Congressional letter urging new US Ambassador to give priority to human rights
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As the newly appointed American Ambassador to Vietnam takes his post, 14 members of Congress send a message calling for human rights to be considered an integral part of the bilateral relationship.

Lead by the leadership of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam (Representatives Loretta Sanchez, Zoe Lofgren, Chris Smith and Frank Wolf), the letter presses Ambassador David Shear to not only strengthen diplomatic ties but also address critical issues concerning rule of law, internet freedom, and suppression of political dissent.

September 20, 2011

The Honorable David Shear
U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Ambassador Shear,

We would like congratulate you on your recent confirmation as the fifth U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since the formal normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1995. Your appointment comes at a pivotal time as Vietnam pursues economic gains through its bilateral relations with the U.S. but continues to fail on what the United States regards as a priority: respect for the fundamental human rights of its citizens.

Before your departure to Hanoi, we hope to provide you with a snapshot of Vietnam through the eyes of Congress, and to express our deep concerns about Vietnam’s efforts to tighten controls over the Internet, press, and freedom of speech, and its suppression of political dissent, religious freedom, assembly, and association. We also have outstanding concerns over the Vietnamese Government’s apparent lack of concern for the rule of law and its failure to demonstrate political will in combating human trafficking, particularly labor trafficking. As you work to strengthen the bonds of diplomatic ties, we hope that you can be an advocate for the country’s greatest asset: its people.

The freedom to connect to strengthen educational ties
Your dedication to furthering your predecessor’s commitment to U.S.-Vietnam educational cooperation must also be coupled with advocacy for a free Internet. When the Vietnamese government curtails Internet freedom, they are placing limits on the country’s economic future as well as on people’s social mobility and education.

Vietnam’s rapid growth in Internet penetration since 2000 is a promising development. With more Internet users logging on and spending more of their time online, the Internet has become a place for civil society to grow, but is also an increasing target for repression.

Despite the intermittent blocking of Facebook since 2009, its estimated reach is still increasing, pointing to a greater desire for the freedom to connect. However, and perhaps because of the increase in citizens going online for information or networking, Hanoi has used the same repressive tactics towards journalists online as it has in traditional media, recently issuing a government decree that will significantly stifle online free speech. It is also widely reported that cyber-attacks originating from Vietnam have crippled dissident websites. And, even more alarming is the fact that the restriction of Internet freedom has been taken offline: dozens of bloggers and cyber-activists have experienced harassing and detainment in recent years.

Understanding the impact of the Internet, Members of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam have spent the last year taking proactive steps advocating for the protection of Internet freedom in Vietnam and urging Internet service providers (ISPs) like Google and Yahoo to protect the privacy of Internet users in Vietnam, while the Government of Vietnam has taken unlawful steps to tighten its control over the Internet.

As Secretary of State Clinton noted in this year’s speech on Internet freedom, “there isn’t an economic internet and a social internet and a political internet; there’s just the internet.” We respectfully request that you urge the Vietnamese government to grant its citizens access to the Internet, without the intrusion and intimidation of the online police.

Repression of dissent
As the firewalls in Vietnam are growing stronger, the Hanoi regime has taken concerted steps to silence Vietnam’s voices of conscience. The Vietnamese government holds in its cells hundreds of political and religious prisoners whose "crime" is to peacefully advocate for social justice and religious freedom.

Particularly, we are concerned about the recent conviction of seven religious and pro-democracy activists in Ben Tre province on May 30, 2011. According to human rights groups, this was one of the biggest political trials in Vietnam to date and the defendants were denied their right to an open and fair trial according to the Vietnamese Constitution and international norms. This is but one of the many instances where peaceful democratic advocacy was met with political imprisonment. Others, just to name a few, include: Cu Huy Ha Vu, Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Van Hai, Phan Thanh Hai, and Father Nguyen Van Ly who is on medical parole due to his deteriorating health, and yet still serving his sentence. These are but a few of the many instances where democracy advocacy has been met with political imprisonment.

Pastors, priests, and members of Vietnam’s diverse religious community face increased scrutiny, forced renunciation of faith, harassment, arrest, and imprisonment for following their religious convictions. Catholics, Protestants, the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Montagnards, Hmong Protestants, Khmer Buddhists, and others report severe abuses, the confiscation and destruction of church property, and intense government oversight into religious practices, congregational meetings and activities. Rather than encourage religious expression, the Government of Vietnam continues to suppress peoples of faith.

We urge you to call on the Vietnamese government to unconditionally release prisoners detained for peaceful advocacy of their beliefs and to stop repressing religious freedom. As the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, we encourage you to meet often with political prisoners and their relatives as this would be a clear indication that the United States regards human rights as a priority in U.S.-Vietnam relations. Additionally, these visits will provide you with an opportunity to hear first-hand the human rights challenges facing Vietnamese citizens.

Rule of law
We encourage you to deepen the focus on legal reform by insisting that the Government of Vietnam repeal or revise ordinances or decrees including vague national security provisions such as Articles 79, 88, and 258 which are frequently used to arrest and detain peaceful citizens who advocate for religious freedom, free speech and association. We also urge you to work with the Vietnamese government to ensure that laws such as the 2004 Ordinance on Religious Beliefs and Religious Organizations do not restrict the practice of religious freedom and that laws on labor export as well as the newly passed legislation on trafficking in persons be strictly enforced so as to punish the traffickers while protecting the victims.

We look forward to the day when Vietnam lives up to the commitments enshrined in its constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Vietnam is a party, and allows its entire population the right to freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the right of association.

It is our hope to work with you and the Administration in order that human rights are considered an integral part of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship, and to give voice to the many Vietnamese advocates and activists who are peacefully seeking internationally recognized human rights in their homeland.

