hue to a rural parish where he remains under virtual house arrest.
Ly, 60, is a member of the outlawed Vietnam Progression Party. His previous imprisonment, in 2001, came after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in January, 2005 along with other dissidents in an amnesty. Among those pressing for his release was Republican Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) of Kansas.
This time he is accused of trying to undermine the state because he was talking to overseas democracy activists about starting a political umbrella group.
As the Internet takes root in Vietnam, authorities are increasingly sensitive to contact between domestic and overseas democracy activists.
On March 6, they arrested human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The U.S. Embassy and European Union states have voiced concern.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," said Sophie Richardson, a spokeswoman for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The government says Human Rights Watch routinely distorts the truth and insists it only arrests people who break the law.
While politics remains a touchy area, religious freedom has increased in recent years; Ly was apparently arrested because of his politics, not his religion.
Conflicts continue between the government and members of unsanctioned faiths. But most ordinary Vietnamese feel free to express their faith; Catholic churches and Buddhist temples are typically packed with worshippers.
The United States recently removed Vietnam from its list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom. Vietnam is talking to the Vatican about establishing diplomatic ties.
And Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk exiled for nearly four decades, has visited twice in two years, drawing large crowds with his calls for national reconciliation.
But all this is scant consolation for political dissidents.
Shortly after lawyer Dai's arrest, one of his fellow dissidents abruptly cut off an online conversation with The Associated Press. "I have to go now," he said. "I'm afraid the police will come."
Some liberties thrive, but communist regime allows no challenge to its authority
The Associated Press
Published: March 27, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam: For a short time last year, things were looking up for the tiny band of Vietnamese dissidents who dared challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power. They circulated petitions for democracy, organized online, even formed political parties.
Now the window has slammed shut.
In recent weeks, police have arrested two well-known human rights lawyers in Hanoi, and Nguyen Van Ly, one of Vietnam's best-known dissidents, goes on trial Friday. Ly, a Catholic priest who was freed from prison less than 2 1/2 years ago, is now accused of crimes against the state.
Human rights groups say that other, lesser known dissidents are also suffering a new wave of police harassment.
The crackdown comes against a backdrop of two decades of increasing personal and religious liberty for ordinary Vietnamese. Day to day, they have more freedom to live, worship and work where they like, travel abroad, buy imported luxuries and listen to whatever music they choose.
But one thing remains constant: The Communist Party brooks no competition.
"They do not like unauthorized political activity, and they won't tolerate the formation of organizations that the state cannot control," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Last year's thaw came as Vietnam prepared to host a Pacific Rim summit and stood on the threshold of joining the World Trade Organization.
Now, with the international spotlight gone, authorities apparently feel freer to crack down on those who don't toe the party line, according to diplomats, scholars and organizations that monitor human rights in Vietnam.
Very few of Vietnam's 84 million people seem eager to challenge the leadership. They have a long history of authoritarian government and tend to value stability over political freedoms. Most Vietnamese appear content that the economy is one of the world's fastest-growing, and two international polls find Vietnamese extremely upbeat about their nation's future.
Nevertheless, there are some signs of a new political assertiveness, most connected to corruption and land rights. The state-owned media was unusually aggressive in reporting on a corruption case in the Ministry of Transportation, and small groups have gathered publicly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, to complain that the government took their land without fair compensation.
As the late-November APEC summit approached, activists used the Internet to promote the 8406 Bloc ? named for its founding date ? and reported collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for a multiparty state. A handful of new pro-democracy parties were established.
Police harassed them, but unlike in the past, none was sent to jail.
Then things changed.
On Feb. 18, police raided the home of Ly, the priest. They took hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 cell phone cards before transferring him from the central city of Hue to a rural parish where he remains under virtual house arrest.
Ly, 60, is a member of the outlawed Vietnam Progression Party. His previous imprisonment, in 2001, came after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in January, 2005 along with other dissidents in an amnesty. Among those pressing for his release was Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
This time he is accused of trying to undermine the state because he was talking to overseas democracy activists about starting a political umbrella group.
As the Internet takes root in Vietnam, authorities are increasingly sensitive to contact between domestic and overseas democracy activists.
On March 6, they arrested human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The U.S. Embassy and European Union states have voiced concern.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," said Sophie Richardson, a spokeswoman for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The government says Human Rights Watch routinely distorts the truth and insists it only arrests people who break the law.
While politics remains a touchy area, religious freedom has increased in recent years; Ly was apparently arrested because of his politics, not his religion.
Conflicts continue between the government and members of unsanctioned faiths. But most ordinary Vietnamese feel free to express their faith; Catholic churches and Buddhist temples are typically packed with worshippers.
The United States recently removed Vietnam from its list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom. Vietnam is talking to the Vatican about establishing diplomatic ties.
And Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk exiled for nearly four decades, has visited twice in two years, drawing large crowds with his calls for national reconciliation.
But all this is scant consolation for political dissidents.
Shortly after lawyer Dai's arrest, one of his fellow dissidents abruptly cut off an online conversation with The Associated Press. "I have to go now," he said. "I'm afraid the police will come."
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/28/asia/AS-FEA-GEN-Vietnam-Dissident-Crackdown.php?page=1
Published: March 27, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam: For a short time last year, things were looking up for the tiny band of Vietnamese dissidents who dared challenge the Communist Party's monopoly on power. They circulated petitions for democracy, organized online, even formed political parties.
Now the window has slammed shut.
In recent weeks, police have arrested two well-known human rights lawyers in Hanoi, and Nguyen Van Ly, one of Vietnam's best-known dissidents, goes on trial Friday. Ly, a Catholic priest who was freed from prison less than 2 1/2 years ago, is now accused of crimes against the state.
Human rights groups say that other, lesser known dissidents are also suffering a new wave of police harassment.
The crackdown comes against a backdrop of two decades of increasing personal and religious liberty for ordinary Vietnamese. Day to day, they have more freedom to live, worship and work where they like, travel abroad, buy imported luxuries and listen to whatever music they choose.
But one thing remains constant: The Communist Party brooks no competition.
"They do not like unauthorized political activity, and they won't tolerate the formation of organizations that the state cannot control," said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Last year's thaw came as Vietnam prepared to host a Pacific Rim summit and stood on the threshold of joining the World Trade Organization.
Now, with the international spotlight gone, authorities apparently feel freer to crack down on those who don't toe the party line, according to diplomats, scholars and organizations that monitor human rights in Vietnam.
Very few of Vietnam's 84 million people seem eager to challenge the leadership. They have a long history of authoritarian government and tend to value stability over political freedoms. Most Vietnamese appear content that the economy is one of the world's fastest-growing, and two international polls find Vietnamese extremely upbeat about their nation's future.
Nevertheless, there are some signs of a new political assertiveness, most connected to corruption and land rights. The state-owned media was unusually aggressive in reporting on a corruption case in the Ministry of Transportation, and small groups have gathered publicly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, to complain that the government took their land without fair compensation.
As the late-November APEC summit approached, activists used the Internet to promote the 8406 Bloc ? named for its founding date ? and reported collecting hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for a multiparty state. A handful of new pro-democracy parties were established.
Police harassed them, but unlike in the past, none was sent to jail.
Then things changed.
On Feb. 18, police raided the home of Ly, the priest. They took hundreds of documents, six computers and 136 cell phone cards before transferring him from the central city of Hue to a rural parish where he remains under virtual house arrest.
Ly, 60, is a member of the outlawed Vietnam Progression Party. His previous imprisonment, in 2001, came after he openly called for linking U.S. trade with Vietnam to Hanoi's human rights record.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released in January, 2005 along with other dissidents in an amnesty. Among those pressing for his release was Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
This time he is accused of trying to undermine the state because he was talking to overseas democracy activists about starting a political umbrella group.
As the Internet takes root in Vietnam, authorities are increasingly sensitive to contact between domestic and overseas democracy activists.
On March 6, they arrested human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, accusing them of violating a prohibition on distributing information deemed harmful to the state.
The U.S. Embassy and European Union states have voiced concern.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," said Sophie Richardson, a spokeswoman for New York-based Human Rights Watch.
The government says Human Rights Watch routinely distorts the truth and insists it only arrests people who break the law.
While politics remains a touchy area, religious freedom has increased in recent years; Ly was apparently arrested because of his politics, not his religion.
Conflicts continue between the government and members of unsanctioned faiths. But most ordinary Vietnamese feel free to express their faith; Catholic churches and Buddhist temples are typically packed with worshippers.
The United States recently removed Vietnam from its list of the world's worst violators of religious freedom. Vietnam is talking to the Vatican about establishing diplomatic ties.
And Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk exiled for nearly four decades, has visited twice in two years, drawing large crowds with his calls for national reconciliation.
But all this is scant consolation for political dissidents.
Shortly after lawyer Dai's arrest, one of his fellow dissidents abruptly cut off an online conversation with The Associated Press. "I have to go now," he said. "I'm afraid the police will come."
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/28/asia/AS-FEA-GEN-Vietnam-Dissident-Crackdown.php?page=1
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.)
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.)
Vietnam Security Forces Threaten Family Members Of Christian Dissidents, Official Says
By BosNewsLife News Center
Le 26 mars 2007, par Aloys Evina,
HANOI, VIETNAM (BosNewsLife)? Family members of prominent Christian pro-democracy activists and other dissidents faced another tense day Saturday, March 24, after they were apparently threatened and harassed by Vietnamese security forces.
In one of the latest incidents on Thursday, March 22, in Quang Ninh province police « summoned » the brother-in-law of Tran Van Hoa, an active Christian and member of the anti-government People?s Democratic Party of Vietnam (PDPV) for interrogation," a key official told BosNewsLife.
The next day Friday, March 23, they repeatedly summoned Hoa and his wife to Quang Ninh police station « for further questions, » said PDPV?s co-founder Cong Thanh Do, also known as Tran Nam.
« They intend using family members to pressure Tran Van Hoa to denounce his democratic activities as well as to limit his religious practices, » he told BosNewsLife. « As a result, Tran Van Hoa?s family was asked to move out of Hoa?s brother-in-law house as soon as possible. »
DETAINED LAWYERS
Elsewhere in Hanoi, family members of two detained human rights lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan have been warned not to speak publicly about their case « for their own safety », said Tran Nam, who is in close contact with dissidents? relatives. The March 22 threat came at a time when Dai?s wife, Vu Kim Khanh, is under 24 hours surveillance to discourage her from speaking to international media and organizations, dissidents said.
Dai, an active Christian who has defended imprisoned Christians and other dissidents, was detained on March 6 with Cong Nhan, spokesperson for The Progression Party. Both activists have been held at Hoa Lo prison of Cau Dien village outside the center of Hanoi, without apparent contact with the outside world.
« Authorities have denied family visits [and] prison officials have refused to comment on Dai and Cong Nhan?s hunger strike status, » which they began to protest their detention, Tran Nam said. Vietnam?s Communist government has reportedly told many Vietnamese lawyers that they would « not be friendly » to anyone defending Dai and Cong Nhan.
