What foreign people think of Bloc 8406
Vietnam:
Vietnam:
End Attacks on Year-Old Democracy Movement
Government Still Imprisons Writers, Religious Leaders, Rights Lawyers
(Washington, DC, April 6, 2007) On the eve of Bloc 8406s first anniversary, members of the group, which calls for greater political freedom in Vietnam, still face harassment and abuse, including imprisonment, Human Rights Watch said today. The Vietnamese government should end its persecution of citizens trying to exercise their rights to free expression and assembly, Human Rights Watch said. The groups name, Bloc 8406, derives from the 8th of April 2006, when it published its Manifesto for Freedom and Democracy. Two days earlier, it had also issued an Appeal for Freedom of Political Association. These documents, which were initially signed by more than 100 people, challenged the Vietnamese government to uphold individuals rights to free expression, association, and participation in political affairs. By August 2006, an additional 2,000 people had signed the statements. Among the Blocs founders are Father Nguyen Van Ly, an outspoken supporter of religious freedom, writer Do Nam Hai, and professor Nguyen Chinh Ket. Several key organizers of Bloc 8406 and their families have been harassed and imprisoned, showing that the Vietnamese government is still trying to silence its critics, said Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Targeting the most vocal, visible activists sends a message to the others: dont speak out, or youll suffer the same fate. Five 8406 members have in the past year been sentenced to actual or suspended jail terms. On March 30, Father Ly was sentenced under article 88 of the penal code to eight years in prison for carrying out propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. A photo of Father Ly being physically muzzled during his trial by an out-of-uniform police officer has circulated widely. That day Nguyen Phong and Nguyen Binh Thanh were also sentenced, while Le Thi Le Hang and Hoang Thi Anh Dao received suspended sentences. Attorneys Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan both remain in jail. Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Pham Ba Hai, Truong Quoc Huy, and Vu Hoang Hai were all arrested in August 2006 and charged under article 88. They remain in detention and have not been brought to trial. Of grave concern is the arrest and subsequent disappearance of lawyers Le Quoc Quan, and Tran Thuy Trang. On March 8, 2007, Quan, a lawyer who had returned from a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in the United States, was taken into custody and charged with violating article 79 of the penal code, attempting to overthrow the peoples government. The day before, Trang, a young lawyer in the Ho Chi Minh City office of Quan & Brothers, was arrested by reportedly 60 security police and has not been heard from since. Her family was forced to sign documents promising not to discuss the arrest. Neither Quan nor Trang has been seen or heard from since their respective arrests. Another founder of Bloc 8406, Do Nam Hai, has been under constant police harassment since the manifesto was circulated. Security police have ransacked his home, seized his computer, disconnected his Internet access, and forced him to appear for regular interrogations. When Hai refused to quit Bloc 8406, authorities forced his elderly parents, his sister and his daughter to come to the local police station and pressured to plead with Hai to withdraw from the democracy movement. In February 2007, Hai was one of the recipients of the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award, which honors writers who are face political persecution. Bloc 8406 is not the only movement under threat. The government continues to harass, arrest, and impose restrictions on members of independent trade unions and unsanctioned religious groups such as ethnic minority Christians in the northern and central highlands, Mennonites, and members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). In January, Hien Quoc Tran, spokesperson for the United Worker-Farmers Organization, an independent trade union that was formed last year, was arrested. In March authorities harassed and interrogated several Buddhist monks and a Buddhist youth leader affiliated with the UBCV Buddhist Youth Movement. In March, UBCV Buddhist monk Thich Thich Thien Mien, who formed an association of former political and religious prisoners following his release in 2005 after 26 years in prison, was called for interrogation on accusations of anti-government activities. Authorities continue to arrest and imprison Montagnards in the Central Highlands more than 350 of whom are currently serving sentences for their worship in an unsanctioned Christian church and their participation in a peaceful movement calling for land rights and religious freedom. Last month, Human Rights Watch characterized the Vietnamese governments ongoing crackdown on dissent, underway since November 2006, as the worst in 20 year s. Since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization, it wants to be seen as a reforming, law-abiding nation, said Richardson. But arresting, disappearing, and harassing dissidents and their family members shows that the rhetoric doesnt match the reality.
