By Defend the Defenders, December 20, 2017
The private residence of Catholic priest Phan Van Loi in Vietnam’s central city of Hue has been attacked with dirty mess while many other activists in different localities have been placed under house arrest few days ahead of Christmas Day.
Outspoken priest Loi told Defend the Defenders that his private house was thrown with a mess made from wasted food during the night of December 19.
This is the fourth attacks with dirty substances against him in the past two years. The attacks were likely committed by local security agents who allegedly filled his locks with glue six times in a bid to prevent him from going out in recent years.
Meanwhile, many activists from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong reported that local authorities have sent plainclothes agents to their private residences, effectively placing them de facto under house arrest.
Hanoi-based writer Nguyen Tuong Thuy, vice president of the unsanctioned Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), said a group of four plainclothes agents blocked him when he tried to get in a taxi near his house in Thanh Tri district. When he filmed them, some of them tried to rob his camera.
Mr. Thuy said he was invited to attend a meeting in the Thai Ha Redemptory Church organized by the church leadership and local activists.
It is unclear why authorities are trying to block activists from going out. Someone suggested that their moves are related to the upcoming Christmas Celebration while other linked the house arrests with the appeal hearing of human rights activist Tran Thi Nga, who was convicted guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison and five years under house arrest on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s 1999 Penal Code.
Earlier this week, prominent lawyer and former prisoner of conscience Le Cong Dinh said he was closely followed by plainclothes agents while IJAVN’s President Pham Chi Dung said secret police tried to assassinate him with an organized traffic accident when he travelled by a motorbike. Dung escaped the death thanks to his helmet but suffered severe injuries in his arms, hands and legs.
In order to keep the country under one-party regime amid increasing social dissatisfaction, Vietnam’s government has intensified crackdown on local political dissidents, human rights defenders, social activists and online bloggers.
Vietnam has arrested, tried or expelled to foreign countries 25activists so far this year. Five activists were convicted with heavy sentences from five years to ten years in prison while 18 others were arrested and charged with controversial articles 79 and 88 of the Penal Code.
Five Vietnamese activists were arrested in 2015-2016 but still held in pre-trial detention without being tried. Prominent human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha are among them.
Hundreds of other activists have been arbitrarily detained, beaten by plainclothes agents or placed under house arrest in 2017. Private residences of many activists have been attacked with dirty mess.
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December 20, 2017
Private Residence of Catholic Priest Attacked with Dirty Mess, Other Activists under House Arrest Few Days ahead of Christmas Day
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
By Defend the Defenders, December 20, 2017
The private residence of Catholic priest Phan Van Loi in Vietnam’s central city of Hue has been attacked with dirty mess while many other activists in different localities have been placed under house arrest few days ahead of Christmas Day.
Outspoken priest Loi told Defend the Defenders that his private house was thrown with a mess made from wasted food during the night of December 19.
This is the fourth attacks with dirty substances against him in the past two years. The attacks were likely committed by local security agents who allegedly filled his locks with glue six times in a bid to prevent him from going out in recent years.
Meanwhile, many activists from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong reported that local authorities have sent plainclothes agents to their private residences, effectively placing them de facto under house arrest.
Hanoi-based writer Nguyen Tuong Thuy, vice president of the unsanctioned Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam (IJAVN), said a group of four plainclothes agents blocked him when he tried to get in a taxi near his house in Thanh Tri district. When he filmed them, some of them tried to rob his camera.
Mr. Thuy said he was invited to attend a meeting in the Thai Ha Redemptory Church organized by the church leadership and local activists.
It is unclear why authorities are trying to block activists from going out. Someone suggested that their moves are related to the upcoming Christmas Celebration while other linked the house arrests with the appeal hearing of human rights activist Tran Thi Nga, who was convicted guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison and five years under house arrest on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s 1999 Penal Code.
Earlier this week, prominent lawyer and former prisoner of conscience Le Cong Dinh said he was closely followed by plainclothes agents while IJAVN’s President Pham Chi Dung said secret police tried to assassinate him with an organized traffic accident when he travelled by a motorbike. Dung escaped the death thanks to his helmet but suffered severe injuries in his arms, hands and legs.
In order to keep the country under one-party regime amid increasing social dissatisfaction, Vietnam’s government has intensified crackdown on local political dissidents, human rights defenders, social activists and online bloggers.
Vietnam has arrested, tried or expelled to foreign countries 25activists so far this year. Five activists were convicted with heavy sentences from five years to ten years in prison while 18 others were arrested and charged with controversial articles 79 and 88 of the Penal Code.
Five Vietnamese activists were arrested in 2015-2016 but still held in pre-trial detention without being tried. Prominent human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha are among them.
Hundreds of other activists have been arbitrarily detained, beaten by plainclothes agents or placed under house arrest in 2017. Private residences of many activists have been attacked with dirty mess.