Tran Nam said these are no isolated incidents. He recalled that on March 16, police in Ho Chi Minh City, which was previously known as Saigon, used family members of pro-democracy activist Do Nam Hai, including his daughter, father and sister, « to pressure him to denounce his democratic activities. » He has also been pressured to end his role in « the democracy movement, » Tran Nam added.
« WANTED » SIGNS
Hai, also known as Phuong Nam, is a well known leading member of The Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, a major umbrella group of dissidents. Elsewhere in Ho Chi Minh City police magazine allegedly posted « wanted » signs for activist Nguyen Chinh Ket, a leader of the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, on charges of « carrying out actions against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ».
Previously police reportedly raided his house and announced an order for his arrest to his wife and daughter. Ket has been traveling overseas to report on human rights conditions in Vietnam, and was in Denmark this week, after visiting the United States and Norway.
The latest developments came as a major discouragement for family members of two other key pro-democracy activists, Nguyen Bac Truyen and Tran thi Le Hong, who were detained last year. Truyen, a lawyer and central committee member of the PDPV has not seen his family since his arrest in December, Tran Nam said.
« No one from his family has been allowed to visit him at 4 Phan Dang Luu prison. To iincrease pressure on Truyen and intimidate his family members, police [also] harassed his business » in Ho Chi Minh City, with more than 40 employees, « until they were forced to close due to bankruptcy, » he added. « As a result his wife has [been forced] to abandon his case. »
FARMERS ORGANIZATION
Tran thi Le Hong, the founder of the United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam, has reportedly been without family support since her arrest in November in Ho Chi Minh City where she has been held at the apparently harsh B34 prison. « Police informed her four children that Hong was a drug dealer and to stay away from her or risk reprisal. »
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other advocacy groups have said that the current crack-down in Vietnam on dissidents and active Christians is part of efforts by the Communist Party to stifle democratic reforms while allowing some economic progress.
HRW said in a recent report that Vietnam?s government had been « emboldened » by the international community which allowed it to join the World Trade Organization. Christian and other groups have expressed outrage that the United States withdrew Vietnam from its list of Countries of Particular Concern regarding alleged religious rights abuses.
Vietnam?s government has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying it seeks closer ties with the outside world, including even with the Vatican. (With BosNewsLife?s Stefan J. Bos and reports from Vietnam).
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?article7758
Le 26 mars 2007, par Aloys Evina,
HANOI, VIETNAM (BosNewsLife)? Family members of prominent Christian pro-democracy activists and other dissidents faced another tense day Saturday, March 24, after they were apparently threatened and harassed by Vietnamese security forces.
In one of the latest incidents on Thursday, March 22, in Quang Ninh province police « summoned » the brother-in-law of Tran Van Hoa, an active Christian and member of the anti-government People?s Democratic Party of Vietnam (PDPV) for interrogation," a key official told BosNewsLife.
The next day Friday, March 23, they repeatedly summoned Hoa and his wife to Quang Ninh police station « for further questions, » said PDPV?s co-founder Cong Thanh Do, also known as Tran Nam.
« They intend using family members to pressure Tran Van Hoa to denounce his democratic activities as well as to limit his religious practices, » he told BosNewsLife. « As a result, Tran Van Hoa?s family was asked to move out of Hoa?s brother-in-law house as soon as possible. »
DETAINED LAWYERS
Elsewhere in Hanoi, family members of two detained human rights lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan have been warned not to speak publicly about their case « for their own safety », said Tran Nam, who is in close contact with dissidents? relatives. The March 22 threat came at a time when Dai?s wife, Vu Kim Khanh, is under 24 hours surveillance to discourage her from speaking to international media and organizations, dissidents said.
Dai, an active Christian who has defended imprisoned Christians and other dissidents, was detained on March 6 with Cong Nhan, spokesperson for The Progression Party. Both activists have been held at Hoa Lo prison of Cau Dien village outside the center of Hanoi, without apparent contact with the outside world.
« Authorities have denied family visits [and] prison officials have refused to comment on Dai and Cong Nhan?s hunger strike status, » which they began to protest their detention, Tran Nam said. Vietnam?s Communist government has reportedly told many Vietnamese lawyers that they would « not be friendly » to anyone defending Dai and Cong Nhan.
Tran Nam said these are no isolated incidents. He recalled that on March 16, police in Ho Chi Minh City, which was previously known as Saigon, used family members of pro-democracy activist Do Nam Hai, including his daughter, father and sister, « to pressure him to denounce his democratic activities. » He has also been pressured to end his role in « the democracy movement, » Tran Nam added.
« WANTED » SIGNS
Hai, also known as Phuong Nam, is a well known leading member of The Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, a major umbrella group of dissidents. Elsewhere in Ho Chi Minh City police magazine allegedly posted « wanted » signs for activist Nguyen Chinh Ket, a leader of the Alliance for Human Rights and Democracy in Vietnam, on charges of « carrying out actions against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam ».
Previously police reportedly raided his house and announced an order for his arrest to his wife and daughter. Ket has been traveling overseas to report on human rights conditions in Vietnam, and was in Denmark this week, after visiting the United States and Norway.
The latest developments came as a major discouragement for family members of two other key pro-democracy activists, Nguyen Bac Truyen and Tran thi Le Hong, who were detained last year. Truyen, a lawyer and central committee member of the PDPV has not seen his family since his arrest in December, Tran Nam said.
« No one from his family has been allowed to visit him at 4 Phan Dang Luu prison. To iincrease pressure on Truyen and intimidate his family members, police [also] harassed his business » in Ho Chi Minh City, with more than 40 employees, « until they were forced to close due to bankruptcy, » he added. « As a result his wife has [been forced] to abandon his case. »
FARMERS ORGANIZATION
Tran thi Le Hong, the founder of the United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam, has reportedly been without family support since her arrest in November in Ho Chi Minh City where she has been held at the apparently harsh B34 prison. « Police informed her four children that Hong was a drug dealer and to stay away from her or risk reprisal. »
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other advocacy groups have said that the current crack-down in Vietnam on dissidents and active Christians is part of efforts by the Communist Party to stifle democratic reforms while allowing some economic progress.
HRW said in a recent report that Vietnam?s government had been « emboldened » by the international community which allowed it to join the World Trade Organization. Christian and other groups have expressed outrage that the United States withdrew Vietnam from its list of Countries of Particular Concern regarding alleged religious rights abuses.
Vietnam?s government has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying it seeks closer ties with the outside world, including even with the Vatican. (With BosNewsLife?s Stefan J. Bos and reports from Vietnam).
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?article7758
Vietnam: Getting Away With Murder (Human Rights Record is Abysmal)
March 26, 2007 at 09:55:59
by John Carey http://www.opednews.com
Despite many opening economic opportunities, Vietnam?s human rights record remains abysmal?.A situation the U.S. can clearly influence. Last November, the President of the United States, the President of Russia (Mr. Putin) , President Hu Jintao of China, and many other important heads of state and dignitaries visited Hanoi, Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC).
The Vietnamese communists used the opportunity as a gigantic photo-op of how much better Vietnam was doing on human rights and to celebrate Vietnam?s joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). In December, the U.S. House and Senate voted to grant communist Vietnam Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR).
By January 1, 2007, the communist government in Vietnam had again ramped up its abuses of human rights, by commencing a new campaign to isolate and persecute tribal peoples that had assisted the U.S. during the 1964-1975 war. According to Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups, the government of Vietnam renewed efforts to at least harass if not eliminate the tribal peoples of the Khmer Krom, Montagnards and Hmong Lao, and the Khmer Rouge. When Hmong refugees were chased out of communist Vietnam and Laos in January of this year, Thailand?s immigration officials dragged the women and girls crying and screaming out of their cell in the Nong Khai immigration center and used tear gas against the men and boys.
Amnesty International and other organizations got four countries, including the U.S., to grant asylum to the 152 refugees involved. Vietnam is also one of the world leaders in human trafficking. This mostly involves selling infants and young women into sexual usage and bondage. This is a state sponsored or at least a state allowed activity, according to the U.S. Department of State. Now the President of Vietnam is making himself ready for a business development trip to the United States. Last week, Vietnam?s Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem met with U.S. Secretary of State Rice in Washington DC at the Department of State. Although this was a ?private? meeting, reporters learned that Ms Rice asked Deputy PM Khiem to seriously consider the release of Mr. Nguyen Vu Binh, who is now known to be ill. He is reportedly so weak that he can no longer lift his five year old daughter. He is 39 years old. People who have previously been the guests of the communist Vietnam prison system told me he is probably being starved if not beaten to ruin his ability to think clearly and resist. Nguyen Vu Binh, a former journalist for Tap Chi Cong San (the Communist Newspaper?s magazine), was arrested in Vietnam in September 2002 after posting pro-democracy articles on the Internet. He was accused of ?spying? because he allegedly passed information to overseas pro-democracy Vietnamese groups through the Internet. There is no freedom of speech or freedom of the press inside communist Vietnam and email and the internet are monitored by government agents looking for ?seditious material.?
When the Secretary of State spoke to Pham Gia Khiem?s regarding Nguyen Vu Binh, Mr. Khiem?s ?body language was positive,? a State Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the diplomatic meeting was private.But Vietnam has made no promises, other than those expressed by ?body language,? regarding freeing Mr. Binh or making other human rights reforms. Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that Vietnam recently launched one of the worst attacks on dissidents in 20 years, arresting such figures as two prominent human rights lawyers and a Roman Catholic priest.
Several human rights advocacy groups have issued dire warnings about developments inside Vietnam since last November?s APEC meetings and Vietnam?s entry into the World Trade Organization. ?Obviously, it is good news that they are [thinking about] releasing Vu Binh,? said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. ?But there is a revolving-door quality to the releases and the arrests that the State Department should see through.?
This might be the time for the State Department to expect more from communist Vietnam than tricky shenanigans and positive body language. Before the President of Vietnam comes to the United States, the American people should expect a little more emphasis from their government toward Vietnam?s grim human rights scene.
