Saigon-based Human Rights Activist Detained by Hanoi Police, Interrogated for Massive Hunger Strike

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On Saturday, hundreds of activists in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Nha Trang and other localities are conducting the massive fast to demand for better human rights in Vietnam and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience.

Few days ago, Vietnam’s security forces have tightened control over security in major cities when local activists declared about the hunger strike. Police have blocked many activists from gathering for hunger strike.

By Vu Quoc Ngu | Jul 25, 2015

Security forces in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on July 25 detained Pham Le Vuong Cac, a Saigon-based human rights activist who is currently visiting Hanoi, and questioned him about a massive hunger strike which occurs in Hanoi and other big Vietnamese cities.

At 7.00 am, a group of ten security agents stumped into a hotel room where Mr. Cac is staying and detained him to the police station in Hang Bo ward, Hoan Kien district for interrogating him about his role in the on-going hunger strike which demands the Vietnamese communist government to respect human rights and release all prisoners of conscience.

After four hours of questioning, police released Mr. Cac.

Mr. Cac said the police chief in Hang Bo ward told him that he can offer the Saigon-based visitor a better accommodation for next visits in Hanoi, with conditions that Mr. Cac will not stay in his ward because he does not want to get troubles with unwanted visitors.

Few days ago, Mr. Pham Ba Hai was also detained by Hanoi police when he is visiting the capital city. The police demanded him to leave for Saigon, and they will forcibly expel him if he fails to obey their request. Mr. Hai is a former political prisoner and a coordinator of the unsanctioned Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience.

On Saturday, hundreds of activists in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Nha Trang and other localities are conducting the massive fast to demand for better human rights in Vietnam and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience.

Few days ago, Vietnam’s security forces have tightened control over security in major cities when local activists declared about the hunger strike. Police have blocked many activists from gathering for hunger strike.

On Saturday, police in the central city of Nha Trang detained a number of local activists, brutally beating Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (aka Me Nam), who was Human Rights Defender 2014 winner of the Stockholm-based Civil Rights Defenders, Nguyen Huy Tam, and Vo Truong Thien were detained to Loc Tho ward police station where policemen severely beat the hunger-striking activists. Ms. Quynh had bleeding in her face.

Nha Trang police also arrested blogger Pham Van Hai and keep him secretly.

Former political prisoner Pham Thanh Nghien from Haiphong informed that police have been blocking her private house since early Friday and throwing stones into the house.

Police in Hanoi also dispersed activists when they gathered in Ho Tay lake where they conduct the fast. Before that, police ordered Bach Thao Park to close for public after activists said they would hold the hunger strike in park.

Thousands of Vietnamese expats in many countries, including the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Scandinavian region have also conducted the fast to support their patriots in the home country.

In order to keep the country under one-party regime, the Vietnamese communist government has applied a number of controversial articles such as 79, 88, and 258 to criminalize government critics.

In the past few years, Hanoi has intensified its political crackdown, arresting and imprisoning hundreds of political dissidents, bloggers and human rights activists.

According to international human rights bodies, Vietnam is holding between 150 and 200 prisoners of conscience. Hanoi always denies, saying only law violators are imprisoned./.