Sincerely,

Loretta Sanchez
Member of Congress

Christopher Smith
Member of Congress

Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress

Frank Wolf
Member of Congress

Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress

Daniel Lungren
Member of Congress

Susan Davis
Member of Congress

Edward Royce
Member of Congress

Michael Honda
Member of Congress

Mike Coffman
Member of Congress

Madeleine Bordallo
Member of Congress

Bob Filner
Member of Congress

Al Green
Member of Congress

Brad Miller
Member of Congress


US Congressional Letter to Ambassador David Shear (pdf)   more »

November 9th, 2011
TO: Director-General Hoang Thi Trung
Department of International Organizations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam
Dear Director General,
As your delegation arrives in Washington, DC for its human rights dialogue with the US, the undersigned organizations write to express serious concern over the lack of freedom of expression and information in Vietnam. As of today, 20 reporters and bloggers in your country are behind bars because they dared write the denial of human rights in Vietnam.
In past discussions with U.S. officials, you agreed to note that without free and independent media and civil society, it would be difficult for Vietnam to tackle many of the issues your country faces. We regret that the tighter restrictions your government has put on the press and Internet users since January 2011 could also have made you less informed on the situation in your own country and therefore less equipped to govern.
Vietnam continues to have no independent media, and bloggers and reporters take a risk when they report on the true state of civil society in Vietnam. Prior to entering the World Trade Organization in 2006, you acknowledged that the human rights record of a country was very closely linked to your economic development. We agree.
Last August, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga said that human rights in Vietnam are respected as content in your Constitution and observed. We ask that you examine the following three examples and explain why then are the following civil and political rights that are enshrined in the Vietnamese constitution not observed in reality.
Article 53 states: "Citizens have the right to take part in managing the State and society, in debating on general issues of the whole country or of the locality, and make petitions or recommendations to the state offices and vote at any referendum held by the State."
Why is Nguyen Van Hai still in jail for his writings, despite what you own constitution says? He was supposed to be released more than a year ago and is still held without an explanation.
Article 69 also states: "Citizens are entitled to freedom of speech and freedom of the press; they have the right to receive information and the right to assembly, association and demonstration in accordance with the law".
Explain to us why the independent journalist Nguyen Dan Que, 69, is accused of anti-government propaganda and could face prison over his call for demonstrations inspired by pro-democracy movements in the Middle East. According to your Constitution, such a call is not against the law.
Article 71: "Citizens have the right to physical inviolability and to have their lives, health, honor and dignity protected by law. No citizen may be arrested without a warrant from the People’s Court, or a warrant form the People’s Court, or a warrant from or ratification by the People’s Inspectorate except in the case he or she is caught in flagrant violation of the law."
Lastly, pelase explain to us why our organizations have confirmed testimony of physical and mental torture in detention centers across Vietnam, in direct violation of Article 71.
There are too many testimonies like these all across Vietnam. These contradictions will all damage foreign investments in your country in the long run. Look at the unethical practices foreign business balk at in China and Iran, often leading them to reconsider their presence and strategy in these countries. Businesses are becoming more aware that operating in regressive countries leads to bad press and they are under growing pressure to withhold investment in those nations.
During your stay in the US, the free and diverse media here allow you to read the news and discern information about human rights, yet your own citizens will not know how your visit is going by any means other than state media. U.S. citizens will be better informed about human rights in Vietnam than Vietnamese citizens themselves. Not paying attention to the national situation is definitely not in the line with defending your homeland, "a sacred duty and noble right of Vietnamese citizens" (article 77 of the Constitution).
For all of these reasons, freedom of information matters. Shortly after the 66th anniversary of Vietnam’s independence in early September, our organizations were thrilled to learn that 10,000 prisoners were granted amnesty. We therefore urge you to extend that amnesty to all political prisoners, and to these ones in particular:
Nguyen Tien Trung
Vu Duc Trung
Le Van Thanh
Nguyen Van Ly
Nguyen Van Hai, "Dieu Cay"
Paulus Le Son
Cu Huy Ha Vu
Pham Minh Hoang,
as well as the 13 other journalists and bloggers who are participating in building the civil society you mentioned in 2008, during your last visit to Washington.
Sincerely,
Emily Butselaar, Online Editor
Index on Censorship
Dr. Agnes Callamard, Executive Director
Article 19
Christine Laroque, Asia Programs Manager
ACAT France
Jean-Francois Julliard, General Secretary
Reporters Without Borders
Brett Solomon, Executive Director
Access Now
Jillian York, Director for International Freedom of Expression
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Cc: Assistant Secretary Michael Posner
Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520   more »

America's Pacific Century. Remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the East-West Center in Hawaii, November 12, 2011

We support not only open economies but open societies. And as we engage more deeply with nations with whom we disagree on issues like democracy and human rights, we will persist in urging them to reform. For example, we have made it clear to Vietnam that if we are to develop a strategic partnership, as both nations desire, Vietnam must do more to respect and protect its citizens’ rights.

"America's Pacific Century" http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/11/176999.htm

U.S.: Vietnam must improve its human rights efforts
DienDanCTM (News 11-11-2011)

Secretary of State Mrs. Clinton speak
at the East-West Center VN-related human rights
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Wednesday 10-11-2011 speech at the East-West Center (East-West Center) in Hawaii that the United States made it clear to the Vietnam "if Vietnam Nammuon development strategic partnership, as both parties desire, Vietnam to further efforts to respect and protect the rights of citizens ".

Mrs. Clinton speak at the East-West Center, a strategic research agency in Hawaii, to Honolulu on occasion to attend a summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) here in two days 12 and 13-11 here.

In his speech, Clinton also mentioned the situation of human rights violations in China, and expressed concern about how China treats Tibetans. She said the United States is not afraid "to speak openly and in particular with China" whenever information about the arrest or disappearance of lawyers, artists and other ordinary people, also expressed concern about the case, "the young Tibetan self-immolation as a protest action in despair, "happened recently.