Vietnam represses Bloc 8406 anniversary
by New Kid on da Bloc 8406 Saturday April 07, 2007 at 09:24 AM
Bloc 8406, derives from the 8th of April 2006, when it published its "Manifesto for Freedom and Democracy." Two days earlier, it had also issued an "Appeal for Freedom of Political Association." These documents, which were initially signed by more than 100 people, challenged the Vietnamese government to uphold individuals' rights to free expression, association, and participation in political affairs. Vietnam: End Attacks on Year-Old Democracy Movement
05 Apr 2007 22:53:40 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch
(Washington, DC, April 6, 2007) On the eve of Bloc 8406's first anniversary, members of the group, which calls for greater political freedom in Vietnam, still face harassment and abuse, including imprisonment, Human Rights Watch said today. The Vietnamese government should end its persecution of citizens trying to exercise their rights to free expression and assembly, Human Rights Watch said. The group's name, Bloc 8406, derives from the 8th of April 2006, when it published its "Manifesto for Freedom and Democracy." Two days earlier, it had also issued an "Appeal for Freedom of Political Association." These documents, which were initially signed by more than 100 people, challenged the Vietnamese government to uphold individuals' rights to free expression, association, and participation in political affairs. By August 2006, an additional 2,000 people had signed the statements. Among the Bloc's founders are Father Nguyen Van Ly, an outspoken supporter of religious freedom, writer Do Nam Hai, and professor Nguyen Chinh Ket. "Several key organizers of Bloc 8406 and their families have been harassed and imprisoned, showing that the Vietnamese government is still trying to silence its critics," said Sophie Richardson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Targeting the most vocal, visible activists sends a message to the others: don't speak out, or you'll suffer the same fate." Five 8406 members have in the past year been sentenced to actual or suspended jail terms. On March 30, Father Ly was sentenced under article 88 of the penal code to eight years in prison for "carrying out propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam." A photo of Father Ly being physically muzzled during his trial by an out-of-uniform police officer has circulated widely. That day Nguyen Phong and Nguyen Binh Thanh were also sentenced, while Le Thi Le Hang and Hoang Thi Anh Dao received suspended sentences. Attorneys Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan both remain in jail. Nguyen Ngoc Quang, Pham Ba Hai, Truong Quoc Huy, and Vu Hoang Hai were all arrested in August 2006 and charged under article 88. They remain in detention and have not been brought to trial. Of grave concern is the arrest and subsequent disappearance of lawyers Le Quoc Quan, and Tran Thuy Trang. On March 8, 2007, Quan, a lawyer who had returned from a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in the United States, was taken into custody and charged with violating article 79 of the penal code, attempting to overthrow the people's government. The day before, Trang, a young lawyer in the Ho Chi Minh City office of Quan & Brothers, was arrested by reportedly 60 security police and has not been heard from since. Her family was forced to sign documents promising not to discuss the arrest. Neither Quan nor Trang has been seen or heard from since their respective arrests. Another founder of Bloc 8406, Do Nam Hai, has been under constant police harassment since the manifesto was circulated. Security police have ransacked his home, seized his computer, disconnected his Internet access, and forced him to appear for regular interrogations. When Hai refused to quit Bloc 8406, authorities forced his elderly parents, his sister and his daughter to come to the local police station and pressured to plead with Hai to withdraw from the democracy movement. In February 2007, Hai was one of the recipients of the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award, which honors writers who are face political persecution. ( see: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/02/06/global15273.htm ) Bloc 8406 is not the only movement under threat. The government continues to harass, arrest, and impose restrictions on members of independent trade unions and unsanctioned religious groups such as ethnic minority Christians in the northern and central highlands, Mennonites, and members of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). In January, Hien Quoc Tran, spokesperson for the United Worker-Farmers Organization, an independent trade union that was formed last year, was arrested. In March authorities harassed and interrogated several Buddhist monks and a Buddhist youth leader affiliated with the UBCV Buddhist Youth Movement. In March, UBCV Buddhist monk Thich Thich Thien Mien, who formed an association of former political and religious prisoners following his release in 2005 after 26 years in prison, was called for interrogation on accusations of anti-government activities. Authorities continue to arrest and imprison Montagnards in the Central Highlands more than 350 of whom are currently serving sentences for their worship in an unsanctioned Christian church and their participation in a peaceful movement calling for land rights and religious freedom. Last month, Human Rights Watch characterized the Vietnamese government's ongoing crackdown on dissent, underway since November 2006, as the worst in 20 years. "Since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization, it wants to be seen as a reforming, law-abiding nation," said Richardson. "But arresting, 'disappearing,' and harassing dissidents and their family members shows that the rhetoric doesn't match the reality." Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (R) talks with Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates (C) as Gate's wife Melinda (L) listens at the Government Office in Hanoi April 3, 2007. Gates and and his wife are on a 3-day visit to gather information on Vietnam's immunization program as part of their work with the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. see also:
Vietnam: Crackdown on Dissent in Wake of WTO and APEC
