Defend the Defenders | January 5, 2020
In its quarterly report about Vietnam’s prisoners of conscience released on January 1, 2020, Defend the Defenders says the Vietnamese communist regime is holding at least 239 prisoners of conscience, including female activist Huynh Thuc Vy, who was sentenced to 33 months in prison but her imprisonment is postponed thanks to her two children under three years old. The remaining 238 have been held in severe living conditions in prisons across the country and far from their families.
Of the list, 48 activists convicted or charged with subversion, 37 with “conducting anti-state propaganda,” 57 people from ethnic minorities with “undermining the national unity policy,” seven activists with “abusing democratic freedom,” 13 activists with “disruption of security,” 48 individuals with “disrupting public orders” and two with “terrorism.” The accusations against ten activists have not been publicized.
In 2019, Vietnam arrested 39 local activists and Vietnamese Australian Chau Van Kham. As many as 32 of them were charged with articles in the National Security provisions of the Penal Code. The latest victim of Vietnam’s arbitrary arrest was prominent independent journalist Pham Chi Dung, president of the unregistered Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam for his writing for the organization as well as the Voice of America (VOA), the Radio Free Asia (RFA) and other foreign outlets. He was detained and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” after calling on the European Parliament not to approve the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
As many as 21 Facebookers were arrested and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” or “abusing democratic freedom” for their writing or sharing articles on the social media network to promote human rights and multi-party democracy or criticize the communist government or just raise social issues such as corruption and environmental pollution. They were detained after the Cyber Security Law became effective, however, the allegations against them were not related to the law.
Last year, Vietnam convicted 38 local activists and two foreigners, American citizen Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Australian resident Chau Van Kham to a total 207.5 years in jail and 47 years of probation.
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City will hold the first-instance hearing on January 14 to try eight members of the unregistered group Hiến Pháp on allegation of “disruption of security” under Article 118 of the Criminal Code for their plan to attend a peaceful demonstration in early September 2018. Being kidnapped by HCM City’s security forces in the first week of September last year, they will face imprisonment of between two and 15 years in prison if are convicted.
On January 3, police in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province detained local resident Ho Sy Quyet and his wife and confiscated their cellphones, a camera and its equipment, a MacBook, credit cards and books printed by the unregistered Liberal Publishing House. Police took them to the district police headquarters for interrogation of his relationship with the publisher. The wife was released in the late afternoon while Quyet was freed at midnight. He was asked not to participate in civil society organizations otherwise they would arrest him.
He has been one of more than 100 people having been harassed by Vietnam’s police for purchasing, delivering or introducing books printed by the publisher in October last year when Vietnam’s security forces launched a crackdown on the publisher which has printed books from political dissidents.
Vietnam’s security forces are intensifying crackdown on local independent civil society organizations such as the Liberal Publishing House and Cây Xanh (Green Trees), with numerous activists being harassed.
===== January 1 =====
Defend the Defenders’ Latest Statistics: Vietnam Holds 239 Prisoners of Conscience
Defend the Defenders: According to Defend the Defenders’ statistics, as of December 31, 2019, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 238 prisoners of conscience in prisons or similar forms of detention, and female activist Huynh Thuc Vy under house arrest. Vietnam still remains the second largest jailer of dissidents in Southeast Asia, only behind Myanmar.
The above number includes 230 who have been convicted – mostly of political crimes such as subversion, “propaganda against the state,” “abusing democratic freedom,” “disruption of security,” and “undermining the national unity” – and 19 others held in pre-trial detention. The list does not count Vietnamese American Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Vietnamese Australian Chau Van Kham, who are accused of conducting “attempts to overthrow the government” under Article 109 of the country’s 2015 Criminal Code. Bloggers, lawyers, unionists, land rights activists, political dissidents, and followers of non-registered minority religions have been arrested and detained for peacefully exercising their internationally and constitutionally protected rights, principally the right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of religion or belief. The list does not include individuals who have engaged in or advocated violence.
In 2019, Vietnam arrested 38 local human rights activists and Australian citizen Chau Van Kham. The communist regime also convicted 38 local activists and two foreigners American citizen Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Australian resident Chau Van Kham, sentencing them to a total of 207.5 years in prison and 47 years of probation. Activist Ha Hai Ninh was convicted but his jail sentence was not clear.
Vietnam still holds 19 activists in pre-trial detention, 14 of them were arrested in 2018 and held for more than 14 months, and five of them were arrested in 2019. Among them is prominent dissident journalist Pham Chi Dung.