On this occasion, her Secretary of the United States also asserts that "The 21st century will be the Pacific century, the United States". She said Asia is becoming a "serious health and economic strategy" of the world, and the United States to help build a new order in this region. According to Ms. Clinton, it was time to have a 'trans-Pacific system more dynamic and more sustainable'.

It is known that earlier, the United States and Vietnam had just ended two days of dialogue in regular session on human rights in Washington, in which the two sides discussed the issue of political prisoners, freedom of religion teachers, along with restrictions on lawyers and civil society .... same restrictions on Internet access in Vietnam as well as other attacks aimed at the computerization of human rights activists.

A case in the United States should be the case in Hanoi began to Father Nguyen Van Ly 7-2011 or go to prison last month, while he was temporarily released for medical treatment outside. Vietnam has not adequately answer the point that the U.S. side raised about this case.

Falun Gong is the last place in Honolulu

Related to the APEC summit takes place this weekend in Honolulu, said information will be protests of human rights and democratic freedoms occurred during the dictatorship leaders to attend a conference This, especially China and Vietnam.

A demonstration of the Falun Gong members have recently held on Wednesday, 9-11-2011, accused the Chinese authorities suppress human rights. Falun Gong members said many students are coming here from other places and is expected later this week will be huge protests.

The Vietnamese community in Hawaii has also prepared a protest to denounce the violation of human rights situation in Vietnam during the APEC conference held last week. According to her Trinity Pham, a Vietnam Reform Party members, there will be a protest march on the morning of Saturday, 12-11-2011, from Old Stadium Park in Moiliili to the Waikiki area. Many of the Vietnamese community units from several states in the mainland of North America will participate, to speak struggle for freedom and democracy for people in the country are prohibited CSTV authorities, silence .


ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE http://diendanctm.blogspot.com/2011/11/ngoai-truong-my-viet-nam-phai-no-luc.html

Translation by Google   more »

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE

9 November 2011


Viet Nam: Falun Gong practitioners detained over meditation protest



The beating and arrest of at least 30 peaceful Falun Gong demonstrators yesterday outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi is an unacceptable violation of freedom of expression, Amnesty International said today.

The demonstrators were protesting the trial and mistreatment of two local Falun Gong broadcasters, Vu Duc Trung and Le Van Thanh, who had worked for the movement’s radio station The Sound of Hope. The trial of Vu and Le is due to take place on Thursday.

“The repression of these Falun Gong practitioners by the Vietnamese authorities is a violation of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director.

“We should really question why the Vietnamese authorities are targeting the Falun Gong in this way.”

According to Falun Gong sources, police first dumped dirty water on the protesters to encourage them to move on. When the demonstrators did not move, the demonstrators were reportedly beaten and kicked while being moved into police vehicles and taken away into detention. Falun Gong witnesses allege that the police focused on assaulting practitioners who had cameras.

The group were reportedly held first in a stadium, then distributed among several police detention centres in Hanoi. It is not clear if they have been charged.

“It is truly excessive to beat up and drag away protesters who are peacefully meditating on a sidewalk,” said Donna Guest. “The Vietnamese police should either release the detainees or charge them with a recognisable criminal offence.”

Vu and Le have been in custody for 17 months and are accused of broadcasting illegally into China. Falun Gong spokespeople allege that the Chinese authorities are pressuring Viet Nam to crack down on the group.

“The prosecution of these two Vietnamese nationals is part of the wider repression of the media in Viet Nam,” said Donna Guest.

Falun Gong is a banned movement in China, where practitioners have been arbitrarily detained, held in psychiatric hospitals and in ‘re-education through labour’ facilities, and sentenced to long prison terms.

Dozens of peaceful political critics and activists have been sentenced to long prison terms since Viet Nam began a crackdown on freedom of expression in October 2009. Critics of a Chinese-backed bauxite mine project have been among the targets.

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact Amnesty International Asia-Pacific Press Officer, Katya Nasim at katya.nasim@amnesty.org + 44 207 413 5871 / +44 7904398103

Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org
International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK   more »

GENEVA, 15 September 2011 (VIETNAM COMMITTEE) - Speaking on behalf of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) and Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l’Homme at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, Mr. Vo Tran Nhat called on Vietnam to cease recent repression of peaceful demonstrations, release all demonstrators still under detention and repeal anti-demonstration laws that contravene Vietnam’s international obligations under the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. He also called for a visit to Vietnam by the UN’s new Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Mr. Maina Kiai. Describing unprecedented demonstrations that have taken place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) since June 5th 2011 to protest Chinese incursions into Vietnamese territories and waters, and to denounce the submissive attitude of the Hanoi government, Mr. Vo Tran told the UN Human Rights Council that dozens of people in Hanoi had been arrested, and Police continue to threaten protesters with severe reprisals if they take to the streets again. A ban on demonstrations announced by the Hanoi People’s Committee on the grounds that they were “incited by hostile forces” has sparked off strong public discontent. On 18 August, 25 prominent Hanoi intellectuals, including academia, Communist Party members and military veterans sent a Petition to the government, and 10 others filed an indictment against the State-controlled TV and Radio, stating that the protests were by “patriotic Vietnamese”. Calling on Vietnam to urgently abrogate Decree 38 and its Implementation Directive which prohibit gatherings of over five people outside public buildings, Mr. Vo Tran said: “As the new UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association begins his mandate, it is vital to inform the UN Human Rights Council that, at this very moment, these fundamental rights are being gravely and systematically abused in Vietnam”.   more »