(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. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/03/09/vietna15466.htm SOME CASES # Do Nam Hai (Vietnam), 48, a banking professional, was one of the principal organizers of the April 2006 public petition campaign "Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam" and the Democracy and Human Rights Alliance, a virtually unprecedented movement in recent years with broad geographical representation. Police have confiscated his computer and mobile phone on numerous occasions. Since October 2006, authorities have subjected him to constant detention, interrogation and even physical attacks. He is followed day and night by security police. During the APEC summit in November, police seized him on the street to prevent him from participating in a news conference organized by the alliance. # Le Chi Quang (Vietnam), 36, a lawyer and democracy activist, was arrested at an internet café in 2002 and sentenced to four years in prison on national security charges. He was released early because of international pressure and health problems, including kidney disease. After his release in June 2004, he was put under three years' house arrest. He is constantly harassed and interrogated by police at his home or at police stations. He cannot leave his quarter in Hanoi without police authorization. The authorities have put strong pressure on his family to force him to stop all dissident activities. The harassment has become harsher since he joined the editorial staff of the To Quoc bulletin, along with Pham Que Duong, Nguyen Thanh Giang, and Tran Khai Thanh Thuy. # Nguyen Chinh Ket (Vietnam), 54, is a Catholic from the north who moved to the south in 1954. He left the seminary in 1975, but remained active in the church. Since 2001, he has quietly become one of the leading Vietnamese activists through his essays, freelance reports, and role in organizing meetings among dissidents. He is a leader in the Democracy and Human Rights Alliance, as well as founder of the Free Journalists Association in Vietnam, which groups independent reporters and bloggers. In November 2006, he was summoned several times by police for interrogation. # Nguyen Khac Toan (Vietnam), 51, is an activist who was released from prison in February 2006. He remains under house arrest, and reports that there is a permanent police post in front of his home. A former soldier in the North Vietnamese army, Toan drew the government's ire when he wrote a series of articles about demonstrations by farmers in 2001 and 2002 against land confiscation and corruption. He has helped farmers and military veterans draft appeals to the government, which, along with his own writings, have been disseminated on the internet. He was arrested in 2002 at an internet café and sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment on espionage charges. He was released after four years, in February 2006. Since his release, he continued to campaign for democratic reforms, helping to launch an independent labor union and the Freedom and Democracy newsletter. In November 2006, he was summoned for interrogation by police. Undercover police were posted in front of his house to prevent foreigners from meeting him during the APEC meetings. # Nguyen Van Dai (Vietnam), one of Vietnam's only practicing human rights lawyers, is a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, which was launched in 2006. He has taken on most of the legal defense for embattled Protestant churches, including the case of Mennonite pastor and former political prisoner Nguyen Hong Quang. He has written articles about democracy and press freedom, and was detained in August 2006 as he and other dissidents were planning to launch an independent bulletin. He was interrogated by police from November 9 to 14. Police were stationed in front of his home from November 15-22, during the APEC meetings. He was prohibited from leaving his home, and his cell phone and internet access were disconnected. # Nguyen Vu Binh (Vietnam), 38, is serving a seven-year prison sentence, most of it in solitary confinement, for articles he wrote criticizing the government. One of the first members of Vietnam's emerging democracy movement, Binh resigned in 2000 from his prestigious journalism post at the party's Communist Review and tried to form an independent political party and an anti-corruption association. After submitting written testimony about human rights violations in Vietnam to the US Congress and circulating articles critical of the Vietnamese government on the internet in 2002, Binh was arrested and convicted on charges of espionage after an unfair trial. # Pham Que Duong (Vietnam), 75, one of the most respected leaders of Vietnam's democracy movement, comes from within the Vietnamese Communist Party itself. A military historian, editor and writer, he is known for outspoken expression of his views – most notably his resignation from the Vietnamese Communist Party in January 1999 to protest the expulsion of fellow government critic Tran Do. He has written many articles, appeals, and open letters to Vietnam's leadership calling for democracy and human rights. He is one of the editors of the dissident bulletin To Quoc (Fatherland), which is printed clandestinely in Vietnam and circulated on the internet. He has been detained and placed under house arrest many times. # Tran Khai Thanh Thuy (Vietnam), novelist and journalist, is the only woman honored this year from Vietnam. She has written numerous novels and political essays and is an editor of the dissident bulletin To Quoc (Fatherland), which is printed clandestinely in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City, and circulated on the internet. She has been repeatedly denounced and humiliated in public meetings organized by the authorities, including a "People's Court" in October, where police gathered 300 people in a public stadium to insult her. Mobs have entered her home to call her a traitor and a prostitute, and threatened to beat her. Police have told her they cannot protect her, and that the only way to do so is for her to abandon her activism. She and her husband have been harassed at their workplaces. In September and October 2006, she was continuously interrogated and detained by authorities, and in November she was dismissed from her job. She was locked in her house by authorities during the November 2006 APEC meetings. hrw.org/english/docs/2007/02/06/global15273.htm
