Defend the Defenders | April 19, 2020
Amid the COVID-19 ongoing pandemic nationwide, Vietnam’s communist regime has not stopped its crackdown on the local dissent, arresting two female activists and harassing many others.
On April 10, authorities in the Mekong Delta economic hub of Can Tho arrested Ms. Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her posts on Facebook regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. She has allegedly used her Facebook account James Nguyen to post a number of statuses regarding COVID-19 infection in the country and her locality as well as share numerous statuses from other Facebookers which are considered untrue or with content distorting the country’s leadership and senior officials.
On April 18, police in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang detained Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, accusing her of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code for her online posts.
The two are held incommunicado for at least four months for investigation. Phu faces imprisonment of between two and seven years while Thuy faces imprisonment of up to 12 years if they are convicted.
In early April, young female activist Truong Thi Ha returned to Vietnam from Bangkok after several years of study and human rights advocacy. Upon her entry to Vietnam from Laos, she was placed under 14-day Coronavirus quarantine. Police in the central province of Quang Binh confiscated her passport, cell phones, diary, and other personnel items and have not returned them to her when she completed the quarantine on April 15 and allowed to return to her parents’ house.
On April 16, police in Khanh Hoa province detained local resident Vu Dat Phong who returned from Ho Chi Minh to his parents’ house to avoid the COVID-19 in the southern economic hub from late March. Police took him to the Nha Trang City’s police headquarters for interrogation from early morning to late night. Police confiscated his cell phone and took control of his Facebook account.
In recent weeks, police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and Dak Lak have continuously harassed local bloggers Tran Quoc Hien and Vo Ngoc Luc, summoning them many times for interrogation about their posts on Facebook.
Concerned about the health of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, many organizations such as the International Committee of Jurists, the Vietnam Human Rights, the Vietnam Interfaith Council, a group of religious activists and families of prisoners of conscience have issued public statements urging Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience in order to protect them from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Defend the Defenders’ statistics, Vietnam is holding at least 242 prisoners of conscience in prison camps and temporary detentions nationwide in very hard living conditions.
===== April 6 =====
Vietnam Authorities Seek to Imprison Facebookers to Tighten Information Control amid Increasing Threat of Coronavirus Pandemic
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has set a plan to imprison a certain number of citizens, including independent bloggers and Facebookers in order to silence independent voices asking the government for information transparency and the right for being informed amid the increasing threat of COVID-19’s expansion nationwide.
The state-controlled media has reported that the Supreme People’s Procuracy is requesting its agencies in provinces and districts nationwide to cooperate with local authorities to “select” some cases to prosecute in order to ensure the government’s orders being implemented strictly.
Along with targeting those citizens who fail to obey the government’s regulations for prevention and protection against Coronavirus outbreak or those who violate the request for social distance leading to government’s extra spending on measures of over VND100 million ($4,230), the campaign likely to aim to crack down on netizens who try to provide accurate information and early warning regarding the COVID-19 infection to the public on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Accordingly, the local authorities will criminalize the acts of spreading “fake news” or unverified information as well as “anti-state online posts regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which threatens to spread with higher speed in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy said Coronavirus’s development is very complicated in Vietnam and violations related to the pandemic would cause serious consequences to social orders and instability.
In recent months since COVID-19 broke out in many localities, the security forces have summoned more than 300 Facebookers to police stations for interrogation about their posts on the disease spread and the government’s shortcomings in dealing with the pandemic. Police have forced hundreds of them to delete their posts and imposed administrative fines of between VND7.5 million ($320) to VND15 million. From April 15, the fines may hit VND30 million.
So far, none has been charged with criminal offenses, however, with the direction of the Supreme People’s Court, the things could change and netizens may face imprisonment as well.
Facebookers who disseminate information about COVID-19 may be charged with “abusing democratic freedom” or “conducting anti-state propaganda” in the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between three and seven years in prison for the first charge and between seven to 12 years in jail for the second charge.
Currently, Vietnam has around 250 cases infected with Coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health. Around 4,500 cases suspected and are held in medical facilities while tens of thousands of people are under quarantine in concentrated camps across the nation.