Vietnamese writers are frequently threatened, assaulted, or even jailed for peacefully expressing their views. By honoring these brave writers, who have suffered so much, are persecuted, fired, and even imprisoned, we’re giving an international platform to those the Vietnamese government wants to silence. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director (Bangkok) – Eight Vietnamese writers are among a diverse group of 48 writers from 24 countries who have received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award recognizing writers who demonstrate courage and conviction in the face of political persecution, Human Rights Watch said today. “Vietnamese writers are frequently threatened, assaulted, or even jailed for peacefully expressing their views,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, which administers the annual Hellman/Hammett awards. “By honoring these brave writers, who have suffered so much, are persecuted, fired, and even imprisoned, we’re giving an international platform to those the Vietnamese government wants to silence.” This year’s Vietnamese award-winners have all seen their writing and activism suppressed by the government in an attempt to restrict free speech, control independent media, and limit open access and use of the internet. The grant winners have all been arrested and detained, now or in the past. Some have been attacked and injured by officially sanctioned mobs, or denounced and humiliated in orchestrated public meetings. Every single one has been targeted by government actions that disrupted their personal and professional lives, ranging from cutting their telephone lines and restricting their movements to pressuring family members to urge them to cease their activities. The award winners include Cu Huy Ha Vu, a legal advocate; Ho Thi Bich Khuong, a human rights activist; Le Tran Luat, a former lawyer; Nguyen Bac Truyen, a former political prisoner; Nguyen Xuan Nghia, a free speech activist; Phan Thanh Hai, who is blogger Anh Ba Sai Gon, Ta Phong Tan, a former police officer; and Vi Duc Hoi, a former party official. Cu Huy Ha Vu, Nguyen Xuan Nghia, and Vi Duc Hoi are currently in prison. Ho Thi Bich Khuong was arrested on January 15, 2011, on an unknown charge and remains in detention. Phan Thanh Hai has been detained since October 18 for allegedly conducting propaganda against the state. Ta Phong Tan was arrested on September 5 on an unknown charge. Nguyen Bac Truyen, after serving 42 months in prison, is living under a post-release order that severely restricts his freedom of movement. Only Le Tran Luat is not in detention, but he faces intrusive police surveillance every day. (Detailed biographies follow below.) OPEN ARTICLE.    more »

Vietnam political prisoner dies after 33 years (AP) – 14 hours ago HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — An international human rights group says a Vietnamese political prisoner has died after more than three decades in detention. Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that Truong Van Suong died a day earlier in Ha Nam province outside Hanoi. He was the second Vietnamese political prisoner to die since July. Nguyen Van Trai died in prison on July 11. Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi confirmed Suong's death, saying he died from a serious illness despite receiving treatment from doctors at a hospital. Nghi said Suong was released from prison in July last year for a year of medical parole, after which he was returned to jail in "stable health." "By locking him up again in such terrible health, the government of Vietnam essentially condemned him to die alone, separated from family and friends in his last days," Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, said in a statement. The New York-based group said Suong, 68, suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure. It said he was a soldier in the former South Vietnam who was sent to a re-education camp from 1975 to 1981 after the fall of the Saigon government. After being released, he fled to Thailand and joined an anti-communist group. He returned to Vietnam in 1983 and was immediately arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on spying charges, it said. The death of two political prisoners since July "should be a warning signal to the Vietnamese authorities. The government should immediately release all political prisoners unconditionally, but they should especially prioritize the release of those with serious health problems so they can receive proper medical treatment," Robertson said.   more »

http://www.hrw.org/node/101397 For Immediate Release Vietnam: Free Seriously Ill Rights Advocates National Day Releases Should Include All Imprisoned Dissidents (New York, August 31, 2011) – The Vietnam government should immediately release two ailing dissidents and ensure their proper medical treatment, Human Rights Watch said today. Nguyen Van Hai, the blogger known as Dieu Cay, 59, is believed to have suffered a serious injury in prison. Father Nguyen Van Ly, 65, a veteran political activist who had been given medical parole because of three strokes and other serious illness, was re-incarcerated in July. “A great way for Vietnam to celebrate its National Day would be by freeing all those imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their human rights,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The unconditional release of dissidents needing urgent medical treatment should be at the top of the list.” Vietnam usually celebrates its National Day, September 2, with a partial amnesty of prisoners. This year the government announced it will release 10,244 prisoners. According to Vietnamese state media, only five of them are prisoners incarcerated for “national security crimes.” Frequently, the authorities punish critics who peacefully exercise their rights to association, assembly, and free expression with criminal convictions under the mantle of “national security crimes.” Hundreds of dissidents convicted of such crimes remain behind bars. Two of the five who reportedly are to be released are the democracy activists Nguyen Van Tinh and Tran Duc Thach, a 2010 winner of the Hellman/Hammett award for writers who have been victims of political persecution. Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned for the health of Nguyen Van Hai, popularly known by his blog moniker Dieu Cay. He is co-founder of the Club for Free Journalists, established in September 2007 to promote freedom of expression and independent journalism. He was arrested on April 20, 2008. On September 10, 2008, a criminal court sentenced him to 30 months in prison on a trumped-up tax evasion charge. In 2009, he received the Hellman/Hammett award. On October 20, 2010, police transferred Nguyen Van Hai from Xuan Loc (Z30A) prison in Dong Nai province, where he had been serving his prison term, to the headquarters of the Security Investigative Bureau of the Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Department of Public Security at No. 4 Phan Dang Luu Street. Both decades-old facilities are notorious for their horrific conditions and the long-term imprisonment and ill-treatment of political prisoners. On July 17, 2011, Nguyen Van Hai’s former wife, Duong Thi Tan, filed a complaint with the Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Department of Public Security about his health and safety. She alleged that a police officer told her on July 5 that “Mr. Hai has lost an arm.” Concerns have been heightened by the Ho Chi Minh City police’s rejection of an application from Nguyen Van Hai’s lawyer to represent him and multiple requests by his family to visit him. His current whereabouts and health condition are unknown. “The Vietnam government shamelessly constructs charges to keep peaceful critics like Dieu Cay behind bars and then deny them any outside contact,” Robertson said. “Denying access to counsel and family members is all the more egregious when there are concerns about his health.” Father Nguyen Van Ly was returned to prison on July 25. He had been sentenced to eight years in prison in March 2007 for pro-democracy activities, including issuing a manifesto calling for peaceful struggle to establish human rights and democracy in Vietnam. The authorities charged him with disseminating “anti-government propaganda” under penal code article 88. The authorities released Ly on temporary medical parole on March 15, 2010, and sent him to his parish in Hue. His release came after he suffered three strokes while in solitary confinement in 2009. He was returned to prison in July to serve the remaining five years in his term. Since 1977, Ly has spent a total of 15 years in prison for his peaceful campaigning for religious freedom, democracy, and human rights. He was one of the principal architects of the democracy movement known as Bloc 8406, named after the date of its founding on April 8, 2006. In 2004 and 2008, he received Hellman/Hammett awards. Ly needs continuing medical treatment for his serious health problems, which include a three-centimeter brain tumor that may have contributed to paralysis of his right leg and arm while in prison, and carotid atherosclerosis, which can cause strokes. “Father Ly was convicted solely for expressing peaceful political beliefs and he should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” Robertson said. “We are concerned that his return to prison when he is so ill is putting his life at grave risk.” For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Vietnam, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/en/asia/vietnam For more information, please contact: In Bangkok, Phil Robertson (English, Thai): +66-85-060-8406 (mobile); or robertp@hrw.org In Washington, DC, Sophie Richardson (English, Mandarin): +;1-202-612-4341; or +;1-917-721-7473 (mobile); or richards@hrw.org In London, Brad Adams (English): +44-790-872-8333 (mobile); or adamsb@hrw.org   more »

