Mr. Dinh Tat Thang in courtroom on March 24, 2016
By Vu Quoc Ngu, March 25, 2016
The People’s Court in Vietnam’s central province of Thanh Hoa on March 24 sentenced 73-year-old corruption fighter Dinh Tat Thang to seven months and 11 days on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens” under Article 258 of the Penal Code.
This is the second imprisonment on the same charge against Mr. Thang from Xuan Bai commune in Tho Xuan district within nine years. In January 2008, he was sentenced to nine months for filling denunciations against provincial and district officials, accusing them of committing wrongdoings in implementing socio-economic tasks.
After being released, he continued his denunciations and the authorities said his denunciations and petitions are fabricated, defaming many senior officials of the central government, Thanh Hoa province and Tho Xuan district.
Mr. Thang is among many Vietnamese arrested for anti-corruption works although the communist government has pledged to protect and give high rewards for people who help the government deal with corruption which is systemic in the one-party regime.
On July 29 last year, Ha Nam province-based Nguyen Van Thien was sentenced to four years in jail for causing public disorders pursuant to Article 245 of the Penal Code for his anti-corruption efforts.
Earlier, Mr. Thien bravely accused local cadres for committing wrongdoings when enforcing government policies for families which contributed to the country’s revolution, and for illegal land seizure affecting 29 war-invalid and war-martyr families in the commune.
Mr. Thang is the third Vietnamese sentenced on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 258 of the Penal Code within two days. On March 23, the People’s Court of Hanoi sentenced prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, co-founder of well-known Ba Sam news website to five years in jail and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy to three years for posting 24 articles which “distorted the ruling Communist Party’s policies, reduced public trust in the party, and went against the interests of the nation”, according to the court’s indictments.
In the one-party Vietnam, the ruling communists have not tolerated any criticism and the government has used controversial articles such as Article 79, 88, 245 and 258 of the Penal Code to silence local dissidents.
According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, Vietnam held over 200 prisoners of conscience in 2013 and the current total number of such prisoners is at least 130.
Vietnam has always denied to holding any prisoner of conscience but only law violators.
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March 26, 2016
Vietnam Corruption Fighter Imprisoned Over Seven Months, Second Sentence against Him Within 9 Years
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights], Dinh Tat Thang
Mr. Dinh Tat Thang in courtroom on March 24, 2016
By Vu Quoc Ngu, March 25, 2016
The People’s Court in Vietnam’s central province of Thanh Hoa on March 24 sentenced 73-year-old corruption fighter Dinh Tat Thang to seven months and 11 days on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens” under Article 258 of the Penal Code.
This is the second imprisonment on the same charge against Mr. Thang from Xuan Bai commune in Tho Xuan district within nine years. In January 2008, he was sentenced to nine months for filling denunciations against provincial and district officials, accusing them of committing wrongdoings in implementing socio-economic tasks.
After being released, he continued his denunciations and the authorities said his denunciations and petitions are fabricated, defaming many senior officials of the central government, Thanh Hoa province and Tho Xuan district.
Mr. Thang is among many Vietnamese arrested for anti-corruption works although the communist government has pledged to protect and give high rewards for people who help the government deal with corruption which is systemic in the one-party regime.
On July 29 last year, Ha Nam province-based Nguyen Van Thien was sentenced to four years in jail for causing public disorders pursuant to Article 245 of the Penal Code for his anti-corruption efforts.
Earlier, Mr. Thien bravely accused local cadres for committing wrongdoings when enforcing government policies for families which contributed to the country’s revolution, and for illegal land seizure affecting 29 war-invalid and war-martyr families in the commune.
Mr. Thang is the third Vietnamese sentenced on charge of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 258 of the Penal Code within two days. On March 23, the People’s Court of Hanoi sentenced prominent blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh, co-founder of well-known Ba Sam news website to five years in jail and his assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy to three years for posting 24 articles which “distorted the ruling Communist Party’s policies, reduced public trust in the party, and went against the interests of the nation”, according to the court’s indictments.
In the one-party Vietnam, the ruling communists have not tolerated any criticism and the government has used controversial articles such as Article 79, 88, 245 and 258 of the Penal Code to silence local dissidents.
According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, Vietnam held over 200 prisoners of conscience in 2013 and the current total number of such prisoners is at least 130.
Vietnam has always denied to holding any prisoner of conscience but only law violators.