The Vietnamese communist regime always denies holding prisoners of conscience but only law violators.
For the full report and the list of 239 prisoners of conscience: Defend the Defenders’ Latest Statistics: Vietnam Holds 239 Prisoners of Conscience
===== January 2 =====
Trial against Eight Members of Hiến Pháp Group Re-scheduled on January 14
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has re-scheduled its plan to try eight members of the unregistered group Hiến Pháp (Constitution) on the allegation “disruption of security” under Article 118 of the country’s Criminal Code” for their intention to participate in a peaceful demonstration in early September last year, Defend the Defenders has learned.
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City will hold the first-instance hearing which may take several days from January 14 in its headquarters in the country’s biggest economic hub, said lawyers Dang Dinh Manh and Nguyen Van Mieng, who were hired to defend some of the activists of the group.
According to their families, the People’s Procuracy of HCM City has released the indictments against them, in which it has proposed the People’s Court to try Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh and Mrs. Hoang Thi Thu Vang on accusation of Clause 1 with imprisonment of between five and 15 years in prison while Mr. Do The Hoa, Mr. Ho Dinh Cuong, Mr. Tran Thanh Phuong, Mr. Ngo Van Dung, Mr. Le Quy Loc and Ms. Doan Thi Hong are subjected to the allegation under Clause 2 with imprisonment of between two and seven years if are convicted.
All of them were kidnapped by HCM City’s police on September 2-4, 2018 and held incommunicado for months. Their families had not been informed about their detentions and charges for months after they went to different state agencies and police stations to ask for their status and found out that they were kept by the city’s police.
It was concerned that single-mother Hong was detained when her daughter was only 29-month-old while the Vietnamese law states that a mother should not be separated from their child under three years of age.
Hiến Pháp (Constitution) is a group of activists working to educate the public about the human rights they are entitled to under Vietnam’s 2013 Constitution by disseminating the country’s 2013 Constitution among citizens. Its members were active during the mass demonstration in HCM City on June 10, 2018 in which tens of thousands of Vietnamese rallied on streets to protest the communist regime’s plan to approve two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cybersecurity.
In order to prevent similar protests in early September 2018, Vietnam’s security forces launched a big campaign to persecute local dissent and all members of the Hiến Pháp group became their targets. Two other members of the group named Huynh Truong Ca and Le Minh The were arrested and convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” and “abusing democratic freedom,” respectively while three others were forced to relocate in Thailand to avoid being arrested.
Defend the Defenders considers eight jailed members of the group as prisoners of conscience and the accusations against them are groundless.
===== January 3 =====
Vietnamese Citizens Detained for Introducing Books Printed by Liberal Publishing House
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s authorities have detained Mr. Ho Sy Quyet and his wife for reading and introducing some books made by the unregistered Liberal Publishing House, Defend the Defenders has learned.
According to prominent dissident writer Pham Doan Trang, at around 2 PM of January 3, a dozen of police officers, mostly in plain clothes, stumped into the private residence of Mr. Quyet’s couple in Ecopark Residence in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, about 20 km from the capital city of Hanoi.
Police conducted a search of the couple’s apartment without showing a warranty. They took the couple to the district police station and confiscated their items, including a computer, a camera, cell phones, and bank cards as well as some books of the Liberal Publishing House.
In the police station, officers interrogated the couple about their relations with the Liberal Publishing House and why they have its books.
In the late evening of the same day, police released the wife, probably because she has a small child to take care of but still hold the husband.
Quyet is among more than 100 citizens being persecuted for reading books printed by the Liberal Publishing House when Vietnam’s security forces launched a campaign to crack down on the publisher in October 2019, Trang said, adding the measures include detentions, interrogation, and property seizure.
A few days ago, police in Ho Chi Minh City also searched the private residence of a local resident and requested him to prove that he is not a staff of the Liberal Publishing House. Their moves are violations of the law built by the communist regime, Trang noted.
In October, Saigon-based activist Vu Huy Hoang was detained and beaten for delivering the publisher’s books to local residents. He was forced to relocate to a secret place while his wife is still under police harassment.
Mr. Quyet, 32, has made a video introducing books of the Liberal Publishing House which prints many books of local dissidents and global authors with the content about human rights and multi-party democracy.
===== January 4 =====
Activist Ho Sy Quyet Freed after 9-hour Interrogation, Still Under Police Surveillance
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s authorities have released activist Ho Sy Quyet after interrogating him for more than 9 hours about his relations with the unregistered Liberal Publishing House, the victim told Defend the Defenders.
