Former army officer Tran Anh Kim
Mr. Kim, who completed his five and half years imprisonment in January, was arrested on September 21. He will be held in the next four months for investigation, the local police informed his wife Thom.
by Vu Quoc Ngu, Oct 3, 3015
Police in Vietnam’s northern province of Thai Binh have decided to prosecute Mr. Tran Anh Kim, a local pro-democracy activist and former political prisoner, charging him of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the country’s Penal Code.
Mr. Kim, who completed his five and half years imprisonment in January, was arrested on September 21. He will be held for the next four months for investigation, the local police informed his wife Thom on October 1.
Police told Mrs. Thom that they found a number of documents in his laptop which aimed to promote multi-party democracy to challenge the ruling communist party.
If convicted, the 66-year-old democracy advocate will face imprisonment of between twelve and twenty years, according to the current Vietnamese Penal Code.
Two weeks ago, security forces in Thai Binh kidnapped Mr. Kim and detained his wife for hours as well as searched his house and took away a number of his items. His arrest was likely a bid to silence ongoing public calls for political change ahead of the National Congress of the ruling communist party scheduled in early 2016.
Mrs. Thom said at 10 am on Monday September 21, when she was in her office in Thai Binh city, police came and forcibly took her to a local police station where they held her until 5 pm. After that, police officers brought her to her private house.
Police officers used their keys to open her house and when she went inside, she realized that the house was searched and some items were missing. They refused to provide full information about Kim’s statusduring the first few days after the arrest.
Mrs. Thom called on the local public, foreign governments and international human rights bodies to demand for his unconditional release. The Vietnamese communist government has used the controversial Penal Code article to charge him for exercising his rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution 2013 and the international conventions it has ratified, she said.
Mr. Kim, 66, is a former lieutenant of the Vietnam People’s Army, and deputy head of the military political department of Thai Binh city before 1990s. He was arrested in July 2009 and charged for attempts to overthrow the people’s government under Article 79 of the Penal Code. Later, he was sentenced to 5-and-a-half years in jail.
During 1995-2005, he participated in a number of groupswhich promote multi-party democracy, including the 8406 Bloc.
He assisted farmers whose land was illegally seized by local authorities in seeking justice, and participated in anti-corruption campaigns.
Mr. Kim was honored with the Hellman/Hammett prize given by the New York-based Human Rights Watch in 2009.
The ruling Vietnamese communists have vowed to keep the country under a one-party regime. The communist leaders have ordered security forces to prevent the establishment of an opposition party.
The communist government has intensified political crackdown against local dissidents and human rights activists several months ahead of the ruling communist party’s National Congress.
Numerous pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders have been briefly detained or summoned to police stations for interrogations. Vietnam’s security forces have also used plainclothes agents or hired criminals to brutally assault local activists, causing severe injuries to the attacked people.
Vietnam is negotiating with the U.S. and 11 other countries for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Hanoi has promised to enhance its human rights situation, but it has taken only modest efforts in the field, according to international human rights bodies.
In the past two years, Vietnam has granted early releaseto a number of political prisoners, including legal expert France-trained Cu Huy Ha Vu and prominent bloggers Nguyen Van Hai (aka Dieu Cay) and Ta Phong Tan.
Vietnam is still holding between 150 and 200 prisoners of conscience, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Vietnam always denies it, saying it imprisons only law violators.
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October 4, 2015
Thai Binh Police Prosecute Pro-democracy Activist Eight Months after Release from Prison
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights], Tran Anh Kim
Former army officer Tran Anh Kim
by Vu Quoc Ngu, Oct 3, 3015
Police in Vietnam’s northern province of Thai Binh have decided to prosecute Mr. Tran Anh Kim, a local pro-democracy activist and former political prisoner, charging him of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the country’s Penal Code.
Mr. Kim, who completed his five and half years imprisonment in January, was arrested on September 21. He will be held for the next four months for investigation, the local police informed his wife Thom on October 1.
Police told Mrs. Thom that they found a number of documents in his laptop which aimed to promote multi-party democracy to challenge the ruling communist party.
If convicted, the 66-year-old democracy advocate will face imprisonment of between twelve and twenty years, according to the current Vietnamese Penal Code.
Two weeks ago, security forces in Thai Binh kidnapped Mr. Kim and detained his wife for hours as well as searched his house and took away a number of his items. His arrest was likely a bid to silence ongoing public calls for political change ahead of the National Congress of the ruling communist party scheduled in early 2016.
Mrs. Thom said at 10 am on Monday September 21, when she was in her office in Thai Binh city, police came and forcibly took her to a local police station where they held her until 5 pm. After that, police officers brought her to her private house.
Police officers used their keys to open her house and when she went inside, she realized that the house was searched and some items were missing. They refused to provide full information about Kim’s statusduring the first few days after the arrest.
Mrs. Thom called on the local public, foreign governments and international human rights bodies to demand for his unconditional release. The Vietnamese communist government has used the controversial Penal Code article to charge him for exercising his rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution 2013 and the international conventions it has ratified, she said.
Mr. Kim, 66, is a former lieutenant of the Vietnam People’s Army, and deputy head of the military political department of Thai Binh city before 1990s. He was arrested in July 2009 and charged for attempts to overthrow the people’s government under Article 79 of the Penal Code. Later, he was sentenced to 5-and-a-half years in jail.
During 1995-2005, he participated in a number of groupswhich promote multi-party democracy, including the 8406 Bloc.
He assisted farmers whose land was illegally seized by local authorities in seeking justice, and participated in anti-corruption campaigns.
Mr. Kim was honored with the Hellman/Hammett prize given by the New York-based Human Rights Watch in 2009.
The ruling Vietnamese communists have vowed to keep the country under a one-party regime. The communist leaders have ordered security forces to prevent the establishment of an opposition party.
The communist government has intensified political crackdown against local dissidents and human rights activists several months ahead of the ruling communist party’s National Congress.
Numerous pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders have been briefly detained or summoned to police stations for interrogations. Vietnam’s security forces have also used plainclothes agents or hired criminals to brutally assault local activists, causing severe injuries to the attacked people.
Vietnam is negotiating with the U.S. and 11 other countries for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Hanoi has promised to enhance its human rights situation, but it has taken only modest efforts in the field, according to international human rights bodies.
In the past two years, Vietnam has granted early releaseto a number of political prisoners, including legal expert France-trained Cu Huy Ha Vu and prominent bloggers Nguyen Van Hai (aka Dieu Cay) and Ta Phong Tan.
Vietnam is still holding between 150 and 200 prisoners of conscience, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Vietnam always denies it, saying it imprisons only law violators.