Also according to the ministry, no casualty of COVID-19 has been reported.
However, activists and many experts said the figures provided by the ministry are not reliable given the fact that hundreds of Chinese citizens, including from Wuhan, the first epicenter of the disease, have been visited and freely moved across Vietnam since late 2019 when the first cases were reported in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Activists said Vietnam’s communist regime, like China’s regime, is undermining the figures of Coronavirus infection and praise the government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic to raise the regime’s legitimacy.
===== April 10 =====
Vietnamese Facebooker Probed for “Abuse of Democratic Freedom” for Posting on COVID-19
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Ninh Kieu district in the Mekong Delta’s hub of Can Tho City have arrested a local female resident named Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her posts on Facebook regarding the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
The state-controlled media reported that Ms. Phu, 28, was arrested on April 10. She will be held incommunicado for investigation and faces imprisonment of between two and seven years in prison if is convicted.
Citing the information from the Ninh Kieu district police, newspapers reported that Phu used her Facebook account James Nguyen to post a number of statuses regarding COVID-19 infection in the country and her locality.
She was accused of sharing 14 statuses from other Facebookers which are considered untrue or with content distorting the country’s leadership and senior officials.
Police said Phu has admitted her wrongdoings.
She is the first Facebooker facing imprisonment regarding online posts regarding the COVID-19 outbreak a few weeks after Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Procuracy asked procuracy agencies in provinces and districts to prosecute those who disseminate Coronavirus-related information incorrect or harmful for the regime.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Vietnam and other countries, authorities in many Vietnamese localities have summoned hundreds of Facebookers for their posts regarding the disease and Vietnam’s response to the outbreak. According to media, around 400 of them have been fined between VND7.5 million ($320) and VND15 million after being requested to delete their questionable posts.
Meanwhile, on the same day, authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong prosecuted Dinh Vinh Son and charged him with “Illegal provision or use of information on computer networks or telecommunications networks” under Article 288 of the Criminal Code. Accordingly, Son was accused of posting fake news on his Facebook account Ho Hoang Duy in a bid of revenging a guy named Ho Hoang Duy, with who he has quarrel.
Also regarding COVID-19, one citizen was imprisoned and two others were probed for the same allegation of “Resisting a law enforcement officer in the performance of his/her official duties” under Article 330 of the Penal Code. Specifically, they were said to cursing and attacking patrol teams after being warned of not wearing face masks while moving outside.
Dao Xuan Anh from the northern province of Quang Ninh was arrested on April 4 and on April 10 he was sentenced to nine months in jail. Two other guys, Tran Van Manh from Thai Binh and Vi Van Thai were arrested a few days ago and will be taken to a court soon as Vietnam’s authorities want to use their cases to threaten others.
Currently, Vietnam has more than 250 cases infected with Coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health. Around 4,500 cases suspected and are held in medical facilities while tens of thousands of people are under quarantine in concentration camps across the nation.
Also according to the ministry, no casualty of COVID-19 has been reported although there have been a number of suspicious deaths in many localities in recent months.
However, activists and many experts said the figures provided by the ministry are not reliable given the fact that hundreds of Chinese citizens, including from Wuhan, the first epicenter of the disease, have been visited and freely moved across Vietnam since late 2019 when the first cases were reported in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Activists said Vietnam’s communist regime, like China’s regime, is undermining the figures of Coronavirus infection and praise the government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic to raise the regime’s legitimacy. As a result, people are not believing in the government’s data and seek other sources on social networks, especially on Facebook which is the most popular in Vietnam with more than 40 million accounts.
===== April 11 =====
VHRN Calls for Release of Prisoners of Conscience during COVID-19 Pandemic
On April 8, the Vietnam Human Rights Network issued an open letter calling on Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
“With the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families of prisoners of conscience have petitioned the Vietnamese government to release their relatives so that they can get safe at home.
The United Nations and many international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders, Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Defend the Defenders have also asked Vietnam to release all those who are wrongfully detained to ensure their health and safety during the pandemic.
A number of countries, such as Iran, Turkey, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have released some prisoners for humanitarian reasons during the epidemic.