After a period of blocking the nomination by Republican showboater Senator Rubio of Florida, David Shear is confirmed to be the United States ambassador to Vietnam on August 4, 2011. http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html The following is written by the Vietnam News Agency, the news organization of the government of Vietnam. All grammatical errors and attributions are from the VNA. VNA)Vietnam’s new ambassador to the US has affirmed that the most important goal of his working term is to contribute to developing the Vietnam-US ties into a strategic partnership. Vietnamese Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Cuong presented credentials to US President Barack Obama in Washington on July 7. According to Ambassador Cuong, at the credentials presentation, US President Barack Obama said that the US-Vietnam bilateral relationship has made “remarkable progress” with increasing cooperation in trade, security, nonproliferation, health, environment, science and technology, and education. The US and Vietnam should “continue to build on this momentum” as the two countries move forward with efforts to take the US-Vietnam relationship to the next level of partnership and new degree of cooperation, he stressed. President Obama added that the US and Vietnam should “work to advance their shared interests in regional stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.” He also promised to provide active support for the Ambassador and Vietnamese agencies in the US. He expressed thanks to the President and other leaders of Vietnam and said he wishes to visit Vietnam early. On the occasion, the Vietnamese diplomat noted that the two countries' relations have made remarkable progress over the past 16 years since the two countries normalised their ties. Vietnam and the US have laid a strong foundation for bilateral cooperation in various areas, from politics-security-defence to economics-trade-investment, education, health, science and technology as well as cooperation in such humanitarian issues as searching for those missing in action (MIA) and addressing consequences of Agent Orange, he said. "We are also working closely on climate change, non-proliferation and counter terrorism," he added. Meeting with Vietnamese correspondents after the credentials presentation, Ambassador Cuong stressed that during his term of office, he will focus on lifting the Vietnam-US relationship to a new height towards a strategic partnership for the interests of the two nations and for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole. He, however, pointed to obstacles that the two sides need to overcome to deepen their relations, including the legacy of the past and differences between the two countries in such issues as democracy, human rights and religion. The two sides have set up a regular dialogue mechanism where frank exchanges were made to promote their understanding of those different viewpoints and deeds, he added. The ambassador also affirmed that he will also focus on the work relating to the Vietnamese community in the US, saying he found it extremely important to act as a bridge to bring overseas Vietnamese closer to the homeland. The ambassador said he plans to visit several US states where he will meet with the Vietnamese communities and listen to their feelings and aspirations as well as explain guidelines and policies of the Vietnamese Party and State for them.    more »

Prisoners of conscience who are adopted by Amnesty International gain hope from knowledge that there is worldwide campaigning on their behalf. They trust the organization to bring their conditions to light. Each letter, each signature, each postcard, comes from an individual who cares. Prisoners of conscience in Vietnam are subject to routine torture at arrest and during imprisonment. The witness by Father Nguyen Van Ly, attorney Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Buddhist priest Thich Quang Do speak directly in the immediate present to practices of torture. This evidence is confirmed by Human Rights Watch, another international nongovernmental organization. The testimony about torture in prisons in Vietnam is translated, edited, and published by volunteers of Amnesty International USA. Father Ly is forfeiting his life by being returned to prison in ill health on July 25, 2011. He has been on hunger strike since that time. As of this date, August 4, 2011, he is very weak. Please give your full attention to his testimony. Jean Libby Vietnam Country Specialist Amnesty International USA (voluntary) OPEN ARTICLE FOR FULL TEXT. FATHER LY'S TESTIMONY ON TORTURE IS ATTACHED (BILINGUAL).   more »