John E. Carey is former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc. and a frequent contributor to The Washington Times.
http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/ John E. Carey is the former president of International Defense Consultants, Inc. http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_car_070326_vietnam_3a_getting_awa.htm
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Vietnam Watch News Roundup -- March 25, 2007
The departure from Vietnam, reexperienced - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-journey25mar25,1,5599521.story
Chung: Film connects generations in aftermath of Saigon's fall - San Jose Mercury News
http://origin.mercurynews.com/ci_5512343
Vietnamese Buddhist Leader Seeks to Heal Wounds of War
http://voanews.com/english/2007-03-23-voa9.cfm
Former Vietnamese legislator receives jail sentence
http://english.people.com.cn/200703/25/eng20070325_360756.html
Melbourne's Little Saigon
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21443989-5006029,00.html
Will urban growth trample Vietnam's charm? - CS Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0315/p07s02-woap.html
Jolie's Vietnamese tot's heroine addict mom could spell trouble for her
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/128248.php/Jolies-Vietnamese-tots-heroine-addict-mom-could-spell-trouble-for-her
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-journey25mar25,1,5599521.story
Chung: Film connects generations in aftermath of Saigon's fall - San Jose Mercury News
http://origin.mercurynews.com/ci_5512343
Vietnamese Buddhist Leader Seeks to Heal Wounds of War
http://voanews.com/english/2007-03-23-voa9.cfm
Former Vietnamese legislator receives jail sentence
http://english.people.com.cn/200703/25/eng20070325_360756.html
Melbourne's Little Saigon
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21443989-5006029,00.html
Will urban growth trample Vietnam's charm? - CS Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0315/p07s02-woap.html
Jolie's Vietnamese tot's heroine addict mom could spell trouble for her
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/128248.php/Jolies-Vietnamese-tots-heroine-addict-mom-could-spell-trouble-for-her
Friday, March 23, 2007
Vietnam Watch News Roundup -- March 23, 2007
Vietnam: Maltreatment Continues
http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=6485
Vietnam ex-deputy minister faces verdict over textile scam
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070323/wl_asia_afp/vietnamjusticetradetrial_070323061723
U.S. Maritime Agreement Could Boost Vietnam’s Economy
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=March&x=20070320173414zjsredna0.9395563&chanlid=econissues
Vietnam: World Bank Supports Poverty Reduction Programs For Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities And Remote Highland Communities
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-21727.html
Jolie's newly-adopted son Pax bids adieu to Vietnam, heads for LA
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/43145.html
Amnesty report spotlights desperate plight of Vietnam War tribal allies of US
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/23/asia/AS-GEN-Laos-Clinging-to-Survival.php
IT investors may leave China for Vietnam: Samsung
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2007/03/676650/
http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=6485
Vietnam ex-deputy minister faces verdict over textile scam
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070323/wl_asia_afp/vietnamjusticetradetrial_070323061723
U.S. Maritime Agreement Could Boost Vietnam’s Economy
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=March&x=20070320173414zjsredna0.9395563&chanlid=econissues
Vietnam: World Bank Supports Poverty Reduction Programs For Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities And Remote Highland Communities
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-21727.html
Jolie's newly-adopted son Pax bids adieu to Vietnam, heads for LA
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/43145.html
Amnesty report spotlights desperate plight of Vietnam War tribal allies of US
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/23/asia/AS-GEN-Laos-Clinging-to-Survival.php
IT investors may leave China for Vietnam: Samsung
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2007/03/676650/
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Vietnam rejects Human Rights Watch's ‘wrongful remarks’
Check out the following article. The Foreign Minister of Vietnam reminds me of the Foreign Minister of Iraq (remember the guy spinning to the world that Iraq was winning the war, and all we saw on TV were images of U.S. tanks rolling through Iraq and Saddam Hussein's bronze statue being toppled). You judge for for yourself.....
Vietnam Thursday rejected “fabricated information” from the Human Rights Watch, saying there are no political crackdowns in Vietnam.
The Human Rights Watch, in a press release this month, accused Vietnam of launching the so-called “crackdowns on dissidents.”
The remarks “fail to reflect the real situation in Vietnam, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Dzung told a news conference.
Dzung said Vietnam respected the rights to freedom and democracy of all citizens, but “never accepts the abuses of those rights to carry out activities that violate Vietnamese laws.”
He said Vietnamese relevant agencies recently started legal proceedings against people who committed illegal acts to provoke security and to sabotage Vietnam.
“These proceedings comply with the laws. These are normal and necessary measures to ensure national security and the community's common interest," he said.
"In Vietnam, there are no political crackdowns, no one is arrested for his or her political viewpoint, only those who violate the law will be dealt with in compliance with Vietnamese laws," Dzung stressed.
When asked about Vietnam's reactions to information on the activities of Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do, Dzung said they were leading their life and practicing religion as usual, they are by no means under house detention or probation."
Quang and Do were members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, which came into being in January 1964 in Saigon.
“Since 1981, the ‘Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam’ and other Buddhist congregations in Vietnam have unified into the "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha". Now the "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha" is the sole existing organisation of Vietnamese Buddhists," Dzung said.
Vietnam Thursday rejected “fabricated information” from the Human Rights Watch, saying there are no political crackdowns in Vietnam.
The Human Rights Watch, in a press release this month, accused Vietnam of launching the so-called “crackdowns on dissidents.”
The remarks “fail to reflect the real situation in Vietnam, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Dzung told a news conference.
Dzung said Vietnam respected the rights to freedom and democracy of all citizens, but “never accepts the abuses of those rights to carry out activities that violate Vietnamese laws.”
He said Vietnamese relevant agencies recently started legal proceedings against people who committed illegal acts to provoke security and to sabotage Vietnam.
“These proceedings comply with the laws. These are normal and necessary measures to ensure national security and the community's common interest," he said.
"In Vietnam, there are no political crackdowns, no one is arrested for his or her political viewpoint, only those who violate the law will be dealt with in compliance with Vietnamese laws," Dzung stressed.
When asked about Vietnam's reactions to information on the activities of Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do, Dzung said they were leading their life and practicing religion as usual, they are by no means under house detention or probation."
Quang and Do were members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, which came into being in January 1964 in Saigon.
“Since 1981, the ‘Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam’ and other Buddhist congregations in Vietnam have unified into the "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha". Now the "Vietnam Buddhist Sangha" is the sole existing organisation of Vietnamese Buddhists," Dzung said.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Vietnam Watch News Roundup -- March 21, 2007
Election code is at center of O.C. recount dispute - LA Times
- Who'll be the new supervisor is just one outcome; the other will be the addressing of state's mixed signals.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nguyen21mar21,1,7880436.story
Battle for supes seat in court - OC Register
- First District supervisor race moves to court today where Trung Nguyen has filed suit against the count that showed Janet Nguyen the winner.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1625936.php
Jolie leaves Vietnam with Pax – Access Hollywood
- Angelina Jolie and her newly adopted 3-year-old son left Vietnam in a private jet on Wednesday, en route to the boy's new home in the United States.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_en_ce/people_jolie_2
Vietnamese island guards a national treasure: fish sauce - CSMonitor
- The pungent, fermented nuoc mam sauce from Phu Quoc is a staple of the country's cuisine.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0320/p01s03-woap.html?page=2
US "to help build Vietnam's first nuclear plant" - AFP
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070320/pl_afp/vietnamusenergy_070320153852
Testing Vietnam's religious resolve - BBC
- The United States has pledged to help Vietnam build a nuclear power plant if the country switches to non-weapons-grade uranium in its test reactor
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6450273.stm
- Who'll be the new supervisor is just one outcome; the other will be the addressing of state's mixed signals.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nguyen21mar21,1,7880436.story
Battle for supes seat in court - OC Register
- First District supervisor race moves to court today where Trung Nguyen has filed suit against the count that showed Janet Nguyen the winner.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1625936.php
Jolie leaves Vietnam with Pax – Access Hollywood
- Angelina Jolie and her newly adopted 3-year-old son left Vietnam in a private jet on Wednesday, en route to the boy's new home in the United States.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_en_ce/people_jolie_2
Vietnamese island guards a national treasure: fish sauce - CSMonitor
- The pungent, fermented nuoc mam sauce from Phu Quoc is a staple of the country's cuisine.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0320/p01s03-woap.html?page=2
US "to help build Vietnam's first nuclear plant" - AFP
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070320/pl_afp/vietnamusenergy_070320153852
Testing Vietnam's religious resolve - BBC
- The United States has pledged to help Vietnam build a nuclear power plant if the country switches to non-weapons-grade uranium in its test reactor
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6450273.stm
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Journey from the Fall opens this Friday
"Jouney from the Fall" is a movie written and directed by Ham Tran about re-education camps and the boat people era, please spread the word about this critically acclaimed story that has NEVER been told before, and at its heart, this is a story shared by all refugees.
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL opens in Orange County, San Jose and NYC on March 23rd, and then rolls out to different markets every weekend. Buy your pre-sale tickets today!
Westminster / Orange County:
http://www.fandango.com/MoviePage.aspx?mlp_tab=critic&date=3/23/2007&mid=96438&location=garden+grove%2c+ca
New York:
http://www.theimaginasian.com/nowplaying/index.php?cid=900&date=20070323#100000621
San Jose
http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/camera/advance?v=2657&i=6448&dd=0
And please MySpace them, send a text to a friend, blog it, tell your family and friends in other states, or if you do one thing this month to support a worthy cause, make that one thing buying a ticket to JOURNEY FROM THE FALL.
www.journeyfromthefall.com
www.myspace.com/journeyfromthefall
SUNDANCE 2006 - OFFICIAL SELECTION
WINNER OF 12 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS INCLUDING:
Milano International Film Festival 2006 - Best Cinematography
Newport Beach Film Festival 2006 - Special Jury Prize
Amazonas International Film Festival 2006 (Brazil) - Grand Jury Prize
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival 2006 - Audience Award
Boulder International Film Festival 2007 - Best Feature Film
"movingly depicted" - Kevin Crust, LA Times
"Striking in its timeliness, unforgettable in its impact, this is a JOURNEY that must be taken." -Todd David Schwartz, CBS Radio
"A Post-Vietnam War boat people saga is launched to compelling effect" - Russell Edwards , Daily Variety
"a deftly directed movie" - Howard Feinstein , Indie Wire
"careful and intelligent story-telling" - Jonathan W. Hickman , Entertainment Insiders
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL opens in Orange County, San Jose and NYC on March 23rd, and then rolls out to different markets every weekend. Buy your pre-sale tickets today!
Westminster / Orange County:
http://www.fandango.com/MoviePage.aspx?mlp_tab=critic&date=3/23/2007&mid=96438&location=garden+grove%2c+ca
New York:
http://www.theimaginasian.com/nowplaying/index.php?cid=900&date=20070323#100000621
San Jose
http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/camera/advance?v=2657&i=6448&dd=0
And please MySpace them, send a text to a friend, blog it, tell your family and friends in other states, or if you do one thing this month to support a worthy cause, make that one thing buying a ticket to JOURNEY FROM THE FALL.
www.journeyfromthefall.com
www.myspace.com/journeyfromthefall
SUNDANCE 2006 - OFFICIAL SELECTION
WINNER OF 12 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS INCLUDING:
Milano International Film Festival 2006 - Best Cinematography
Newport Beach Film Festival 2006 - Special Jury Prize
Amazonas International Film Festival 2006 (Brazil) - Grand Jury Prize
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival 2006 - Audience Award
Boulder International Film Festival 2007 - Best Feature Film
"movingly depicted" - Kevin Crust, LA Times
"Striking in its timeliness, unforgettable in its impact, this is a JOURNEY that must be taken." -Todd David Schwartz, CBS Radio
"A Post-Vietnam War boat people saga is launched to compelling effect" - Russell Edwards , Daily Variety
"a deftly directed movie" - Howard Feinstein , Indie Wire
"careful and intelligent story-telling" - Jonathan W. Hickman , Entertainment Insiders
Interview with the wife of attorney Le Quoc Quan and Letter from VOICE
March 16, 2007
Tra Mi, Radio Free Asia
Following the arrests of Father Nguyen Van Ly, attorney Le Thi Cong Nhan and attorney Nguyen Van Dai, one more democracy activist has been arrested by the Vietnamese authorities: Le Quoc Quan who had been permitted by the Vietnamese government to travel to the United States to attend a six-month fellowship with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) based in Washington D.C.