The Viet Nam Human Rights Network (VNHRN) recognizes that returning prisoners of conscience and non-harmful prisoners back to their families during the pandemic period would better ensure their health and reduce the State budget burden.
Therefore, the VNHRN calls on the Vietnamese authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and all prisoners who pose no risk to the public, especially the elderly and those with serious medical conditions.
The VNHRN also calls on civil society organizations and the Vietnamese communities around the world to partake in a joint campaign to protect prisoners who are under extremely dangerous circumstances.
===== April 15 =====
Relatives of Vietnam’s Political Prisoners Plead For Release Amid Coronavirus Fears
RFA: The relatives of more than 30 political prisoners in Vietnam have penned an open letter to the country’s leaders pleading for the release of their loved ones, who they say are at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus due to poor conditions in jail.
“Amid fears over COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus], we—the relatives of political prisoners—call on Vietnam’s leaders to release the detainees so that they can avoid infection,” said the letter, dated April 14.
“Due to the outbreak over the last several months, the family members of political prisoners have been unable to visit with them. We are worried that the bad conditions in prison can affect the health of prisoners, leaving them more susceptible to the virus.”
In the letter, the relatives warned that the reputation of Vietnam’s government—and particularly Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc—would be “tarnished in the eyes of the international community” if any political prisoners die as a result of becoming infected in detention.
The petition follows similar calls from groups including New York-based media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), California’s Vietnam Human Rights Network (VNHRN), Vietnam-based blogger organization Defend the Defenders, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for Hanoi to release prisoners deemed not to be a risk to society from Vietnam’s jails.
Nguyen Thi Lanh, the wife of Nguyen Trung Ton—a pastor serving a 12-year prison sentence in Gia Lai province’s Gia Trung Prison for his involvement with the Brotherhood for Democracy—told RFA’s Vietnamese Service Wednesday that she has been extremely concerned for her husband’s well-being since prison visits were suspended in early March.
“I am worried because the conditions in jail are not safe for the health of the prisoners and sick prisoners aren’t being examined,” she said.
“My husband is very sick, but I can’t send him anything or visit him.”
In August last year, Lanh told RFA that her husband’s health condition had deteriorated because he was beaten before his arrest and the detention center did not allow him to seek a medical examination and treatment.
Ton was arrested in July 2017 on charges of “attempting to overthrow the people’s government” and was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years of probation in April 2018.
Estimates of the number of prisoners of conscience now held in Vietnam’s jails vary widely. New York-based Human Rights Watch said that authorities held 138 political prisoners as of October 2019, while Defend the Defenders has suggested that at least 240 are in detention, with 36 convicted last year alone.
Prime Minister Phuc said Wednesday that he was extending a March 31 directive aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus by requiring people to stay home except for emergencies and to buy food at least until April 22, and possibly longer.
As of April 15, Vietnam had confirmed 267 cases of COVID-19 infection.
==== April 16 =====
Vietnamese Police Harass Three Activists, Confiscating Their Personnel Items amid COVID-19
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Vietnam’s central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Quang Binh and Dak Nong have harassed three local activists while placing them under quarantine related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Defend the Defenders has learned.
Ms. Truong Thi Ha reported that police in Quang Binh confiscated her personnel items including passport, diary and cell phone before placing her under quarantine when she returned from Thailand on a bus in late March.
Ha said she was kept by Vietnam’s security when she entered the homeland from Laos. In the past several years, Ha reportedly participated in short courses on human rights in the EU and has recently worked for a human rights group in Bangkok.
She was allowed to return to her parents’ house without having the items confiscated by police. She expects to be summoned by security forces in the coming days for interrogation for her activities in recent years.
Ha is a young activist, participating in peaceful demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10, 2018 to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security. She was reportedly beaten by police after being detained and held for several days.
Graduated law in HCM City Law University, Ha has pledged to be a lawyer to assist vulnerable groups. She has done an internship with prominent human rights attorneys Le Cong Dinh and Tran Vu Hai.