U.S. EMBASSY-HANOI July 26, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesperson For Immediate Release July 26, 2011 2011/1243 STATEMENT BY HEIDE BRONKE FULTON, ACTING DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON Return of Father Nguyen Van Ly to Prison We are concerned by the Government of Vietnam’s decision to return long-time human rights defender Father Nguyen Van Ly to prison on July 25. We urge the Government of Vietnam to release him immediately. We welcomed the government’s decision last year to grant Father Ly humanitarian parole following a series of strokes while in solitary confinement. Father Ly suffers from a brain tumor and should continue to be allowed to seek medical treatment. No individual should be imprisoned for expressing the right to free speech. In September 2010, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention held that Father Ly was denied a fair trial and ruled his detention was arbitrary, in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, and called for his immediate release. Father Ly is a co-founder of Bloc 8406 and the Vietnam Progression Party. He has spent over 16 years in prison. ----------------------------------------------------------- Thông cáo báo chí của Bộ Ngoại giao Hoa Kỳ BỘ NGOẠI GIAO HOA KỲ Văn phòng Phát ngôn viên Cho đăng tải ngay 26/7/2011 2011/1243 TUYÊN BỐ CỦA HEIDE BRONKE FULTON, QUYỀN PHÓ PHÁT NGÔN VIÊN Việc Cha Nguyễn Văn Lý trở lại nhà tù Chúng tôi quan ngại về quyết định của Chính phủ Việt Nam đưa nhà bảo vệ nhân quyền lâu năm Cha Nguyễn Văn Lý trở lại nhà tù vào ngày 25/7. Chúng tôi thúc giục Chính phủ Việt Nam thả ông ngay lập tức. Chúng tôi đã hoan nghênh quyết định hồi năm ngoái của chính phủ tạm tha nhân đạo Cha Lý sau những cơn đột quỵ trong khi ông bị biệt giam. Cha Lý đang bị u não và cần tiếp tục được phép tìm cách điều trị y tế. Không nên có cá nhân nào bị bỏ tù vì bày tỏ quyền tự do ngôn luận. Vào tháng 9/2010, Nhóm Công tác LHQ về Giam giữ Độc đoán cho rằng Cha Lý đã không được xử công bằng và khẳng định sự giam giữ ông là độc đoán, vi phạm Tuyên ngôn Toàn cầu về Nhân quyền và Công ước Quốc tế về Các Quyền Dân sự và Chính trị, và kêu gọi thả ông ngay lập tức. ————–   more »

URGENT ACTION VIETNAMESE BLOGGER "LOSES ARM" IN PRISON Imprisoned blogger Nguyen Hoang Hai, known as Dieu Cay, has “lost his arm,” according to a security official at the prison investigation office. No further information has been given and requests to meet with Hai continue to be denied. He has not been seen by his family or lawyer since October 2010. Prisoner of conscience Nguyen Hoang Hai completed a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges of tax fraud in October 2010. Instead of releasing him, the authorities told his family that he was being held for investigation for “conducting propaganda” against the state. The authorities have rejected repeated requests from his family and lawyer to visit him and provide food and medicines. On 5 July, his wife again went to the prison where he was last detained to try to see him, and to deliver food for him. She spoke with a security official, who told her that Nguyen Hoang Hai had “lost his arm,” but provided no further information, and gave no answer to her request to meet with her husband. Nguyen Hoang Hai is the co-founder of the independent Free Vietnamese Journalists’ Club, formed in 2007; has written articles critical of China’s foreign policies with regard to Viet Nam; and taken part in peaceful protests. He had publicly criticized government policies before his arrest in April 2008 and spoke out for human rights in Viet Nam in his blogs. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, detained for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression. Prison conditions in Viet Nam are generally harsh. With poor food and limited health care, prisoners are reliant on additional supplies from their families. In 2009 Nguyen Hoang Hai was held incommunicado for several months after being transferred to a prison further from his home in Ho Chi Minh City, making it difficult for his family to visit him. Political prisoners held incommunicado are particularly vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment. Please write immediately in English or your own language:  Demanding that the authorities urgently provide information on the whereabouts and physical wellbeing of Nguyen Hoang Hai, especially details of how he "lost an arm," as an official told his wife on 5 July;  Demanding that they release Nguyen Hoang Hai immediately and unconditionally;  Urging them to give him access to his family, a lawyer of his choice and any medical attention he may require. PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 7 SEPTEMBER 2011 TO: Minister of Public Security Le Hong Anh Ministry of Public Security 44 Yet Kieu Street Ha Noi, Viet Nam Fax: +844 3942 0223 Salutation: Dear Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem Minister of Foreign Affairs 1 Ton That Dam Street Ba Dinh district, Ha Noi Viet Nam Fax: +844 3823 1872 Email: bc.mfa@mofa.gov.vn Salutation: Dear Minister Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below: Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 132/11. Further information: www.amnesty.org/xxxxx URGENT ACTION VIETNAMESE BLOGGER "LOSES ARM" IN PRISON ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Freedom of expression, association and assembly are severely restricted in Viet Nam. The authorities routinely harass and imprison peaceful activists who criticise government policies and advocate greater freedoms, in order to silence them. Dozens of prisoners of conscience, including bloggers, lawyers, writers, labour activists, business people, and supporters of opposition groups, are serving long prison terms under legislation which criminalizes peaceful dissent. Name: Nguyen Hoang Hai, also known as Dieu Cay Gender m/f: m Affiliation: Journalist Further information on UA: 132/11 Index: ASA 41/004/2011 Issue Date: 27 July 2011 -- Working to protect human rights worldwide   more »