After completing the fellowship, Mr. Quan returned to Vietnam and was soon arrested by security police in Ha Noi on March 8, 2007. There has been no official information on the arrest.
Tra Mi [of Radio Free Asia] interviewed a relative of his in Vietnam, an official of NED where he just completed the fellowship, and [Scott Flipse of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom]. Following is the interview with Ms. Hien, Le Quoc Quan’s wife:
Hien: Quan, my husband, was arrested on the evening of March 8. The police came, read the search warrant and then took him away. Three days later, I came to the police precinct; the police interviewed me shortly, and then said that Quan was transferred to the detention center of the Ministry of Public Security.
Since then, I came to the precinct several times to find out the whereabouts of my husband, but have not been able to see him.
Tra Mi: Where is the detention center of the Ministry of Public Security located?
Hien: It is located in Thanh Liet hamlet, Thanh Tri, Ha Noi.
Tra Mi: From the date of the detention have you been in touch with government agencies, been able to see or take care of your husband?
“The police have the search warrant, but not the arrest warrant. I have a copy of the urgent search warrant in which the police suspected that Quan has violated Article 79 of the Penal Code – the crime of overthrowing the People’s Government.”
-- Ms. HienHien: Yes, I have submitted letters to request permission to send supplies and rations, but so far I have not received any response.
Tra Mi: How long did the arrest take place after his return from the US?
Hien: We returned on the night of March 4th and the arrest took place on March 8th.
Tra Mi: So he returned to Ha Noi on March 4th?
Hien: Yes.
Tra Mi: Prior to the fellowship has he ever have been summoned by the government for interrogation?
Hien: Just occasionally before, on several times to my knowledge.
Tra Mi: In his daily life has Mr. Quan even been harassed by the government?
Hien: Based on what I know, there were several times but not often. When he returned from the fellowship without having done anything he was arrested when came back from a visit to his home village.
Tra Mi: Based on your opinion what was the reason that led to Mr. Quan’s arrest?
Hien: I was not present when the arrest happened, but the search warrant is based on the suspicion that Quan violated Article 79.
Tra Mi: There was both a search warrant and arrest warrant?
Hien: The police have the search warrant but did not have the arrest warrant. They gave me a copy of the urgent search warrant which stated that the authority is suspicious of Quan violating Article 79 of the Penal Code which is attempting to overthrow the People’s Government.
Tra Mi: Until this point in time, in all of Mr. Quan’s activities, do you think that he has violated Article 79 as stated in the search warrant?
Hien: No, I don’t think so.
Tra Mi: Since the arrest until now, have you contacted the authority to request visitation? Have they answered your request or explained the reason for the denial of visitation?
Hien: Yes I have, and I have requested that if visitation is denied, then the authority must issue an official arrest order. The authority explained that based on Article 85 which states that if the official notice interferes with the investigation, then the government will not issue the official notice. There is no official notice in writing, I heard this from the investigator who also said that Quan is currently being held at the address I previously mentioned.
Tra Mi: What do you plan on doing next? Where would you go to petition for visitation?
Hien: Earlier this evening I have worked with the public security. I hope that Quan would be released later tonight or tomorrow. The police said the first day is volunteered and does not count, next is the temporary detainment for three days issued the first time, then three more days of extension which is six days, today is the seventh day.
Tra Mi: If Mr. Quan is not released tomorrow morning what do you have planned to defend him?
“Quan founded a law firm called ‘Quan and Brothers’ with offices located in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi. Quan said he wanted to be an attorney for the poor. He also said that he wanted to protect the rights of the workers.”
-- Ms. Hien
Quan did not do anything wrong! The police just came, read the search warrant and arrested him, it has been a week since he was arrested.
Hien: I am writing to NED to inform them that one of their fellows has been arrested. I want to ask them to ask the [Vietnamese authorities] to release my husband when they don’t have the arrest warrant. Over here, I would seek legal counsel to seek visitation of my husband. I think that there is a mistake. Initially, I don’t think that my husband would not return until now.
Tra Mi: Thank you very much for your time.
Hien: Thank you.
______
Below is a letter from VOICE regarding the arrest of Le Quoc Quan
Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowement
Re: Arrest of NED fellow Le Quoc Quan
March 14, 2007
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
We are deeply concerned that Le Quoc Quan, a Vietnamese lawyer who recently returned from a prestigious fellowship in Washington DC, was detained by the Vietnamese security police reportedly on the 8th of March 2007 in Hanoi. His whereabouts are still unknown.
Quan, aged 36, had been a Reagan-Fascell fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. He was the first fellow from Vietnam at NED where he did in-depth research on the theories and practices of civil society.
As a close friend and advisor of VOICE, Quan is a man of great humanity and tremendous fervor to serve others, especially those at the bottom of society. Quan loves his wife, Hien, and their 5-year old daughter, An-Ha, dearly, but we must say his heart and mind are divided between his family and underprivileged people in Vietnam. We were moved to hear first hand his passion for social justice and belief in the role of independent associations in national development.
Prior to NED, Quan worked for the past seven years as a local governance consultant to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, and the Swedish International Development Agency. As a law student and later a legal advocate, Quan has spoken out against religious and human rights violations. His writings have appeared on the BBC and various Vietnamese newspapers and websites.
Quan’s apparent arrest is troubling. In your meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem this week, we urge you to raise the case of Le Quoc Quan along with other Vietnamese citizens wrongly imprisoned such as Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Father Nguyen Van Ly and insist on their immediate and unconditional release.
Founded in 2007, VOICE (Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment) is a non-profit organization, providing a voice for the overseas Vietnamese community through advocacy for Vietnamese refugees, Vietnamese women and children victims of human trafficking, and other significant issues confronting the conscience of our community.
Sincerely,
Hoi Trinh
President, VOICE
Cc: Members of Congress and human rights organizations.
Tra Mi, Radio Free Asia
Following the arrests of Father Nguyen Van Ly, attorney Le Thi Cong Nhan and attorney Nguyen Van Dai, one more democracy activist has been arrested by the Vietnamese authorities: Le Quoc Quan who had been permitted by the Vietnamese government to travel to the United States to attend a six-month fellowship with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) based in Washington D.C.
After completing the fellowship, Mr. Quan returned to Vietnam and was soon arrested by security police in Ha Noi on March 8, 2007. There has been no official information on the arrest.
Tra Mi [of Radio Free Asia] interviewed a relative of his in Vietnam, an official of NED where he just completed the fellowship, and [Scott Flipse of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom]. Following is the interview with Ms. Hien, Le Quoc Quan’s wife:
Hien: Quan, my husband, was arrested on the evening of March 8. The police came, read the search warrant and then took him away. Three days later, I came to the police precinct; the police interviewed me shortly, and then said that Quan was transferred to the detention center of the Ministry of Public Security.
Since then, I came to the precinct several times to find out the whereabouts of my husband, but have not been able to see him.
Tra Mi: Where is the detention center of the Ministry of Public Security located?
Hien: It is located in Thanh Liet hamlet, Thanh Tri, Ha Noi.
Tra Mi: From the date of the detention have you been in touch with government agencies, been able to see or take care of your husband?
“The police have the search warrant, but not the arrest warrant. I have a copy of the urgent search warrant in which the police suspected that Quan has violated Article 79 of the Penal Code – the crime of overthrowing the People’s Government.”
-- Ms. HienHien: Yes, I have submitted letters to request permission to send supplies and rations, but so far I have not received any response.
Tra Mi: How long did the arrest take place after his return from the US?
Hien: We returned on the night of March 4th and the arrest took place on March 8th.
Tra Mi: So he returned to Ha Noi on March 4th?
Hien: Yes.
Tra Mi: Prior to the fellowship has he ever have been summoned by the government for interrogation?
Hien: Just occasionally before, on several times to my knowledge.
Tra Mi: In his daily life has Mr. Quan even been harassed by the government?
Hien: Based on what I know, there were several times but not often. When he returned from the fellowship without having done anything he was arrested when came back from a visit to his home village.
Tra Mi: Based on your opinion what was the reason that led to Mr. Quan’s arrest?
Hien: I was not present when the arrest happened, but the search warrant is based on the suspicion that Quan violated Article 79.
Tra Mi: There was both a search warrant and arrest warrant?
Hien: The police have the search warrant but did not have the arrest warrant. They gave me a copy of the urgent search warrant which stated that the authority is suspicious of Quan violating Article 79 of the Penal Code which is attempting to overthrow the People’s Government.
Tra Mi: Until this point in time, in all of Mr. Quan’s activities, do you think that he has violated Article 79 as stated in the search warrant?
Hien: No, I don’t think so.
Tra Mi: Since the arrest until now, have you contacted the authority to request visitation? Have they answered your request or explained the reason for the denial of visitation?
Hien: Yes I have, and I have requested that if visitation is denied, then the authority must issue an official arrest order. The authority explained that based on Article 85 which states that if the official notice interferes with the investigation, then the government will not issue the official notice. There is no official notice in writing, I heard this from the investigator who also said that Quan is currently being held at the address I previously mentioned.
Tra Mi: What do you plan on doing next? Where would you go to petition for visitation?
Hien: Earlier this evening I have worked with the public security. I hope that Quan would be released later tonight or tomorrow. The police said the first day is volunteered and does not count, next is the temporary detainment for three days issued the first time, then three more days of extension which is six days, today is the seventh day.
Tra Mi: If Mr. Quan is not released tomorrow morning what do you have planned to defend him?
“Quan founded a law firm called ‘Quan and Brothers’ with offices located in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi. Quan said he wanted to be an attorney for the poor. He also said that he wanted to protect the rights of the workers.”
-- Ms. Hien
Quan did not do anything wrong! The police just came, read the search warrant and arrested him, it has been a week since he was arrested.
Hien: I am writing to NED to inform them that one of their fellows has been arrested. I want to ask them to ask the [Vietnamese authorities] to release my husband when they don’t have the arrest warrant. Over here, I would seek legal counsel to seek visitation of my husband. I think that there is a mistake. Initially, I don’t think that my husband would not return until now.
Tra Mi: Thank you very much for your time.
Hien: Thank you.
______
Below is a letter from VOICE regarding the arrest of Le Quoc Quan
Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowement
Re: Arrest of NED fellow Le Quoc Quan
March 14, 2007
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
We are deeply concerned that Le Quoc Quan, a Vietnamese lawyer who recently returned from a prestigious fellowship in Washington DC, was detained by the Vietnamese security police reportedly on the 8th of March 2007 in Hanoi. His whereabouts are still unknown.
Quan, aged 36, had been a Reagan-Fascell fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. He was the first fellow from Vietnam at NED where he did in-depth research on the theories and practices of civil society.
