Democracy News
Jailed Vietnamese Democracy Activists Found Guilty
October 8, 2009
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly
In two press releases, the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR) stated that the “wave of arbitrary arrests” on pro-democracy activists was a violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared the arrests breached individuals’ right to “freedom of opinion and expression.” The UN Working Group also denounced the Vietnamese government’s broad application of Article 258 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code, “taking advantage of democratic freedoms and rights to abuse the interest of the State.” At the 12th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the President of the VCHR, Vo Van Ai, condemned the Vietnamese government for rejecting new human rights measures that would further protect one’s freedom of expression.
On October 7, Vietnam’s communist government commenced a series of previously delayed trials against pro-democracy activists. The BBC reported that nine individuals are currently being held for violating Penal Code Article 88, promoting propaganda against the state. It is also reported that all of the jailed individuals are members of a pro-democracy group called Bloc 8406. The first of the nine to stand trial, Vu Hung, was found guilty because he hung a ten foot banner that accused the government of “sucking the blood of the people” from a bridge in Hanoi. Vu’s banner also called for Vietnam to implement a multi-party democracy. The New York Times asserts that Vu admitted he was guilty of violating Article 88, but said that he had no intention of causing any harm to the state. Vu, a former teacher, lost his job in July 2008 because of his pro-democracy activism. The court ruled that Vu’s actions were a “danger to society,” and sentenced him to three years in prison to be followed by three years under house arrest. Other activists’ banners blamed the government for the country’s poor economic conditions and criticized the country’s governing abilities. In addition to hanging banners, the jailed activists also distributed fliers and posted pro-democracy documents on the internet.
AFP News reports the courtroom hearing was closed, but was broadcasted on closed-circuit television for diplomats and foreign press in a separate room. After the verdict was announced, the broadcast abruptly ended, but viewers reported the accused tried to object to the judge’s ruling just before the audio and visual connections cut out. The article also reports all nine activists were originally arrested in September 2008. Critics of the state declared the accused were held at length without having formal charges brought against them
According to the Voice of Vietnam, a media-broadcasting outlet, Tran Duc Thach, Vu Van Hung, and Pham Van Troi were found guilty on October 8 and were also sentenced to jail terms followed by house arrest. Pham, received a four year prison sentence and four years of house arrest. The harsher sentence is believed to be the result of a prior democracy-activism related arrest. The maximum penalty for disseminating propaganda against the state is a twenty-year jail sentence.
Sources:
Voice of America - Anti-State instigators receive hash sentences
http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/AntiState-instigators-receive-hash-sentences/200910/108679.vov
BBC News - Vietnam democracy activist jailed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8294713.stm
AFP - Six on trial in Vietnam over democracy banners
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5irVcByLDmrZHepj-LLUvb9BLP0kw
New York Times - Vietnam Teacher Jailed For Advocating Democracy
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/07/world/international-uk-vietnam-dissident.html?scp=4&sq=vietnam&st=cse
Que Me - United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention condemns unlawful imprisonment of government critics in Vietnam
http://www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=1244
Que Me - Vietnam scorns UN proposals for reform in Universal Periodic Review
http://www.queme.net/eng/news_detail.php?numb=1250
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