Speaking from his apartment, Mr. Quyet said he was freed by the Van Giang district’s police in the late night of January 3 but he is still under police’s surveillance.
As Defend the Defenders reported earlier, on January 3’s afternoon, a dozen of police officers, mostly in plain clothes, stumped into the private residence of Mr. Quyet’s couple in Ecopark Residence in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, about 20 km from the capital city of Hanoi.
Police conducted a search of the couple’s apartment without showing a warranty. They took the couple to the district police station and confiscated their items, including a camera and support equipment, a MacBook, four cell phones, and bank cards as well as some books of the Liberal Publishing House.
In the police station, officers interrogated the couple about their relations with the Liberal Publishing House and why they have its books. They freed the wife in Friday’s late evening, probably because she has a small child to take care of.
Quyet said police requested him to report his activities as well as stop all civil society engagement otherwise they would arrest and prosecute him. Police also got access to all his social accounts and control them.
Mr. Quyet, 32, has made a video introducing books of the Liberal Publishing House which prints many books of local dissidents and global authors with the content about human rights and multi-party democracy.
He is among more than 100 citizens being persecuted for reading books printed by the Liberal Publishing House when Vietnam’s security forces launched a campaign to crack down on the publisher in October 2019, according to prominent dissident and political writer Pham Doan Trang. The measures include detentions, interrogation, and property seizure, Trang noted.
In October, Saigon-based activist Vu Huy Hoang was detained and beaten for delivering the publisher’s books to local residents. He was forced to relocate to a secret place while his wife is still under police harassment.
A few days ago, police in Ho Chi Minh City also searched the private residence of a local resident and requested him to prove that he is not a staff of the Liberal Publishing House. Their moves are violations of the law built by the communist regime, Trang noted.
The government’s ongoing crackdown on the Liberal Publishing House is part of Vietnam’s persecution against local civil societies. Other unregistered civil societies organizations targetted are Cây Xanh (Green Trees) and No-U (says No to China’s illegal claim in the East Sea (South China Sea).
==========================
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January 5, 2020
Vietnam Human Rights Defenders’ Weekly Report for December 30, 2019-January 5, 2020: Vietnam Holds 239Prisoners of Conscience
by Nhan Quyen • DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defend the Defenders | January 5, 2020
In its quarterly report about Vietnam’s prisoners of conscience released on January 1, 2020, Defend the Defenders says the Vietnamese communist regime is holding at least 239 prisoners of conscience, including female activist Huynh Thuc Vy, who was sentenced to 33 months in prison but her imprisonment is postponed thanks to her two children under three years old. The remaining 238 have been held in severe living conditions in prisons across the country and far from their families.
Of the list, 48 activists convicted or charged with subversion, 37 with “conducting anti-state propaganda,” 57 people from ethnic minorities with “undermining the national unity policy,” seven activists with “abusing democratic freedom,” 13 activists with “disruption of security,” 48 individuals with “disrupting public orders” and two with “terrorism.” The accusations against ten activists have not been publicized.
In 2019, Vietnam arrested 39 local activists and Vietnamese Australian Chau Van Kham. As many as 32 of them were charged with articles in the National Security provisions of the Penal Code. The latest victim of Vietnam’s arbitrary arrest was prominent independent journalist Pham Chi Dung, president of the unregistered Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam for his writing for the organization as well as the Voice of America (VOA), the Radio Free Asia (RFA) and other foreign outlets. He was detained and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” after calling on the European Parliament not to approve the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).
As many as 21 Facebookers were arrested and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” or “abusing democratic freedom” for their writing or sharing articles on the social media network to promote human rights and multi-party democracy or criticize the communist government or just raise social issues such as corruption and environmental pollution. They were detained after the Cyber Security Law became effective, however, the allegations against them were not related to the law.
Last year, Vietnam convicted 38 local activists and two foreigners, American citizen Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Australian resident Chau Van Kham to a total 207.5 years in jail and 47 years of probation.
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City will hold the first-instance hearing on January 14 to try eight members of the unregistered group Hiến Pháp on allegation of “disruption of security” under Article 118 of the Criminal Code for their plan to attend a peaceful demonstration in early September 2018. Being kidnapped by HCM City’s security forces in the first week of September last year, they will face imprisonment of between two and 15 years in prison if are convicted.