As a close friend and advisor of VOICE, Quan is a man of great humanity and tremendous fervor to serve others, especially those at the bottom of society. Quan loves his wife, Hien, and their 5-year old daughter, An-Ha, dearly, but we must say his heart and mind are divided between his family and underprivileged people in Vietnam. We were moved to hear first hand his passion for social justice and belief in the role of independent associations in national development.
Prior to NED, Quan worked for the past seven years as a local governance consultant to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, and the Swedish International Development Agency. As a law student and later a legal advocate, Quan has spoken out against religious and human rights violations. His writings have appeared on the BBC and various Vietnamese newspapers and websites.
Quan’s apparent arrest is troubling. In your meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem this week, we urge you to raise the case of Le Quoc Quan along with other Vietnamese citizens wrongly imprisoned such as Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Father Nguyen Van Ly and insist on their immediate and unconditional release.
Founded in 2007, VOICE (Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment) is a non-profit organization, providing a voice for the overseas Vietnamese community through advocacy for Vietnamese refugees, Vietnamese women and children victims of human trafficking, and other significant issues confronting the conscience of our community.
Sincerely,
Hoi Trinh
President, VOICE
Cc: Members of Congress and human rights organizations.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Human Rights Watch condemns Vietnam "crackdown" on dissent
A US-based human rights group on Friday accused Vietnam of launching "one of the worst crackdowns on peaceful dissidents in 20 years" following the detentions of two lawyers and a Catholic priest.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged that Vietnam "felt emboldened by international recognition" after joining the World Trade Organization in January and hosting an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.
The rights group condemned the recent arrest of two Hanoi-based human rights lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, and of a dissident Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly from the central city of Hue.
They have been accused of breaching article 88 of the criminal code, which bans "defaming" the government and carries a maximum 20-year jail term.
Activists say all three have started hunger strikes.
HRW also pointed to recent police moves against other free speech activists, members of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, independent Protestant churches and the United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"The government's ongoing criminalization of peaceful political dissent and violations of basic human rights threatens to undermine its economic achievements."
Police on Tuesday arrested the two Hanoi lawyers -- Dai, who last year founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, and Nhan, a spokeswoman for the illegal Dang Thang Tien Vietnam Party (Vietnam Progression Party).
On February 18, police raided the parish home of Father Ly -- who has spent over 14 years in jail for his political activities -- seized computers, mobile phone cards and documents and moved him to another location, where he is under house arrest.
Ly is set to face trial later this month, according to the state-controlled Gia Dinh va Xa Hoi (Family and Society) newspaper in a report which could not be immediately confirmed with judicial or government officials.
"These are all peaceful dissidents," said Richardson. "They have simply advocated for rights guaranteed both by Vietnam's constitution and its international obligations under human rights treaties."
The US State Department in its annual human rights report this week rated Vietnam's record as "unsatisfactory," a charge the communist country denied.
"In Vietnam, no arrest has been made on a political viewpoint or for religious reasons," said foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung. "Only law violators have been arrested and treated in compliance with the law."
Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged that Vietnam "felt emboldened by international recognition" after joining the World Trade Organization in January and hosting an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.
The rights group condemned the recent arrest of two Hanoi-based human rights lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, and of a dissident Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly from the central city of Hue.
They have been accused of breaching article 88 of the criminal code, which bans "defaming" the government and carries a maximum 20-year jail term.
Activists say all three have started hunger strikes.
HRW also pointed to recent police moves against other free speech activists, members of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, independent Protestant churches and the United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam.
"Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind," Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"The government's ongoing criminalization of peaceful political dissent and violations of basic human rights threatens to undermine its economic achievements."
Police on Tuesday arrested the two Hanoi lawyers -- Dai, who last year founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, and Nhan, a spokeswoman for the illegal Dang Thang Tien Vietnam Party (Vietnam Progression Party).
On February 18, police raided the parish home of Father Ly -- who has spent over 14 years in jail for his political activities -- seized computers, mobile phone cards and documents and moved him to another location, where he is under house arrest.
Ly is set to face trial later this month, according to the state-controlled Gia Dinh va Xa Hoi (Family and Society) newspaper in a report which could not be immediately confirmed with judicial or government officials.
"These are all peaceful dissidents," said Richardson. "They have simply advocated for rights guaranteed both by Vietnam's constitution and its international obligations under human rights treaties."
The US State Department in its annual human rights report this week rated Vietnam's record as "unsatisfactory," a charge the communist country denied.
"In Vietnam, no arrest has been made on a political viewpoint or for religious reasons," said foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung. "Only law violators have been arrested and treated in compliance with the law."
Vietnam to Consider Freeing Journalist After Inquiry by Rice
Vietnam to Consider Freeing Journalist After Inquiry by Rice
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff WriterSaturday, March 17, 2007; Page A16
Vietnam will consider releasing from prison a prominent journalist who has been held since 2002, after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice privately raised the case this week, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said yesterday.
"He was sentenced by the court to seven years in imprisonment, and we would consider providing amnesty," Pham Gia Khiem told Washington Post editors and reporters, speaking through an interpreter. Pham Gia Khiem, who is touring the United States to promote business ties and lay the groundwork for a U.S. visit by Vietnam's president, met with Rice at the State Department on Thursday.
Family members reported last month that the health of the prisoner, Nguyen Vu Binh, 39, has deteriorated so much that he cannot lift his 5-year-old daughter, according to Kristin Jones of the Committee to Protect Journalists. She said he suffers from hypertension, liver disease and other ailments.
A State Department official said Nguyen Vu Binh was the one individual Rice mentioned by name during a discussion of human rights in the one-party-controlled nation. Pham Gia Khiem's "body language was positive" regarding Nguyen Vu Binh, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the diplomatic meeting was private.
"It would be significant if he is released," Jones said, noting that Nguyen Vu Binh was among a group of journalists rounded up in 2002 and is the only one from that crackdown still being held.
A reporter for an official Communist Party publication, Nguyen Vu Binh was arrested in September 2002 after posting articles on the Internet. He was accused of "spying" because he allegedly passed information to overseas Vietnamese groups through the Internet.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of house arrest. Pham Gia Khiem did not make clear whether the possible amnesty would also cover the house arrest.
Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that Vietnam -- a fast-growing country that last year achieved its long-sought goal of joining the World Trade Organization -- recently launched one of the worst attacks on dissidents in 20 years, arresting such figures as two prominent human rights lawyers and a Roman Catholic priest.
"Obviously, it is good news that they are releasing Vu Binh," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. "But there is a revolving-door quality to the releases and the arrests that the State Department should see through."
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Rice, in her meeting, "repeated the idea that we want to work with the Vietnamese government in the spirit of respect and constructive dialogue that yields concrete steps that furthers the issue of human rights in Vietnam."
In the interview, Pham Gia Khiem was unapologetic about Vietnam's system of government. He said it took Vietnam a century to throw off the yoke of colonialism and achieve independence. Now, he said, the government has taken responsibility for "clothes and education and food for the people," achieving an annual economic growth rate of 8 percent.
"We encourage people to make themselves rich," he said.
"The law represents the will of the vast majority of the public," Pham Gia Khiem said. "Few people, not more than 1 percent of the people, may not agree with that law or policy, but we need to serve the interests of the majority." He contended that Nguyen Vu Binh "was even opposed by his parents."
Human Rights Watch reported that police last month raided the home of Nguyen Van Ly -- a Catholic priest and one of the founders of "Block 8406," a democracy movement -- and moved him to a remote location, where he remains under house arrest. Pham Gia Khiem denied that the priest had been arrested, saying it was "kind of an administrative management, something like that. . . . But if he continues his violations, he will be arrested."
Pham Gia Khiem referred to Nguyen Van Ly as "Ong Li," using a phrase of respect, but when the interpreter rendered that as "Father Ly," one of the Vietnamese officials present interrupted him, saying, "Not Father." Vietnam does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff WriterSaturday, March 17, 2007; Page A16
Vietnam will consider releasing from prison a prominent journalist who has been held since 2002, after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice privately raised the case this week, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said yesterday.
"He was sentenced by the court to seven years in imprisonment, and we would consider providing amnesty," Pham Gia Khiem told Washington Post editors and reporters, speaking through an interpreter. Pham Gia Khiem, who is touring the United States to promote business ties and lay the groundwork for a U.S. visit by Vietnam's president, met with Rice at the State Department on Thursday.
Family members reported last month that the health of the prisoner, Nguyen Vu Binh, 39, has deteriorated so much that he cannot lift his 5-year-old daughter, according to Kristin Jones of the Committee to Protect Journalists. She said he suffers from hypertension, liver disease and other ailments.
A State Department official said Nguyen Vu Binh was the one individual Rice mentioned by name during a discussion of human rights in the one-party-controlled nation. Pham Gia Khiem's "body language was positive" regarding Nguyen Vu Binh, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the diplomatic meeting was private.
"It would be significant if he is released," Jones said, noting that Nguyen Vu Binh was among a group of journalists rounded up in 2002 and is the only one from that crackdown still being held.
A reporter for an official Communist Party publication, Nguyen Vu Binh was arrested in September 2002 after posting articles on the Internet. He was accused of "spying" because he allegedly passed information to overseas Vietnamese groups through the Internet.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of house arrest. Pham Gia Khiem did not make clear whether the possible amnesty would also cover the house arrest.
Human Rights Watch reported earlier this month that Vietnam -- a fast-growing country that last year achieved its long-sought goal of joining the World Trade Organization -- recently launched one of the worst attacks on dissidents in 20 years, arresting such figures as two prominent human rights lawyers and a Roman Catholic priest.
"Obviously, it is good news that they are releasing Vu Binh," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. "But there is a revolving-door quality to the releases and the arrests that the State Department should see through."
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Rice, in her meeting, "repeated the idea that we want to work with the Vietnamese government in the spirit of respect and constructive dialogue that yields concrete steps that furthers the issue of human rights in Vietnam."
In the interview, Pham Gia Khiem was unapologetic about Vietnam's system of government. He said it took Vietnam a century to throw off the yoke of colonialism and achieve independence. Now, he said, the government has taken responsibility for "clothes and education and food for the people," achieving an annual economic growth rate of 8 percent.
"We encourage people to make themselves rich," he said.
"The law represents the will of the vast majority of the public," Pham Gia Khiem said. "Few people, not more than 1 percent of the people, may not agree with that law or policy, but we need to serve the interests of the majority." He contended that Nguyen Vu Binh "was even opposed by his parents."
Human Rights Watch reported that police last month raided the home of Nguyen Van Ly -- a Catholic priest and one of the founders of "Block 8406," a democracy movement -- and moved him to a remote location, where he remains under house arrest. Pham Gia Khiem denied that the priest had been arrested, saying it was "kind of an administrative management, something like that. . . . But if he continues his violations, he will be arrested."
