Imprisoned Activist Phan Kim Khanh
By Defend the Defenders, October 25, 2017
Vietnam’s authorities have convicted pro-democracy activist and anti-corruption campaigner Phan Kim Khanh, sentencing him to six years in prison and four years under house arrest.
In a so called “open trial,” which lasted only a few hours on October 25, the People’s Court in the northern province of Thai Nguyen found Mr. Khanh guilty of using the Internet to propagandize plural democracy, military de-politicization, free election and press freedom, his lawyer Ha Huy Son said.
The activities of Khanh, a university student, violated the country’s law, particularly Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code, the judge said, adding the defendant had contacted the California-based pro-democracy organization Vietnam Reform Party (Viet Tan), which is labeled by Hanoi as terrorist group.
The trial was held under strict security as security forces blocked all roads leading to the court areas to prevent his relatives, friends, and activists from coming to observe the trial. Only his father was allowed to enter the courtroom, while his mother and sister were denied.
Dozens of activists from many localities gathered outside of the courtroom to support him. Local authorities sent plainclothes police and pro-government thugs to harass them; however, no physical attacks were reported as in other political cases.
One day before the trial, Human Rights Watch released a statement calling on the Vietnamese government to release Mr. Khanh immediately and unconditionally. Reporters Without Borders also condemned his arrest and the allegations against him, saying Khanh is innocent.
Mr. Khanh, who was arrested on March 21 while taking an undergraduate course at Thai Nguyen University, was not permitted to meet with his lawyer to prepare his defense until September 20, after six months of incommunicado detention.
The charges against Khanh, who is an excellent second-year student and president of the Student Association of the university’s International Studies Faculty, arise from police allegations that he uses his social media channels to propagandize anti-sate information. The police specifically mentioned the following accounts they attributed to Khanh: “Bao Tham nhung” (Corruption Newspaper” and “Tuan bao Viet Nam” (Vietnam Weekly) and three Facebook accounts namely “Bao Tham nhung,” “Tuan bao Viet Nam” and “Dan chu TV” (Democracy TV) as well as two Youtube channels namely “Viet Bao TV” and “Vietnam Online.”
Activists said the websites and Facebook accounts Khanh manages provide real news on Vietnam, particularly on the country’s systemic corruption, an issue the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam has vowed to deal with.
Khanh comes from a poor family with two elderly parents. He has been one of nearly 20 activists arrested by Vietnam’s government on allegations of conducting anti-state activities since the beginning of 2017.
In July-September, Vietnam imprisoned three activists, namely Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Mother Mushroom), Tran Thi Nga, and Nguyen Van Oai. The first two were convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 and sentenced to ten years and nine years in prison, respectively. Mr. Oai was sentenced to five years in jail and four years under house arrest on charges of “resisting individuals in the performance of official duties,” under Article 257 and “failing to execute judgments” under Article 304 of the Penal Code.
In order to keep the country under a one-party regime, the Vietnamese communist government frequently uses controversial articles such as 79, 88, and 258 of the national security provisions of the Penal Code to silence local dissidents, human rights defenders, social activists, and bloggers.
According to international human rights organizations, Vietnam is holding around 150 prisoners of conscience. Hanoi always denies such charges, claiming it only imprisons those who have violated the law.
Vietnam is among the world’s biggest enemies of Internet freedom, imprisoning dozens of journalists and bloggers. It was ranked 178th out 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ 2017 Press Freedom Index.
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October 25, 2017
Vietnam Pro-democracy Activist, Anti-corruption Campaigner Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
by Nhan Quyen • Phan Kim Khanh
Imprisoned Activist Phan Kim Khanh
By Defend the Defenders, October 25, 2017
Vietnam’s authorities have convicted pro-democracy activist and anti-corruption campaigner Phan Kim Khanh, sentencing him to six years in prison and four years under house arrest.
In a so called “open trial,” which lasted only a few hours on October 25, the People’s Court in the northern province of Thai Nguyen found Mr. Khanh guilty of using the Internet to propagandize plural democracy, military de-politicization, free election and press freedom, his lawyer Ha Huy Son said.
The activities of Khanh, a university student, violated the country’s law, particularly Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code, the judge said, adding the defendant had contacted the California-based pro-democracy organization Vietnam Reform Party (Viet Tan), which is labeled by Hanoi as terrorist group.
The trial was held under strict security as security forces blocked all roads leading to the court areas to prevent his relatives, friends, and activists from coming to observe the trial. Only his father was allowed to enter the courtroom, while his mother and sister were denied.
Dozens of activists from many localities gathered outside of the courtroom to support him. Local authorities sent plainclothes police and pro-government thugs to harass them; however, no physical attacks were reported as in other political cases.
One day before the trial, Human Rights Watch released a statement calling on the Vietnamese government to release Mr. Khanh immediately and unconditionally. Reporters Without Borders also condemned his arrest and the allegations against him, saying Khanh is innocent.
Mr. Khanh, who was arrested on March 21 while taking an undergraduate course at Thai Nguyen University, was not permitted to meet with his lawyer to prepare his defense until September 20, after six months of incommunicado detention.
The charges against Khanh, who is an excellent second-year student and president of the Student Association of the university’s International Studies Faculty, arise from police allegations that he uses his social media channels to propagandize anti-sate information. The police specifically mentioned the following accounts they attributed to Khanh: “Bao Tham nhung” (Corruption Newspaper” and “Tuan bao Viet Nam” (Vietnam Weekly) and three Facebook accounts namely “Bao Tham nhung,” “Tuan bao Viet Nam” and “Dan chu TV” (Democracy TV) as well as two Youtube channels namely “Viet Bao TV” and “Vietnam Online.”
Activists said the websites and Facebook accounts Khanh manages provide real news on Vietnam, particularly on the country’s systemic corruption, an issue the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam has vowed to deal with.
Khanh comes from a poor family with two elderly parents. He has been one of nearly 20 activists arrested by Vietnam’s government on allegations of conducting anti-state activities since the beginning of 2017.
In July-September, Vietnam imprisoned three activists, namely Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Mother Mushroom), Tran Thi Nga, and Nguyen Van Oai. The first two were convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 and sentenced to ten years and nine years in prison, respectively. Mr. Oai was sentenced to five years in jail and four years under house arrest on charges of “resisting individuals in the performance of official duties,” under Article 257 and “failing to execute judgments” under Article 304 of the Penal Code.
In order to keep the country under a one-party regime, the Vietnamese communist government frequently uses controversial articles such as 79, 88, and 258 of the national security provisions of the Penal Code to silence local dissidents, human rights defenders, social activists, and bloggers.
According to international human rights organizations, Vietnam is holding around 150 prisoners of conscience. Hanoi always denies such charges, claiming it only imprisons those who have violated the law.
Vietnam is among the world’s biggest enemies of Internet freedom, imprisoning dozens of journalists and bloggers. It was ranked 178th out 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ 2017 Press Freedom Index.