On January 3, police in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province detained local resident Ho Sy Quyet and his wife and confiscated their cellphones, a camera and its equipment, a MacBook, credit cards and books printed by the unregistered Liberal Publishing House. Police took them to the district police headquarters for interrogation of his relationship with the publisher. The wife was released in the late afternoon while Quyet was freed at midnight. He was asked not to participate in civil society organizations otherwise they would arrest him.
He has been one of more than 100 people having been harassed by Vietnam’s police for purchasing, delivering or introducing books printed by the publisher in October last year when Vietnam’s security forces launched a crackdown on the publisher which has printed books from political dissidents.
Vietnam’s security forces are intensifying crackdown on local independent civil society organizations such as the Liberal Publishing House and Cây Xanh (Green Trees), with numerous activists being harassed.
===== January 1 =====
Defend the Defenders’ Latest Statistics: Vietnam Holds 239 Prisoners of Conscience
Defend the Defenders: According to Defend the Defenders’ statistics, as of December 31, 2019, Vietnam’s communist regime is holding at least 238 prisoners of conscience in prisons or similar forms of detention, and female activist Huynh Thuc Vy under house arrest. Vietnam still remains the second largest jailer of dissidents in Southeast Asia, only behind Myanmar.
The above number includes 230 who have been convicted – mostly of political crimes such as subversion, “propaganda against the state,” “abusing democratic freedom,” “disruption of security,” and “undermining the national unity” – and 19 others held in pre-trial detention. The list does not count Vietnamese American Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Vietnamese Australian Chau Van Kham, who are accused of conducting “attempts to overthrow the government” under Article 109 of the country’s 2015 Criminal Code. Bloggers, lawyers, unionists, land rights activists, political dissidents, and followers of non-registered minority religions have been arrested and detained for peacefully exercising their internationally and constitutionally protected rights, principally the right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of religion or belief. The list does not include individuals who have engaged in or advocated violence.
In 2019, Vietnam arrested 38 local human rights activists and Australian citizen Chau Van Kham. The communist regime also convicted 38 local activists and two foreigners American citizen Michael Minh Phuong Nguyen and Australian resident Chau Van Kham, sentencing them to a total of 207.5 years in prison and 47 years of probation. Activist Ha Hai Ninh was convicted but his jail sentence was not clear.
Vietnam still holds 19 activists in pre-trial detention, 14 of them were arrested in 2018 and held for more than 14 months, and five of them were arrested in 2019. Among them is prominent dissident journalist Pham Chi Dung.
The Vietnamese communist regime always denies holding prisoners of conscience but only law violators.
For the full report and the list of 239 prisoners of conscience: Defend the Defenders’ Latest Statistics: Vietnam Holds 239 Prisoners of Conscience
===== January 2 =====
Trial against Eight Members of Hiến Pháp Group Re-scheduled on January 14
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has re-scheduled its plan to try eight members of the unregistered group Hiến Pháp (Constitution) on the allegation “disruption of security” under Article 118 of the country’s Criminal Code” for their intention to participate in a peaceful demonstration in early September last year, Defend the Defenders has learned.
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City will hold the first-instance hearing which may take several days from January 14 in its headquarters in the country’s biggest economic hub, said lawyers Dang Dinh Manh and Nguyen Van Mieng, who were hired to defend some of the activists of the group.
According to their families, the People’s Procuracy of HCM City has released the indictments against them, in which it has proposed the People’s Court to try Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh and Mrs. Hoang Thi Thu Vang on accusation of Clause 1 with imprisonment of between five and 15 years in prison while Mr. Do The Hoa, Mr. Ho Dinh Cuong, Mr. Tran Thanh Phuong, Mr. Ngo Van Dung, Mr. Le Quy Loc and Ms. Doan Thi Hong are subjected to the allegation under Clause 2 with imprisonment of between two and seven years if are convicted.
All of them were kidnapped by HCM City’s police on September 2-4, 2018 and held incommunicado for months. Their families had not been informed about their detentions and charges for months after they went to different state agencies and police stations to ask for their status and found out that they were kept by the city’s police.
It was concerned that single-mother Hong was detained when her daughter was only 29-month-old while the Vietnamese law states that a mother should not be separated from their child under three years of age.
Hiến Pháp (Constitution) is a group of activists working to educate the public about the human rights they are entitled to under Vietnam’s 2013 Constitution by disseminating the country’s 2013 Constitution among citizens. Its members were active during the mass demonstration in HCM City on June 10, 2018 in which tens of thousands of Vietnamese rallied on streets to protest the communist regime’s plan to approve two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cybersecurity.