Pham Gia Khiem referred to Nguyen Van Ly as "Ong Li," using a phrase of respect, but when the interpreter rendered that as "Father Ly," one of the Vietnamese officials present interrupted him, saying, "Not Father." Vietnam does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Top Vietnamese Buddhist Slams Detentions Amid Ongoing Crackdown
Top Vietnamese Buddhist Slams Detentions Amid Ongoing Crackdown
BANGKOK—A top dissident Buddhist leader in Vietnam has spoken out against the detention in Ho Chi Minh City of a Norwegian woman who came to present him with a prestigious human rights award, amid signs of a tough new crackdown on dissent.
Thich Quang Do, deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), said in an interview that Vietnamese security officers intercepted Therese Jebsen of the Oslo-based Rafto Foundation as she arrived at Thanh Minh Zen monastery, where Do lives under virtual house arrest.
“I went into the courtyard to greet her with a bouquet of flowers. But…a group of Security Police burst in,” Do told RFA’s Vietnamese service.
“One of them was in uniform and the others were plainclothes officers. They intercepted us and ordered Therese Jebsen to come with them to the police station.”
“I tried to persuade them that she was a foreign guest who has come a long way to meet me, that is was just a friendly visit… I asked them to show her some hospitality and let me meet with her for 30 minutes, and then I could take her to the police station,” he said. “But the police insisted that she come with them immediately.”
Three people detained, questioned
“I feel sorry for Therese Jebsen. I feel such pity for her. Also, I feel deeply sad. I am sad and ashamed for my country,” Do said.
The Rafto Foundation said in a statement that police had detained Jebsen, along with Vietnamese-born interpreter Kieu Tran and Norwegian television journalist Tom Rune Orset. They were questioned for two hours and released, it said. No comment was immediately available from the Vietnamese authorities.
The foundation chairman, Arne Lynngard, wrote to Vietnamese officials seeking permission to visit in February to present Do with the 2006 Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize, it said. But his request was denied.
‘One of the worst crackdowns’
Do was earlier denied permission to travel to Norway to receive the prize. Four other Rafto prize winners have later been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Do’s UBCV has long resisted pressure to join the officially sanctioned Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Do and UBCV leader Thich Huyen Quang have lived under virtual house arrest, under strict surveillance, for years.
On March 9, Human Rights Watch accused Hanoi of “flouting its international commitments on human rights by launching one of the worst crackdowns on peaceful dissidents in 20 years.”
Le Quoc Quan, a lawyer and World Bank consultant who recently spent five months doing independent research on civil-society development on a Fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy, was detained March 8, Vietnamese sources said.
Quan’s wife told RFA he is being held at a temporary prison run by the Ministry of Public Security in Thanh Tri, Hanoi, but he has been barred from receiving visitors or food from home.
The search warrant issued for their home, she said, accused Quan of “committing Article 79 of the criminal code, or conspiracy to overthrow the people’s government.”
On March 6, police arrested Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan in Hanoi. Nguyen Van Dai, a human rights lawyers, founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam in 2006. Le Thi Cong Nhan, also a lawyer, has served as spokesperson for the newly formed opposition Dang Thang Tien Vietnam Party.
On Feb. 18, dozens of police in Hue raided the parish home of Catholic priest and former prisoner of conscience Father Nguyen Van Ly, seizing computers, phones, and documents. Ly last year helped found the pro-democracy group Bloc 8406.
Ly, Dai, and Nhan have all been charged with carrying out propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, under Article 88 of the criminal code, Human Rights Watch said. Conviction would carry a prison term of up to 20 years.
Original reporting by Y Lan and Tra My for RFA’s Vietnamese service. Vietnamese service director: Diem Nguyen. Edited and produced for the Web by Sarah Jackson-Han.
Authorities refuse to renew BBC correspondent’s visa
Reporters Without Borders voiced dismay today at the news that the Vietnamese government has decided not to renew BBC World Service correspondent Bill Hayton’s press visa. Hayton will have to leave the country by 15 March.
“The government has begun a crackdown on dissident groups, so administrative obstruction is used to get rid of a foreign correspondent who is an embarrassing witness,” the press freedom organisation said. “This is scandalous, and shows how archaic and repressive Vietnam’s laws on the work of foreign journalists are. We urge the international community, especially the European Union, to react.”
This is the first time a foreign reporter has been forced to leave Vietnam since 2000, when French journalists Sylvaine Pasquier of L’Express and Arnaud Dubus of Libération were expelled.
The foreign ministry’s press department told Hayton on 6 March that his visa would not be renewed. Hayton announced he was being expelled at a meeting at which Vietnamese officials were present. He has been in the country since May of last year on a visiting journalist’s visa. The authorities now refuse to give him a permanent correspondent’s visa.
Under the current regulations, a news organisation must have a bureau in the country in order to have an accredited correspondent. The BBC has complied with all the requirements but the response has been delayed without any explanation being given. According to sources in Hanoi, the public security ministry pressured the press and immigration services into forcing Hayton to leave.
Hayton seems to have irritated the authorities by his coverage of the repression of dissidents. Like many of his colleagues, he refused to comply with the Vietnamese rules requiring foreign journalists to request permission to interview a Vietnamese five days in advance.
Below are Bill Hayton's comments:
Hi,Yes it's correct - I have to leave by Thursday. It's a convoluted talebut the essence is that the Foreign Ministry Press Dept says it can'tconsider my visa application until it considers a separate applicationfrom the BBC to re-open its Hanoi office. I believe that this is simplya ruse to get me out. For example, I was told that my family could applyfor tourist visas until things were sorted, but that I had to leave thecountry. If it's simply a question of waiting for the procedures thensurely I would be allowed to stay too.
I have upset the Foreign Ministry Press Dept on several occasions.During APEC, shortly after I reported on Human Rights' Watch'sallegations that street children had been taken off the streets of Hanoifor the summit, I approached the government spokesman Le Dung for acomment on the barricading of a number of dissidents in their houses. Heshouted at me in the summit venue corridor that my visa would be indanger if I pursued such stories. There have been other occasions too. Ionce set up a meeting with dissident Pham Hong Son by phone only to becalled for a meeting at MOFA one hour before the allotted time to bereminded of the need to clear all interview requests through the PressDept. When I got to PHS's house there was a guard of around six peopleto meet me and a helpful student with excellent English to translate thepolice's objections to my presence. There are many other examples.
Vietnam's press regulations make journalism almost impossible forforeign correspondents. According to MoFA Circular 84/TTLB, issued 31December 1996, Article 13, "In order to carry out journalisticactivities mentioned in the Regulations, the resident journalists mustsend their requests on a case-by-case basis to the MoFA AT LEAST FIVEDAYS IN ADVANCE and are not allowed to carry out those activities beforethe issuance of the 'Press Permit' by the MoFA."
Suffice to say that almost every foreign correspondent breaks thatregulation almost every working day. However, the regulation is onlyenforced when the authorities choose to do so. You can probably guessthe kinds of subjects in which the regulation is more strictly enforced.
According to friends of friends, the pressure not to renew my visa camefrom outside MOFA but MoFA didn't object since I've annoyed them toomuch. You can either break the regulations or report on controversialsubjects - but if you do both then you get two lots of enemies.
I only came to Vietnam for a year. As a result I felt less pressure toabide by the regulations since I believed the worst that could happenwas an early departure from Vietnam - which was unlikely to affect mylivelihood. Ironically I was due to leave at the end of this monthanyway but the authorities seem to want to make a point by getting meout two weeks early.
I think that we should think about the position of foreigncorrespondents in Vietnam in a similar way to the debate about'embedded' reporters with the military. There's a fine line to be walkedhere between self-censorship in order to remain here and truth-tellingwhich could result in a loss of access. Other journalists seem to manageit better than me!
Bill Hayton(Soon to be ex) BBC reporter, Hanoi
“The government has begun a crackdown on dissident groups, so administrative obstruction is used to get rid of a foreign correspondent who is an embarrassing witness,” the press freedom organisation said. “This is scandalous, and shows how archaic and repressive Vietnam’s laws on the work of foreign journalists are. We urge the international community, especially the European Union, to react.”
This is the first time a foreign reporter has been forced to leave Vietnam since 2000, when French journalists Sylvaine Pasquier of L’Express and Arnaud Dubus of Libération were expelled.
The foreign ministry’s press department told Hayton on 6 March that his visa would not be renewed. Hayton announced he was being expelled at a meeting at which Vietnamese officials were present. He has been in the country since May of last year on a visiting journalist’s visa. The authorities now refuse to give him a permanent correspondent’s visa.
Under the current regulations, a news organisation must have a bureau in the country in order to have an accredited correspondent. The BBC has complied with all the requirements but the response has been delayed without any explanation being given. According to sources in Hanoi, the public security ministry pressured the press and immigration services into forcing Hayton to leave.
Hayton seems to have irritated the authorities by his coverage of the repression of dissidents. Like many of his colleagues, he refused to comply with the Vietnamese rules requiring foreign journalists to request permission to interview a Vietnamese five days in advance.
Below are Bill Hayton's comments:
Hi,Yes it's correct - I have to leave by Thursday. It's a convoluted talebut the essence is that the Foreign Ministry Press Dept says it can'tconsider my visa application until it considers a separate applicationfrom the BBC to re-open its Hanoi office. I believe that this is simplya ruse to get me out. For example, I was told that my family could applyfor tourist visas until things were sorted, but that I had to leave thecountry. If it's simply a question of waiting for the procedures thensurely I would be allowed to stay too.
I have upset the Foreign Ministry Press Dept on several occasions.During APEC, shortly after I reported on Human Rights' Watch'sallegations that street children had been taken off the streets of Hanoifor the summit, I approached the government spokesman Le Dung for acomment on the barricading of a number of dissidents in their houses. Heshouted at me in the summit venue corridor that my visa would be indanger if I pursued such stories. There have been other occasions too. Ionce set up a meeting with dissident Pham Hong Son by phone only to becalled for a meeting at MOFA one hour before the allotted time to bereminded of the need to clear all interview requests through the PressDept. When I got to PHS's house there was a guard of around six peopleto meet me and a helpful student with excellent English to translate thepolice's objections to my presence. There are many other examples.
Vietnam's press regulations make journalism almost impossible forforeign correspondents. According to MoFA Circular 84/TTLB, issued 31December 1996, Article 13, "In order to carry out journalisticactivities mentioned in the Regulations, the resident journalists mustsend their requests on a case-by-case basis to the MoFA AT LEAST FIVEDAYS IN ADVANCE and are not allowed to carry out those activities beforethe issuance of the 'Press Permit' by the MoFA."
Suffice to say that almost every foreign correspondent breaks thatregulation almost every working day. However, the regulation is onlyenforced when the authorities choose to do so. You can probably guessthe kinds of subjects in which the regulation is more strictly enforced.
According to friends of friends, the pressure not to renew my visa camefrom outside MOFA but MoFA didn't object since I've annoyed them toomuch. You can either break the regulations or report on controversialsubjects - but if you do both then you get two lots of enemies.
I only came to Vietnam for a year. As a result I felt less pressure toabide by the regulations since I believed the worst that could happenwas an early departure from Vietnam - which was unlikely to affect mylivelihood. Ironically I was due to leave at the end of this monthanyway but the authorities seem to want to make a point by getting meout two weeks early.
