Violinist Ta Tri Hai performs in a demonstration in Hanoi on May 1, 2016 (Photo from Reuters)
Mr. Ta Tri Hai, 76, informed his friends by telephone from the center that at 1 AM of June 3, when he played music at the city’s center, police came and detained him without reason. Later, they took him to the rehabilitation facility in Dong Anh district.
By Vu Quoc Ngu, June 4, 2016
Security forces in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi in late of June 3 arrested a street musician who often sings patriotic songs and held him in a social rehabilitation center which is used for holding sex workers, criminals and drug addicts despite his strong protest, the victim told his friends.
Mr. Ta Tri Hai, 76, informed his friends by telephone from the center that at 1 AM of June 3, when he played music at the city’s center, police came and detained him without reason. Later, they took him to the rehabilitation facility in Dong Anh district.
Authorities may hold him there for long period to prevent him from taking part in social activities, activists concerned.
The move came amid rising violence against local political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders who have launched a campaign to demand the government to be transparent in investigation of the environmental pollution in the country’s central coast which has caused the massive deaths of marine species in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, and take urgent actions to deal with the serious environmental disaster.
Mr. Hai has been active in public demonstration against China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea) and environmental protection campaigns in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In these events, he has played patriotic songs which are not encouraged by local authorities.
The old musician, who plays music in Hanoi’s center every night for tourists and local residents, has been detained many times by police who violently suppress all spontaneous demonstrations.
Last year, a government-supported thug assaulted him, breaking his fingers and destroying his violin as well as throwing his other instruments into a lake. The local police came but allowed the attacker to go away freely.
Mr. Hai is a loyal member of the No-U Football Club, a soccer team of Vietnamese activists who oppose China’s expansionism in the resource-rich East Sea which is very important for international navigation.
Due to his activities, Mr. Hai has become a figure unwelcome by Hanoi’s authorities which have regularly harassed him. The old musician said Hanoi police have pressured landlords, demanding them not to allow him to rent a room for overnight stays. The attack against Mr. Hai was among numerous assaults of pro-government thugs against pro-democracy and human rights activists recently.
Mr. Hai said he was threatened many times by pro-government thugs and plainclothes agents when he sings patriotic songs condemning China’s aggressiveness in the East Sea.
In 2012, Vietnam jailed two music compositors for writing patriotic songs condemning China’s violations of the country’s sovereignty and protesting Vietnam’s crackdown against anti-China activists. The People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Tran Vu Anh Binh to six years and Vo Minh Tri to four years in prison for anti-state propaganda.
Meanwhile, police in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other localities have tightened control in a bid to prevent activists from conducting peaceful demonstrations related to the en-mass deaths of marine species in the central coast. Many activists have complained that police officers and plainclothes agents have patrolled near their private residences, not allowing them to go out during weekends.
In May, security forces in Hanoi and HCMC violently dispersed peaceful demonstrations on environmental issues. Police arrested hundreds of activists, severely beating many environmentalists upon the arrest and torturing detainees, in many cases with electrical batons during interrogation in police custody.
The Office of UN High Commission for Human Rights and many international human rights organizations have condemned Vietnam’s recent suppression against local activists, calling on the communist government respect its Constitutions and its international obligations on human rights.
Two months after the start of the environmental disaster in the central coastal region, Vietnam’s government has yet to release the results of its investigation on the cause of the water’s contamination with toxic chemicals. Many believed that the pollution was caused by discharge of toxic waste of the Ha Tinh province-based steel plant of the Taiwanese Formosa Plastic Group which admitted to throw huge volume of improperly-treated waste into the sea.
Vietnam has prioritized high growth rate of the country’s gross domestic products (GDP) and encouraged foreign investors to set up industrial projects nationwide without paying special attention to environmental consequences, said experts.
The contamination of sea water in the central coast may affect the region’s economy for decades, especially in local fisheries, tourism and salt production. The livelihood of tens of millions of local residents is threatened, experts said.
