HRW: Vietnam needs to free the Catholic Campaigners

                 



           THE TRUTH - JUSTICE - LOVE




Dominhtuyen


The trial of four young Catholic Nghe An province, Vinh diocese has faced fierce opposition from the International Human Rights Organizations and many other mass organizations at home and abroad. Together with four young Catholic youth said above, 13 other people while in custody is in the new round of repression in the last year of Vietnam's communist government aimed at dissenting voices of Catholics include the secret abduction or arrest without going through any legal procedures despite legislation and international law, as well as despised public opinion at home and abroad. Suppression activities have violated human rights seriously, and clearly showed the weakness and fear from the government of Hanoi before protests of people from all walks of increasing in the country.


Until now, the communist government of Vietnam has always cite things about vague and unreasonable in the criminal law such as Article 258 (abuse Liberal Democrats have the right to infringe upon the interests country) or Article 79 (conspiracy to overthrow the government) and the most popular is Article 88 (active propaganda against the regime) .... to quibble over what they called a national security because the default despite the fact that such activities are merely expressions of freedom of speech peacefully of people, a legitimate and fundamental right of citizens which legally defined and protected in the constitution law and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, as also has been provided and published in the International Bill of Human Rights of the United Nations to which Vietnam is a member and also participate and signed since 1982 to date.


Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights is attached and is usually the first concern of the agendas and activities, the relationship between the national Democratic and recent activities in the field of Human Rights countries often mentioned as a leading standard in support of humanitarian and development assistance from the national powers for the least developed countries or developing new and still in the new integration International. Typically, the recent statement of U.S. government with Vietnam that they would not assist or sell arms to Vietnam until they see the real Vietnam and was willing to improve its Human his bad right now. Vietnam is a country in the new development and international integration and particularly weak position in the dispute over territorial waters in East Sea with China, so need to get the support
and assistance from democratic countries like the U.S. And the only thing today's most important that the government of Vietnam needs to do in exchange for the assistance that is practical to absolute respect for human rights and properly implemented and fully committed to the International human rights in Vietnam.






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HRW: Vietnam needs to free the Catholic Campaigners
Posted by admin at 6:35 the morning of 5/23/12


  VRNs (05/23/2012) - Bangkok, Thailand - Four activists to court for social activities
(Bangkok, May 23, 2012) - Today, the Organization for Human Rights Watch said the government of Vietnam to immediately release four Catholic activists accused of propaganda against the state, and cancel all charges against them. People's Court of Nghe An province is expected to open the trial of four people on 24 May 2012.
Four people - Dau Van Duong, Tran Huu Duc Manh Chu Son and Hoang Phong - the Catholic community Vinh, Nghe An province. They have been arrested by government on the grounds that are believed to spread pro-democracy leaflets.
"It was extremely embarrassed when the government of Vietnam took the Catholic activists and the court may be sentenced to jail for expressing their views and flyers," said Phil Robertson, deputy director in charge Asian Organization of Human Rights Watch said. "Through the prosecution of the said four activists, the government of Vietnam is that they disregard of religious freedom and free speech."
In the past, four activists have participated in volunteer work, such as advocacy of abortion women, blood donors, and volunteers to help orphans and victims of natural disasters. Authorities arrested Dau Van Duong, 24, is a student of Tourism Vocational College - Commercial Nghe An and his cousin Tran Huu Duc, 24, student of engineering college in Vietnam - Germany, Art An on 2nd day of August 2011. The next day, authorities arrested Chu Manh Son further, 23, a student of the Medical University of Vinh. Hoang Phong, 25, a former student who graduated the University of Technical Vinh, was arrested on December 29.
Vietnam government often use Article 88 of the Criminal Code, "propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," to arbitrarily imprison bloggers, critics and advocacy. Article 88 of the legal regulations 3 to 20 years in prison for behavior such as "propaganda," "circulation of materials, cultural products," or "psychological warfare" against the government.
In 2011, the Vietnam courts have applied this law to condemn at least 10 bloggers and compaigners because they have expressed their views, including legal activist Cù Huy Hà Vũ , bloggers Vi Đức Hồi, Lu Bay, Hồ Thị Bích Khương Nguyen Ba Dang and many others.
March 2012, the People's Court sentenced the two provinces of Nghe An other Catholic activists, is Vo Thi Thu Thuy and Nguyen Van Thanh, also under Article 88. State media reported that two people are related to Father Nguyễn Văn Lý, and allegedly distributed leaflets against the government.Vo Thi Thu Thuy was sentenced to five years in prison and Nguyen Van Thanh was three years in prison.
Three well-known blogger Nguyen Van Hai (pen name Dieu Cay), Phan Thanh Hai (AnhBaSG) and Ta Phong Tan, also be prosecuted under Article 88. The three fouding members are Club Free Journalists, launched in September 2007 with the policy of promoting independent journalism and free speech.
At least 12 bloggers and other active Catholics, including the blogger known as Tạ Phong Tần and Lê Văn Sơn, also are in custody pending investigation or trial. Many of those arrested said related to Thai Ha Church in Hanoi and Ky Dong Cathedral States in Ho Chi Minh City. In recent years, both churches regularly hold meetings to pray for the safety of the activists detained. In last May 20, the Thai Ha Church held a prayer service for four activists will be punished on next 24 May.
"Article 88 has the same effect as law sawing machine, designed to cut down those who speak up to question or criticize the government," Robertson said. "Vietnam's leaders need to cancel this draconian law and listen to the people, instead of silence and imprison them just because they think different."
Human Rights Watch
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