I think that we should think about the position of foreigncorrespondents in Vietnam in a similar way to the debate about'embedded' reporters with the military. There's a fine line to be walkedhere between self-censorship in order to remain here and truth-tellingwhich could result in a loss of access. Other journalists seem to manageit better than me!
Bill Hayton(Soon to be ex) BBC reporter, Hanoi
Republican lawmakers blast Vietnam rights violations as country's foreign minister visits U.S.
The Associated Press
Published: March 14, 2007
WASHINGTON: Ahead of meetings between Vietnam's foreign minister and top U.S. officials, Republican lawmakers on Wednesday accused Vietnam of ignoring human rights pledges it made before joining the World Trade Organization and increasing its repression of dissidents.
Vietnam, one of Asia's fastest growing economies, achieved its coveted goal of membership in the global commerce body in January; U.S. officials expressed hope at the time that the country had begun making progress toward reforming what was said to be a dismal record of abusing citizen rights.
Human Rights Watch, a leading rights group, says Vietnam has recently launched one of the worst crackdowns on dissidents in 20 years.
Rep. Chris Smith told reporters that Vietnam had merely pretended to change and that those speaking out against the government continued to be harassed.
"Any progress that has been made has been absolutely erased," Rep. Ed Royce said.
The lawmakers' comments came as Vietnam's foreign minister visited the United States to negotiate details for the first visit by the president of the communist country since the Vietnam war ended.
Pham Gia Khiem, who also serves as deputy prime minister, was to meet Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The lawmakers called on the Bush administration to bring up their concerns with Vietnam.
The State Department said in its most recent human rights report that Vietnam's rights record remains unsatisfactory. It noted that abuse by local officials continued despite central government efforts to make changes.
Vietnamese police last week arrested two human rights lawyers and accused them of spreading anti-government propaganda, according to family members and activists.
One of the lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai, was recently honored by Human Rights Watch, which gave him an award for his pro-democracy writings and work on behalf of dissidents.
Published: March 14, 2007
WASHINGTON: Ahead of meetings between Vietnam's foreign minister and top U.S. officials, Republican lawmakers on Wednesday accused Vietnam of ignoring human rights pledges it made before joining the World Trade Organization and increasing its repression of dissidents.
Vietnam, one of Asia's fastest growing economies, achieved its coveted goal of membership in the global commerce body in January; U.S. officials expressed hope at the time that the country had begun making progress toward reforming what was said to be a dismal record of abusing citizen rights.
Human Rights Watch, a leading rights group, says Vietnam has recently launched one of the worst crackdowns on dissidents in 20 years.
Rep. Chris Smith told reporters that Vietnam had merely pretended to change and that those speaking out against the government continued to be harassed.
"Any progress that has been made has been absolutely erased," Rep. Ed Royce said.
The lawmakers' comments came as Vietnam's foreign minister visited the United States to negotiate details for the first visit by the president of the communist country since the Vietnam war ended.
Pham Gia Khiem, who also serves as deputy prime minister, was to meet Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The lawmakers called on the Bush administration to bring up their concerns with Vietnam.
The State Department said in its most recent human rights report that Vietnam's rights record remains unsatisfactory. It noted that abuse by local officials continued despite central government efforts to make changes.
Vietnamese police last week arrested two human rights lawyers and accused them of spreading anti-government propaganda, according to family members and activists.
One of the lawyers, Nguyen Van Dai, was recently honored by Human Rights Watch, which gave him an award for his pro-democracy writings and work on behalf of dissidents.
Rep. Lofgren Calls on Secretary of State Rice to Address Human Rights During Vietnamese Visit to Washington
News from . . .
U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren
16th Congressional District, California
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2007
CONTACT: Pedro Ribeiro, 202-225-3072, pedro.ribeiro@mail.house.gov
Rep. Lofgren Calls on Secretary of State Rice to Address Human Rights During Vietnamese Visit to Washington
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to Visit United States
Washington, D.C. - Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to insist that Vietnam make significant improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights. In a recent letter to Secretary of State Rice, Rep. Lofgren asked that the Secretary directly address these concerns with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on their March 15, 2007 meeting in Washington , DC . Additional signatories to the letter include: Vietnam Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, and Rep. Chris Smith; and, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.
The complete text of the letter is below:
March 12, 2007
The Honorable Condoleezza RiceSecretaryU.S. Department of State2201 C Street, N.W.Washington , D.C. 20520Dear Madam Secretary:
We write to express our strong concerns about the recent escalation of human rights violations occurring in Vietnam . We respectfully request that you use the upcoming visit by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to insist that Vietnam make substantive improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights.
There recently have been a number of arrests and harassment by Vietnamese authorities regarding religious and political practices. This week Vietnamese human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai, a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, was arrested for what authorities called, "conducting propaganda activities to harm the security of state." These same charges were used to remove Father Nguyen Van Ly earlier this year from his Catholic parish. These accounts magnify Vietnam 's continued oppression of religious and political speech. The situation in Vietnam can best be described in the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2006 Annual Report, which states:
The government of Vietnam continues to commit systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom by harassing, detaining, imprisoning, and discriminating against leaders and practitioners from all of Vietnam 's religious communities. Religious freedom conditions in Vietnam remain poor, and the overall human rights situation has deteriorated in the past two years. The government has targeted popular religious leaders, intellectuals, free speech and democracy advocates, and members of ethnic and religious minority groups, who are accused of encouraging "peaceful evolution," a term used to describe anyone suspected of quietly eroding the Communist Party's legitimacy.
The United States of America has a long and honorable tradition of safeguarding freedom and human rights throughout the world, especially with our trading partners. No exception should be made for Vietnam . We hope that you will take this upcoming opportunity with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to address these issues and work towards improving the human rights that the Vietnamese people so rightfully deserve.
Sincerely,
Zoe Lofgren Tom Davis
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Loretta Sanchez Chris Smith
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Jeff Fortenberry
Member of Congress
U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren
16th Congressional District, California
For Immediate Release: March 12, 2007
CONTACT: Pedro Ribeiro, 202-225-3072, pedro.ribeiro@mail.house.gov
Rep. Lofgren Calls on Secretary of State Rice to Address Human Rights During Vietnamese Visit to Washington
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to Visit United States
Washington, D.C. - Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to insist that Vietnam make significant improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights. In a recent letter to Secretary of State Rice, Rep. Lofgren asked that the Secretary directly address these concerns with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on their March 15, 2007 meeting in Washington , DC . Additional signatories to the letter include: Vietnam Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, and Rep. Chris Smith; and, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.
The complete text of the letter is below:
March 12, 2007
The Honorable Condoleezza RiceSecretaryU.S. Department of State2201 C Street, N.W.Washington , D.C. 20520Dear Madam Secretary:
We write to express our strong concerns about the recent escalation of human rights violations occurring in Vietnam . We respectfully request that you use the upcoming visit by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to insist that Vietnam make substantive improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights.
There recently have been a number of arrests and harassment by Vietnamese authorities regarding religious and political practices. This week Vietnamese human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai, a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, was arrested for what authorities called, "conducting propaganda activities to harm the security of state." These same charges were used to remove Father Nguyen Van Ly earlier this year from his Catholic parish. These accounts magnify Vietnam 's continued oppression of religious and political speech. The situation in Vietnam can best be described in the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2006 Annual Report, which states:
The government of Vietnam continues to commit systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom by harassing, detaining, imprisoning, and discriminating against leaders and practitioners from all of Vietnam 's religious communities. Religious freedom conditions in Vietnam remain poor, and the overall human rights situation has deteriorated in the past two years. The government has targeted popular religious leaders, intellectuals, free speech and democracy advocates, and members of ethnic and religious minority groups, who are accused of encouraging "peaceful evolution," a term used to describe anyone suspected of quietly eroding the Communist Party's legitimacy.
The United States of America has a long and honorable tradition of safeguarding freedom and human rights throughout the world, especially with our trading partners. No exception should be made for Vietnam . We hope that you will take this upcoming opportunity with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to address these issues and work towards improving the human rights that the Vietnamese people so rightfully deserve.
Sincerely,
Zoe Lofgren Tom Davis
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Loretta Sanchez Chris Smith
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Jeff Fortenberry
Member of Congress
Vietnam: Crackdown on Dissent in Wake of WTO and APEC
Vietnam: Crackdown on Dissent in Wake of WTO and APEC
Arrests Threaten Reform Progress
(New York, March 9, 2007) – The Vietnamese government, emboldened by international recognition after joining the World Trade Organization and hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, is flouting its international commitments on human rights by launching one of the worst crackdowns on peaceful dissidents in 20 years, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch sharply condemned the recent arrests of two outspoken human rights lawyers and a dissident Catholic priest.
“Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind,” said Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s ongoing criminalization of peaceful political dissent and violations of basic human rights threatens to undermine its economic achievements.”
On March 6, police arrested Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan in Hanoi. Nguyen Van Dai, one of Vietnam’s few practicing human rights lawyers, founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam in 2006. He recently received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award for persecuted writers, which is administered by Human Rights Watch.
Le Thi Cong Nhan, also a lawyer, has served as spokesperson for the Dang Thang Tien Vietnam Party (Vietnam Progression Party), one of several opposition parties that have been created during the last year. She is known as a vocal champion of human rights.
Opposition parties, independent media and labor unions, as well as unsanctioned religious organizations are strictly banned by the one-party communist state.
On February 18, dozens of police in Hue raided the parish home of Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic priest and former prisoner of conscience. They confiscated computers, telephones and more than 200 kilograms of documents. The authorities moved him to a remote location, where he remains under house arrest.
Father Ly is one of the founders of “Block 8406,” a democracy movement launched in April 2006 when hundreds of people throughout Vietnam signed public petitions calling for democracy and human rights.
Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan have all been charged with carrying out propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, under article 88 of the Penal Code. If convicted, they face sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
“These are all peaceful dissidents,” said Richardson. “They have simply advocated for rights guaranteed both by Vietnam’s Constitution and its international obligations under human rights treaties.”
Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and many other dissidents were confined to their homes last November, before and after Hanoi hosted the APEC summit. The two were detained and interrogated again on February 4.
In February, the authorities temporarily detained and questioned a number of other free speech activists and democracy advocates, including:
* Catholic priests Chan Tin and Phan Van Loi, editors of the underground publication Tu Do Ngoan Luan (Freedom of Speech);
* Vietnam Progression Party members Nguyen Phong, Nguyen Binh Thanh, and Hoang Thi Anh Dao;
* Democracy activists Bach Ngoc Duong, Nguyen Phuong Anh and Pham Van Coi.
In Binh Thuan province, authorities reportedly detained and interrogated Buddhist monks belonging to the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, including Thich Thien Tam and Thich Hue Lam. Mennonite pastors Nguyen Hong Quang in Ho Chi Minh City and Nguyen Cong Chinh in Kontum, as well as members of independent Protestant churches in the northern and central highlands, also face ongoing pressure from the authorities.