Height Insoles: Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon …
http://fishinglovers.net: Appreciate you sharing, great post.Thanks Again. Keep writi…
Achilles Pain causes: Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this site, as i w…
June 4, 2016
Hanoi Authorities Arrest Old Street Musician, Holding Him in Social Rehabilitation Center
by Nhan Quyen • Ta Tri Hai
Violinist Ta Tri Hai performs in a demonstration in Hanoi on May 1, 2016 (Photo from Reuters)
By Vu Quoc Ngu, June 4, 2016
Security forces in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi in late of June 3 arrested a street musician who often sings patriotic songs and held him in a social rehabilitation center which is used for holding sex workers, criminals and drug addicts despite his strong protest, the victim told his friends.
Mr. Ta Tri Hai, 76, informed his friends by telephone from the center that at 1 AM of June 3, when he played music at the city’s center, police came and detained him without reason. Later, they took him to the rehabilitation facility in Dong Anh district.
Authorities may hold him there for long period to prevent him from taking part in social activities, activists concerned.
The move came amid rising violence against local political dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders who have launched a campaign to demand the government to be transparent in investigation of the environmental pollution in the country’s central coast which has caused the massive deaths of marine species in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, and take urgent actions to deal with the serious environmental disaster.
Mr. Hai has been active in public demonstration against China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea) and environmental protection campaigns in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In these events, he has played patriotic songs which are not encouraged by local authorities.
The old musician, who plays music in Hanoi’s center every night for tourists and local residents, has been detained many times by police who violently suppress all spontaneous demonstrations.
Last year, a government-supported thug assaulted him, breaking his fingers and destroying his violin as well as throwing his other instruments into a lake. The local police came but allowed the attacker to go away freely.
Mr. Hai is a loyal member of the No-U Football Club, a soccer team of Vietnamese activists who oppose China’s expansionism in the resource-rich East Sea which is very important for international navigation.
Due to his activities, Mr. Hai has become a figure unwelcome by Hanoi’s authorities which have regularly harassed him. The old musician said Hanoi police have pressured landlords, demanding them not to allow him to rent a room for overnight stays. The attack against Mr. Hai was among numerous assaults of pro-government thugs against pro-democracy and human rights activists recently.
Mr. Hai said he was threatened many times by pro-government thugs and plainclothes agents when he sings patriotic songs condemning China’s aggressiveness in the East Sea.
In 2012, Vietnam jailed two music compositors for writing patriotic songs condemning China’s violations of the country’s sovereignty and protesting Vietnam’s crackdown against anti-China activists. The People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Tran Vu Anh Binh to six years and Vo Minh Tri to four years in prison for anti-state propaganda.
Meanwhile, police in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other localities have tightened control in a bid to prevent activists from conducting peaceful demonstrations related to the en-mass deaths of marine species in the central coast. Many activists have complained that police officers and plainclothes agents have patrolled near their private residences, not allowing them to go out during weekends.
In May, security forces in Hanoi and HCMC violently dispersed peaceful demonstrations on environmental issues. Police arrested hundreds of activists, severely beating many environmentalists upon the arrest and torturing detainees, in many cases with electrical batons during interrogation in police custody.
The Office of UN High Commission for Human Rights and many international human rights organizations have condemned Vietnam’s recent suppression against local activists, calling on the communist government respect its Constitutions and its international obligations on human rights.
Two months after the start of the environmental disaster in the central coastal region, Vietnam’s government has yet to release the results of its investigation on the cause of the water’s contamination with toxic chemicals. Many believed that the pollution was caused by discharge of toxic waste of the Ha Tinh province-based steel plant of the Taiwanese Formosa Plastic Group which admitted to throw huge volume of improperly-treated waste into the sea.
Vietnam has prioritized high growth rate of the country’s gross domestic products (GDP) and encouraged foreign investors to set up industrial projects nationwide without paying special attention to environmental consequences, said experts.
The contamination of sea water in the central coast may affect the region’s economy for decades, especially in local fisheries, tourism and salt production. The livelihood of tens of millions of local residents is threatened, experts said.