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE 26 JULY 2011 Viet Nam: Ailing dissident priest jailed again Amnesty International has urged the Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release a Catholic priest who was returned to prison yesterday while on parole to treat serious health problems. Police arrested Father Nguyen Van Ly, aged 64, yesterday in the central diocese of Hue before an ambulance transported him to prison. Authorities claim he was returned to prison for distributing anti-government leaflets during his parole. He had been serving an eight-year prison term for “conducting propaganda against the state” when a stroke and a brain tumour led to his temporary release in March 2010. “Father Nguyen Van Ly is in very poor health and should never have been arrested in the first place. He is a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his peaceful pro-democracy work,” said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director. “The Vietnamese authorities must release him without delay, and in the meantime reveal his whereabouts and grant him immediate access to family members, his lawyer and adequate medical treatment.” Father Ly was sentenced to eight years in prison and five years of house arrest in 2007. The publisher of the secret dissident journal To Do Ngon Luan (Freedom and Democracy), he co-founded the online pro-democracy movement Bloc 8406 and has helped to set up other banned political groups in Viet Nam. Father Ly had been serving his jail term in Ba Sao prison, near Ha Noi in northern Viet Nam, when he suffered a stroke in November 2009. He did not receive a proper diagnosis or adequate medical treatment and was only transferred to a prison hospital in Ha Noi some two weeks later. Despite being partially paralyzed, he was returned to his prison cell on 11 December 2009. On 15 March 2010, he was granted a one-year “temporary suspension” of his sentence to seek medical treatment for a brain tumour. Since the 1970s, Father Ly has spent some 17 years in prison – amid harsh conditions and often in solitary confinement – for calling on Vietnamese authorities to respect freedom of expression and other human rights. “Father Ly is one of dozens of activists serving long jail terms for their peaceful criticism of the Vietnamese authorities,” said Donna Guest. “Peaceful dissent and the promotion of democracy are criminalized in Viet Nam, and these prisoners of conscience are being held in deplorable conditions.” Notes to Editors · For more information or to arrange interviews please contact Amnesty International Asia-Pacific Press Officer, Katya Nasim at katya.nasim@amnesty.org + 44 207 413 5871 / +44 7904398103 Public Document **************************************** For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK _______________________________________ Janice Beanland Southeast Asia Team | Cambodia | Laos | Viet Nam Amnesty International | International Secretariat T: + 44 (0) 20 7413 5660 | S: Janice Beanland -- Working to protect human rights worldwide   more »

Rev. Peter Phan Van Loi, Hue , Vietnam reported problems! Date: Monday, July 25, 2011, 10:21 AM Father Nguyen Van Ly was sent back to prison VC small VN-News 07.25.2011 Dear compatriots in Vietnam and abroad Ladies and International Human Rights Agency. At 1430 Monday, 25-07-2011 (GMT), police CSTV went to the General, the Archbishop of Hue, 69 Phan Dinh Phung-Hue, to make prisoners of conscience Father Nguyen Van Ly in the prison. (Police car and brought an ambulance to.) Prior to the work, police have asked the administration is Rev. Chung Le Quang Vien confirm the sign. Rev. Le Quang Vien signed receipt, with the conditions clearly stating that: "Father Nguyen Van Ly is still in a state of sickness, not heal anything." After a couple there, police finally have to accept. Things happen in minutes. Le Quang List of Lm Tel: 054.3824.937 Jean Libby, editor VietAM Review http://vietamreview.blogharbor.com OPEN ARTICLE FOR VIETNAMESE   more »