On January 12, police arrested Tran Quoc Hien, spokesperson of an independent trade union, United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam (UWFO), which was formed last year. He is currently detained at Phan Dang Luu prison in Ho Chi Minh City.
Last November, police arrested several other UWFO trade unionists as part of the APEC crackdown. Those arrested include Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Doan Van Dien, Doan Huy Chuong, Tran Thi Le Hong, Le Ba Triet, and Nguyen Tuan. They are among hundreds of political and religious prisoners in Vietnam, including cyber-dissident Nguyen Vu Binh, nine or more members of the Cao Dai religion, 10 Hoa Hao Buddhists, and more than 350 ethnic minority Christian “Montagnards” from the Central Highlands.
In a February 26 article announcing Father Ly’s arrest, the Vietnamese Communist Party daily newspaper, Nhan Dan (The People) announced that the government had “smashed” the “extremists’ sabotage scheme.” The article also underscored the government’s confidence following the APEC meeting:
“Vietnam’s prestige has been lifted to new heights following the events of becoming an official member of the WTO, the successful organization of the 14th APEC Meeting and then the nomination by Asian countries to become a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 period ... the country [has a] bright future under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam…[which] is striving to build a prosperous people, a strong country and an equitable, democratic and civilized society.”
“Despite the official rhetoric, the Vietnamese government can’t really pretend to be working towards a just and democratic society when it continues to persecute those who articulate different political views, who support multi-party democracy, or simply advocate for basic human rights,” said Richardson.
For Immediate Release
For more information, please contact:
In New York, Sophie Richardson: +1-212-216-1257; or +1-917-721-7473 (mobile)
In London, Brad Adams: +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-79-0872-8333 (mobile)
Arrests Threaten Reform Progress
(New York, March 9, 2007) – The Vietnamese government, emboldened by international recognition after joining the World Trade Organization and hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, is flouting its international commitments on human rights by launching one of the worst crackdowns on peaceful dissidents in 20 years, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch sharply condemned the recent arrests of two outspoken human rights lawyers and a dissident Catholic priest.
“Vietnam has now taken its place on the world economic stage, but its human rights record lags far behind,” said Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s ongoing criminalization of peaceful political dissent and violations of basic human rights threatens to undermine its economic achievements.”
On March 6, police arrested Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan in Hanoi. Nguyen Van Dai, one of Vietnam’s few practicing human rights lawyers, founded the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam in 2006. He recently received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award for persecuted writers, which is administered by Human Rights Watch.
Le Thi Cong Nhan, also a lawyer, has served as spokesperson for the Dang Thang Tien Vietnam Party (Vietnam Progression Party), one of several opposition parties that have been created during the last year. She is known as a vocal champion of human rights.
Opposition parties, independent media and labor unions, as well as unsanctioned religious organizations are strictly banned by the one-party communist state.
On February 18, dozens of police in Hue raided the parish home of Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic priest and former prisoner of conscience. They confiscated computers, telephones and more than 200 kilograms of documents. The authorities moved him to a remote location, where he remains under house arrest.
Father Ly is one of the founders of “Block 8406,” a democracy movement launched in April 2006 when hundreds of people throughout Vietnam signed public petitions calling for democracy and human rights.
Father Ly, Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan have all been charged with carrying out propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, under article 88 of the Penal Code. If convicted, they face sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
“These are all peaceful dissidents,” said Richardson. “They have simply advocated for rights guaranteed both by Vietnam’s Constitution and its international obligations under human rights treaties.”
Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan and many other dissidents were confined to their homes last November, before and after Hanoi hosted the APEC summit. The two were detained and interrogated again on February 4.
In February, the authorities temporarily detained and questioned a number of other free speech activists and democracy advocates, including:
* Catholic priests Chan Tin and Phan Van Loi, editors of the underground publication Tu Do Ngoan Luan (Freedom of Speech);
* Vietnam Progression Party members Nguyen Phong, Nguyen Binh Thanh, and Hoang Thi Anh Dao;
* Democracy activists Bach Ngoc Duong, Nguyen Phuong Anh and Pham Van Coi.
In Binh Thuan province, authorities reportedly detained and interrogated Buddhist monks belonging to the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, including Thich Thien Tam and Thich Hue Lam. Mennonite pastors Nguyen Hong Quang in Ho Chi Minh City and Nguyen Cong Chinh in Kontum, as well as members of independent Protestant churches in the northern and central highlands, also face ongoing pressure from the authorities.
On January 12, police arrested Tran Quoc Hien, spokesperson of an independent trade union, United Workers-Farmers Organization of Vietnam (UWFO), which was formed last year. He is currently detained at Phan Dang Luu prison in Ho Chi Minh City.
Last November, police arrested several other UWFO trade unionists as part of the APEC crackdown. Those arrested include Nguyen Tan Hoanh, Doan Van Dien, Doan Huy Chuong, Tran Thi Le Hong, Le Ba Triet, and Nguyen Tuan. They are among hundreds of political and religious prisoners in Vietnam, including cyber-dissident Nguyen Vu Binh, nine or more members of the Cao Dai religion, 10 Hoa Hao Buddhists, and more than 350 ethnic minority Christian “Montagnards” from the Central Highlands.
In a February 26 article announcing Father Ly’s arrest, the Vietnamese Communist Party daily newspaper, Nhan Dan (The People) announced that the government had “smashed” the “extremists’ sabotage scheme.” The article also underscored the government’s confidence following the APEC meeting:
“Vietnam’s prestige has been lifted to new heights following the events of becoming an official member of the WTO, the successful organization of the 14th APEC Meeting and then the nomination by Asian countries to become a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2008-2009 period ... the country [has a] bright future under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam…[which] is striving to build a prosperous people, a strong country and an equitable, democratic and civilized society.”
“Despite the official rhetoric, the Vietnamese government can’t really pretend to be working towards a just and democratic society when it continues to persecute those who articulate different political views, who support multi-party democracy, or simply advocate for basic human rights,” said Richardson.
For Immediate Release
For more information, please contact:
In New York, Sophie Richardson: +1-212-216-1257; or +1-917-721-7473 (mobile)
In London, Brad Adams: +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-79-0872-8333 (mobile)
Kinks in Vietnam's armour
Just when all roads are leading to Southeast Asia's rising star, investors are advised against rushing in until a few things are sorted out
NOLAN CRAWFORD
Thailand has cause for concern when looking at competition with regional neighbours such as Vietnam, which has the benefit of a government virtually unified in the direction of public policy, a cheap and young labour force, and well-drawn out plans to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure and industry from now until 2010. But as in any good fairy tale, there are real problems that need to be addressed.
Topping the list is government corruption.
Since June 2006, officials have been implementing the Anti-Corruption Law, a National Assembly-approved policy to clean house. To date, 33 major investigations have turned up 1.6 trillion dong (about US$5.5 million) in misappropriated funds. Despite the good intentions, the law falls short of accomplishing its primary goal, which was at the centre of a recent debate at a National Assembly Standing Committee meeting.
Trang A. Pao, chairman of the National Council, said that attempts to enforce the law were inadequate, with the number of cases and prosecutions far too few to make a real dent in solving the problem.
Government strategies and measures to tackle what has been called an epidemic by local news media are too vague and do not approach the issue in a practical way, said Pao, who was supported during the debate by other senior officials.
The added complication is that widespread corruption can erode business confidence if left unchecked, and could eventually curb foreign direct investment that was valued at a record $10.2 billion last year.
There are signs that officials are moving to further crackdown on corruption, including comments by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung that cases should be carried out as swiftly and as transparently as possible.
The prime minister last month asked the Ministry of Public Security to promptly investigate allegations that Nguyen Dinh Than, a director at state-owned Vinaconex, accepted bribes after he was found with 200 million dong, supposedly a kickback from a local contractor.
In addition, three of the nine decrees to fully implement the Anti-Corruption Law have been passed, with the fourth likely to be approved ahead of the 12th National Assembly election in May.
The draft decree requires candidates to declare their incomes and total assets before running for an assembly seat, somewhat ironic considering Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had a similar problem.
A second issue that has the potential to hit the economy is Vietnam's unskilled labour force. Though the government reports a literacy rate of around 90%, statistics show that only a fraction of the workforce is qualified to handle mid- to senior-level management positions.
In a study of 63,000 companies released late last year by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, it was found that fewer than 3% of business owners had post-graduate degrees, and 43.3% of managers did not have high-school diplomas.
"It is easy to find people to work for you [in Vietnam], but it is sometimes harder to find the right person," said a member of the Thai Business Association (TBA), who requested anonymity, at a meeting this week in Ho Chi Minh City. He added that not only did a local employee need to handle managerial responsibilities, but also he or she must be ready to work in a multi-cultural environment, which even for a seasoned businessman is not always easy.
The alternative for Thai and other foreign companies is to bring in expatriates, who tend to cost more than hiring somebody locally.
Vietnamese officials hope the managerial issue can be solved with greater public spending on improving national education and by convincing overseas Vietnamese to come back, bringing their expertise with them.
In the government's 2006-10 development plan, there are steps to send teachers back for retraining, improve curricula at schools and universities, and allow foreign higher-education institutions to establish local campuses.
Education ministers are also proactively tackling the issue of corruption and cheating on national placement exams; most recently imposing stricter controls on registering for exams and tightening test question selection procedures to ensure answers are not leaked to students.
A third factor, which may have a more immediate impact on the economy, is the potential energy shortage. The state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is already warning of blackouts soon.
EVN general director Pham Le Thanh recently told senior government officials that there could be a 140-million- unit (kilowatt/hour) shortage from now until May, due to low water levels at hydroelectric plants; the country's coal and gas generators are already working at maximum capacity.
The shortage is also being driven by higher than expected growth in energy demand, which was up 20% last year, compared to the 16% the state utility predicted. EVN is attributing the higher demand not only to households, but also to rapid industrial growth, with the Vietnamese economy last year growing by 7.5% to 8.5%, depending on whose figures you believe.
In a March 2 report, Thanh Nien Daily News wrote that EVN officials were contemplating buying electricity from China. EVN has also created 11 task forces to investigate ways to reduce energy use.
Vietnam certainly has enough of its own natural resources. With about 40 billion tonnes of coal in the Red River Delta and about 18.5 million tonnes of crude oil and six billion cubic metres of natural gas, the country is an exporter of energy commodities, but does not necessarily have the processing capacity to turn it into electricity.
There are plans for new hydroelectric power plants to come on line in 2007 with more in the pipeline over the next five years, which should help alleviate pressure on the national grid.
Despite these problems, Vietnam remains for the most part a positive investment prospect.
Indeed, its development has been most outstanding next to China and India, and hence it is important to co-operate [with Vietnamese businesses], said Vijit Supinit, the chairman of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), at the TBA meeting on Tuesday.
SET officials were in Vietnam's southern hub to work with local businesses and further develop its relationship with market regulators at the fast-growing HCM City Securities Trading Centre, which continued to hit record highs this week despite global stock market trends.
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