In order to prevent similar protests in early September 2018, Vietnam’s security forces launched a big campaign to persecute local dissent and all members of the Hiến Pháp group became their targets. Two other members of the group named Huynh Truong Ca and Le Minh The were arrested and convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda” and “abusing democratic freedom,” respectively while three others were forced to relocate in Thailand to avoid being arrested.
Defend the Defenders considers eight jailed members of the group as prisoners of conscience and the accusations against them are groundless.
===== January 3 =====
Vietnamese Citizens Detained for Introducing Books Printed by Liberal Publishing House
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s authorities have detained Mr. Ho Sy Quyet and his wife for reading and introducing some books made by the unregistered Liberal Publishing House, Defend the Defenders has learned.
According to prominent dissident writer Pham Doan Trang, at around 2 PM of January 3, a dozen of police officers, mostly in plain clothes, stumped into the private residence of Mr. Quyet’s couple in Ecopark Residence in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, about 20 km from the capital city of Hanoi.
Police conducted a search of the couple’s apartment without showing a warranty. They took the couple to the district police station and confiscated their items, including a computer, a camera, cell phones, and bank cards as well as some books of the Liberal Publishing House.
In the police station, officers interrogated the couple about their relations with the Liberal Publishing House and why they have its books.
In the late evening of the same day, police released the wife, probably because she has a small child to take care of but still hold the husband.
Quyet is among more than 100 citizens being persecuted for reading books printed by the Liberal Publishing House when Vietnam’s security forces launched a campaign to crack down on the publisher in October 2019, Trang said, adding the measures include detentions, interrogation, and property seizure.
A few days ago, police in Ho Chi Minh City also searched the private residence of a local resident and requested him to prove that he is not a staff of the Liberal Publishing House. Their moves are violations of the law built by the communist regime, Trang noted.
In October, Saigon-based activist Vu Huy Hoang was detained and beaten for delivering the publisher’s books to local residents. He was forced to relocate to a secret place while his wife is still under police harassment.
Mr. Quyet, 32, has made a video introducing books of the Liberal Publishing House which prints many books of local dissidents and global authors with the content about human rights and multi-party democracy.
===== January 4 =====
Activist Ho Sy Quyet Freed after 9-hour Interrogation, Still Under Police Surveillance
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s authorities have released activist Ho Sy Quyet after interrogating him for more than 9 hours about his relations with the unregistered Liberal Publishing House, the victim told Defend the Defenders.
Speaking from his apartment, Mr. Quyet said he was freed by the Van Giang district’s police in the late night of January 3 but he is still under police’s surveillance.
As Defend the Defenders reported earlier, on January 3’s afternoon, a dozen of police officers, mostly in plain clothes, stumped into the private residence of Mr. Quyet’s couple in Ecopark Residence in Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, about 20 km from the capital city of Hanoi.
Police conducted a search of the couple’s apartment without showing a warranty. They took the couple to the district police station and confiscated their items, including a camera and support equipment, a MacBook, four cell phones, and bank cards as well as some books of the Liberal Publishing House.
In the police station, officers interrogated the couple about their relations with the Liberal Publishing House and why they have its books. They freed the wife in Friday’s late evening, probably because she has a small child to take care of.
Quyet said police requested him to report his activities as well as stop all civil society engagement otherwise they would arrest and prosecute him. Police also got access to all his social accounts and control them.
Mr. Quyet, 32, has made a video introducing books of the Liberal Publishing House which prints many books of local dissidents and global authors with the content about human rights and multi-party democracy.
He is among more than 100 citizens being persecuted for reading books printed by the Liberal Publishing House when Vietnam’s security forces launched a campaign to crack down on the publisher in October 2019, according to prominent dissident and political writer Pham Doan Trang. The measures include detentions, interrogation, and property seizure, Trang noted.
In October, Saigon-based activist Vu Huy Hoang was detained and beaten for delivering the publisher’s books to local residents. He was forced to relocate to a secret place while his wife is still under police harassment.
A few days ago, police in Ho Chi Minh City also searched the private residence of a local resident and requested him to prove that he is not a staff of the Liberal Publishing House. Their moves are violations of the law built by the communist regime, Trang noted.
The government’s ongoing crackdown on the Liberal Publishing House is part of Vietnam’s persecution against local civil societies. Other unregistered civil societies organizations targetted are Cây Xanh (Green Trees) and No-U (says No to China’s illegal claim in the East Sea (South China Sea).
==========================