Members of the United Workers-Farmers Organization (UWFO) (Hiệp Hội Đoàn Kết Công Nông) By Amnesty International USA Group 39, Coordinator Ed Everhart, amnesty39@gmail.com July 2011 Background: Under current Vietnamese law, peaceful political dissent is criminalized by the arbitrary application of vaguely-worded national security legislation. This violates freedom of expression and association, in contravention of international human rights instruments to which Vietnam is a state party, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Vietnam hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on November 18 and 19, 2006, in Ha Noi. Starting around the time of the summit, there was a serious crackdown on peaceful dissent and freedom of expression and association. At least 35 people were arrested between November 2006 and the end of 2007, including lawyers, trade unionists, religious leaders, and internet dissidents. Tran Quoc Hien, Doan Van Dien, and Doan Huy Chuong are members of the independed United Workers-Farmers Organization (UWFO) which was formed by dissidents in October 2006. Independent trade unions are not allowed in Vietnam; labor union activities must be arranged under supervision of the ruling Communist Party. The UWFO exists to protect and promote workers’ rights, and advocates the right to form and participate in trade unions that are independent of government interference. It also calls for justice for people whose land and property have been unlawfully confiscated by government officials, and for an end to exploitation of cheap labor and dangerous working conditions. Tran Quoc Hien: Born c. 1965. Married, with a 12-year-old son. Tran Quoc Hien, the director of a legal consultancy in Ho Chi Minh city, provided advice to farmers whose land had been confiscated by the authorities. He was selected as the spokesperson for the UWFO in January 2007. Two days later, on January 12, he was arrested. On May 4, it was reported in official media that he would be brought to trial on May 15 in the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court, charged under Article 88 (conduction propaganda against the state) and Article 89 (disrupting security) of the penal code. Allegations against Tran Quoc Hien included that he “joined reactionary organizations through the Internet” and that “under the guise of helping members of the public lodge petitions,” he and others incited demonstrations and posted “distorted” articles on the Internet. He was also charged with being a member of an internet-based pro-democracy movement, Bloc 8406, formed on 8 April 2006. On that date activists launched a manifesto calling for peaceful political change and respect for human rights. Amnesty International believes that Tran Quoc Hien was arrested for his activities related to the UWFO, as well as his support of Bloc 8406. At the trial on May 15, Tran Quoc Hien was sentenced to three years imprisonment under Article 88, two years under Article 89, and two years of house arrest on release. He is currently believed to be detained at Prison Z30A, Phan Trai 2, Xa Xuan Loc, Dong Nai Province. In 2009, Tran Quoc Hien was one of a small number of political prisoners in Z30A prison camp who participated in a hunger strike to protest harsh conditions of detention. Doan Van Dien: Born c. 1954. Mennonite pastor, previously arrested for religious activities. Doan Van Dien was arrested on November 15, 2006. That day he had given an interview to US-based Radio Free Asia, expressing concerns about the arrest of his sons, also UWFO members. He was accused of collecting complaints about land use and sending them to overseas websites and journalists, and distributing anti-government leaflets ahead of the APEC summit. Doan Van Dien was tried on December 10, 2007 at Dong Nai Provincial People’s Court and sentenced to four and a half years’ imprisonment for “abusing democracy and freedom rights.” His appeal was rejected on February 28, 2008. Doan Van Dien is being held in B5 Prison, Dong Nai Province. Doan Huy Chuong: Born 1985. Son of Doan Van Dien. Previously detained in 2006 for UWFO activity. Doan Huy Chuong worked at a seafood company in Quang Nam Province before moving to Ho Chi Minh City, where he led several strikes. In November 2006 he was arrested and charged with “distorting the facts” in interviews with international media, including Radio Free Asia. He had claimed that the Vietnamese government committed labor rights violations and arrested peaceful protesters. He served 18 months in prison for “abusing democratic freedoms.” He suffered mental and physical abuse in prison. Doan Huy Chuong was arrested again in February 2010 for helping to organize a strike by around 10,000 workers at the My Phong shoe factory in Tra Vinh Province, distributing leaflets, and being in contact with the overseas Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers. Shortly before the ASEAN summit in Ha Noi beginning October 28, 2010, Doan Huy Chuong was convicted of “disrupting security” under Article 89 of the penal code, and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was sentenced alongside Do Thi Minh Hanh and Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, two other labor organizers. Doan Huy Chuong is currently being held incommunicado. Amnesty International is concerned that he and other jailed UWFO members are at risk of being subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment while in prison. Goals of the AIUSA campaign for these prisoners: • Secure the immediate and unconditional release of Tran Quoc Hien, Doan Van Dien, and Doan Huy Chuong. • Ensure that the prisoners have adequate medical care and adequate conditions of detention; ensure that they have access to their families and to lawyers. • Educate the public about this case, and about the lack of certain human rights in Vietnam, including freedom of expression and freedom of association. • Have local government officials and other leaders put pressure on the Vietnamese government to resolve this case. • Have Congressional representatives send a letter to the Ambassador of Vietnam in Washington, calling for the release of the trade unionists. • Have Congressional representatives introduce, co-sponsor, and/or support a resolution calling for the release of these prisoners. • Send copies of correspondence to the U.S. Embassy in Ha Noi; the embassy has raised the cases of dissidents in the past and may be able to help. • Secure the unconditional release of all people in Vietnam detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and association. • Ensure that the authorities in Vietnam end harassment, threats and arrest of peaceful dissidents and activists. • Have the authorities in Vietnam cease using national security legislation to criminalize peaceful dissent, including by repealing or amending relevant provisions of the 1999 Penal Code. Sources: Not Yet a Workers’ Paradise: Vietnam’s Suppression of the Independent Workers’ Movement, Human Rights Watch, 2009, http://www.hrw.org/node/82862 Amnesty International case dossier and email updates (not public material) Amnesty International updates: 1. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/heavy-sentences-viet-nam-labour-activists-condemned-2010-10-27 2. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA41/001/2010/en 3. http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/free-imprisoned-trade-unionists   more »

MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Release Contact: Amnesty Group 39 coordinator Edwin Everhart, 919-260-9535, edwin.everhart@gmail.com AMNESTY HOSTS “WORKERS OF THE WORLD” FORUM WHO: Jackie Bong-Wright, the Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers Mike Doyle, US Representative Kenneth Miller, Industrial Workers of the World anti-sweatshop organizer William Peduto, Pittsburgh City Council Fred Redmond, United Steelworkers International Vice President Moderated by Edwin Everhart, Amnesty International Group 39 (Pittsburgh) WHAT: Amnesty International hosts a public forum on labor rights abroad and at home. WHEN: July 20, 2011 (Wednesday), 8:00 – 9:30 PM WHERE: Teamsters Temple, 4701 Butler Street, Pittsburgh 15201 “Workers of the World,” a public panel discussion of the international labor movement, will be hosted by the Pittsburgh chapter of Amnesty International, Group 39, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 at the Teamster Temple, 4701 Butler Street. The forum will call public attention to a current Amnesty Group 39 case of three Vietnamese organizers imprisoned for non-violent labor activity. Speaking will be Jackie Bong-Wright of the Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers; US Congressman Mike Doyle; Kenneth Miller, Industrial Workers of the World anti-sweatshop organizer; Pittsburgh City Councilman William Peduto; and Fred Redmond, United Steelworkers International Vice-President. They will discuss how governments inhibit workers’ rights and how the plight of overseas workers affect labor conditions in the U.S. and what the public can do in response. According to Edwin Everhart, coordinator for Amnesty Group 39, “For decades American jobs have been sent to places like Vietnam where workers get low pay and no benefits. This panel is about what happens when these workers start to stand up for their rights. “Labor rights overseas are important to us here at home. In a global labor market if workers at a Vietnamese shoe factory are cheated out of their wages it hurts American workers. “We’re honored to have our panelists, important leaders in the fight for workers’ rights.” The forum is co-sponsored by the Thomas Merton Center, the Pittsburgh Human Rights Network, We Are One – Western Pennsylvania, Healey and Hornack P.C., and the North Hills Amnesty International group. For the past year the Pittsburgh Amnesty group has worked to free three imprisoned Vietnamese labor organizers Tran Quoc Hien, Doan Van Dien and Doan Huy Chuong, arrested for starting an independent union, the United Workers Farmers Organization (UWFO). In Vietnam all labor unions are coordinated by the Communist Party which renders them ineffective. The Amnesty chapter has been sending letters and petitions to Vietnamese officials on behalf of the workers. For more information call Edwin Everhart at 919 260 9535. The Pittsburgh chapter of Amnesty International, Group 39, is active on many human rights topics and meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday each month at the First Unitarian Church, Ellsworth Ave in Shadyside.   more »