Letter of Protest No. 14 of Bloc 8406
Regarding the
Vietnamese Communist Government’s verdict on
Father Nguyen
Van Ly and 4 Peaceful Pro-Democracy Fighters’ trial on March 30th,
2007 at
Whereas,
after having been granted membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO),
receiving Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), being taken off the list of
Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for their violations of religious
freedom, having been allegedly successful in hosting the Asian-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC), the Vietnamese Communist Government (VCG), bolstered by
their new prestige and power, were temporarily released from pressure by the
international community for improvement on their domestic human rights
issues. Naturally, the VCG then quickly reneged on all of their promises to the
international communities which were the conditions which led to their
above-mentioned successes.
Whereas, the impact of the ever-growing pro-democracy movement inside Vietnam, in particular Bloc 8406, the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam, many non-Communist political parties, many independent advocacy organizations, … caused the VCG to be concerned about losing their power and prestige through the exposure of their crimes and criticism of their mistakes. Therefore, the VCG frenziedly began to raid the pro-democracy movement, oppress political dissidents, terrorize human rights advocates, specifically arresting, interrogating, detaining and prosecuting Father Nguyen Van Ly, one of Vietnam’s most prominent religious freedom and political freedom advocates, as well as four pro-democracy fighters (Father Ly’s associates), in a trial on March 30 at Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province.
Whereas, this is a unlawful case, based on: (a) the very short preparation time of 5 weeks; (b) the offices of the investigative police and the state-controlled mass media already having convicted these defendants even before the trial; (c) many techniques used to persecute defendants physically and mentally to force confessions such as absolute isolation, all-night interrogation, prohibition of any legal consultation; (d) additional detention as punishment (in the case of Father Nguyen Van Ly) in which his house arrest was even harsher than imprisonment; (e) the pre-determined conviction of the crime of “propagandizing against the state” – a make-believe, strange crime that can not be found in any penal code of any democratic country or any recorded law of a civilized world.
Whereas, the March 30th, 2007 trial is barbaric, lawless, and inhumane based on these following characteristics: (a) the trial was not open to the public as stated: a few diplomats and international reporters were allowed to be inside the courtroom only during the opening statement and the verdict, but throughout the trial, they were taken to an isolated room to view the trial through a closed-circuit television; the families of the defendants and representatives from the religious authorities were not permitted to be present, there were no defense attorneys, and the defendants’ right to self-representation was denied as well; (b) Father Nguyen Van Ly and Mr. Nguyen Phong were handcuffed like criminals when entering the courtroom and Father Ly was kept handcuffed throughout the trial; (c) the defendants were only allowed to say only “yes” or “no”, if they attempted to say anything other than that, they were pulled away by the policeman standing behind the dock, and especially, Father Nguyen Van Ly was smothered and dragged forcibly from the courtroom three times; (d) the trial lasted four swift hours and resulted in an eight page long conviction written after only 20 minutes of deliberation (!?!), meaning the conviction was clearly pre-determined, the trial being just a formal display to legitimize that verdict; (e) the sentences are very harsh and brutal, especially in the cases of Father Nguyen Van Ly and the two members of the Vietnam Progression Party (VNPP), Mr. Nguyen Phong and Mr. Nguyen Binh Thanh, sentences that aghast human conscience; (f) the trial is based on unconstitutional laws invented to criminalize any political activities that are reasonable, peaceful and in accordance with the human rights but threaten the power of the Communist Party; (g) the purpose is to quickly kill Bloc 8406 before its one year anniversary, dissolve VNPP and the newly founded Lac Hong Coalition, stop the movement to boycott the national assembly on May 20th, 2007 and with the future goal to smother anyone who peacefully advocates for human rights and civil rights as recognized by International Covenants and the Vietnamese Constitution, for their determination to dissolve the Communist regime.
Bloc 8406
1- Adamantly protests this unfair,
unlawful and fiendish proceeding, especially the trial on March 30th,
2007 at the People’s Court of Thua Thien Hue Province. This is a law of the
animal in the middle of the 21st century, the way of life of a
barbaric tribe left behind in this world, the ultimate shame of a regime that
knows nothing of civilization. This is a deed worth condemnation, a crime worth
punishment, an inerasable shame, a slap in the face of the international
community, a proof that the Communist party should not continue to exist nor to
rule our country and that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is one of the
governments that violate human rights the most, and thus is not worthy of being
a member of the global community.
2- Persistently demands that the VCG
guarantee all rights of freedom and democracy such as the rights to religious freedom, freedom of
speech, freedom of election, and freedom to form parties and associations; must
cease all cruel persecutions, unlawful detentions, and unfair prosecution of
any citizen; must stop using the court to legalize oppression toward
pro-democracy dissidents; must immediately and unconditionally release father
Nguyen Van Ly, peaceful democratic fighters Nguyen Vu Binh, Nguyen Phong,
Nguyen Binh Thanh, Hoang Thi Anh Dao, and Le Thi Le Hang,… must not prosecute
attorney Nguyen Van Dai, attorney Le Quoc Quan, attorney Le Thi Cong Nhan,
spokesperson of VNPP, the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party such as Dr.
Le Nguyen Sang, journalist Huynh Nguyen Dao, attorney Nguyen Bac Truyen, artist
Tran Tuan, and Mr. Le Trung Hieu, the
founding members of the United Workers-Farmers Organization such as Nguyen Tan
Hoanh, Tran Thi Le Hang, Doan Van Dien, Doan Huy Chuong, Tran Quoc Hien, the
members of Bloc 8406 such as Mr. Pham Ba Hai, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Mr. Truong
Quoc Huy, Mr. Vu Hoang Hai, members of the For the People Party such as
evangelist Hong Trung and many others; stop harassment of engineer Do Nam Hai,
businessman Le Tri Tue, University graduate Pham Van Troi, writer Tran Khai
Thanh Thuy, Ms. Vu Thanh Phuong, Ms. Le Thi Kim Thu, Ms. Ho Thi Bich Khuong and
many others.
3- Enthusiastically
admires Father Nguyen Van Ly, co-founder of Bloc 8406 and the Alliance for
Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam, and the above-mentioned four members of
VNPP (also members of Bloc 8406), for their contributions to the struggle and
for their bravery at the Communist trial. The picture of father Ly, handcuffed
and being brutally driven into the courtroom, refusing to answer frivolous
questions, and being smothered brutally while protesting loudly and clearly
against the totalitarian party, convicted the inhumane regime, showing his
contempt for the court for merely acting as a tool, was a special historical
picture for the Vietnamese race, awakening human conscience throughout the
world, and building a thousand-year speaking tombstone for the VCG. This
picture illustrates characteristically and convincingly the VCG’s policy of
information censorship and smothering of its citizens, as well as the brave
spirit and actions of the pro-democracy dissidents inside
4- Earnestly calls on the United
Nations, the Holy See, the governments and Congresses of democratic countries,
and international human rights organizations to continue speaking out to
condemn this barbaric trial and its jungle-law verdict, and to apply pressure
to the totalitarian Communist party, by only accepting relations and trade with
On this
occasion, Bloc 8406 also happily congratulates a Hero, Ly Tong, a member of
the
Sincere thanks.
Written
on April 4th, 2007 in
Interim Representatives of Bloc
8406:
Do
Tran Anh Kim,
former military officer, Thai Binh
Phan Van Loi,
Catholic Priest,