Meanwhile, on April 16, police in Nha Trang City detained Vu Dat Phong for interrogation. The Saigon-based activist returned to his home city in early April after authorities in big cities including HCM City and Hanoi impose social distance and halt businesses. Phong was placed under quarantine until the early morning of Thursday when a group of security police came to request him to go with them. They reportedly took him to a police station and questioned him until late evening of the same day. Police were said to confiscate his cell phones and take control of his Facebook account Vũ Phong. Phong was allowed to return home exhausted.
Phong is among many outspoken activists in HCM City, openly criticizes the communist regime on Facebook and participates in numerous activities that aim to promote human rights and democracy as well as protect the country’s sovereignty amid China’s increasing aggressiveness in the East Sea (South China Sea).
Mr. Tran Quoc Hien in Dak Mil district in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong reported that the district police have repeatedly summoned him to their headquarters for interrogation about his posts on his Facebook accounts. During some interrogation, he affirmed that he has done nothing wrong but practicing his right to freedom of expression enshrined in the country’s Constitution and the international treaties that Vietnam is a signatory party.
In recent weeks, police in Buon Me Thuat city, Dak Lak province, have harassed local resident Vo Ngoc Luc, a member of the unregistered group Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. They continuously request him to go to the city police department for questioning about his online activities.
One week earlier, on April 10, authorities in Can Tho arrested local Facebooker named Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her post on her Facebook account James Nguyen. The 28-year-old Facebooker is held incommunicado and facing imprisonment of between three and seven years if is convicted.
In another development, dozens of Hanoi-based activists have reported that they have been placed under de facto house arrest for unknown reasons. Someone said the city police are not willing them to go to Dong Tam commune on the 100-day anniversary of the death of Mr. Le Dinh Kinh, the local leader killed by security forces during their brutal attack in early hours of January 9.
===== April 18 =====
Vietnam Arrests 7th Activist So Far This Year, Accusing Her of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda”
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has not stopped its crackdown on the local dissent amid increasing threat of COVID-19 outbreak nationwide, arresting the 7th activist so far this year.
On April 18, authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang arrested female activist Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, charging her with “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the country’s Criminal Code.
Ms. Thuy will be held incommunicado for at least four months during the investigation period and faces imprisonment of between seven and 12 years in prison if she is convicted, according to the current Vietnamese law.
Citing information from police, the state-controlled media reported that Ms. Thuy has created a number of Facebook accounts to disseminate numerous articles to distort the communist regime’s policies and defame its leadership. She was also accused of criticizing the communist regime’s measures in dealing with COVID-19.
Thuy is an activist participating in the mass peaceful demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10, 2018 which aimed to protest two bills on Special Economic Zone and Cyber Security. The first seeks to favor Chinese investors while the two countries are disputing over the East Sea (South China Sea) while the second bill which became law from 2019 strives to silence online government critics. She was detained, beaten and interrogated, and fined with money before being released.
In recent years, she has been under constant persecution of the local police who often summoned her to their station for interrogation about her posts on Facebook.
Thuy is the seventh detained activist and the second Facebooker being arrested since the beginning of 2020 on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda.” The first was Dinh Van Phu, who is from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and was arrested on January 9.
In January-April, police in Can Tho City arrested Mr. Chung Hoang Chuong and Ms. Ma Phung Ngoc Phu on allegation of “Abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code for their online posts.
In addition, authorities in Gia Lai detained three religious activists named Ju, Lup, and Kunh in mid-March after chasing them in the past eight years. The trio, who was forced to live in a forest during the past eight years, was likely charged with “Sabotaging implementation of solidarity policies” per Article 116 of the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between seven and 15 years. Vietnam’s communist regime often uses this allegation to imprison religious activists.
With the arrest of Ms. Thuy, Vietnam is holding at least 244 prisoners of conscience, 26 of them are held in pre-trial detention which may last more than two years, according to Defend the Defenders’ statistics.
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April 20, 2020
Vietnam Human Rights Defenders’ Weekly Report for April 6-19, 2020: Two Female Activists Arrested on Anti-state Allegations
by Nhan Quyen • DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defend the Defenders | April 19, 2020
Amid the COVID-19 ongoing pandemic nationwide, Vietnam’s communist regime has not stopped its crackdown on the local dissent, arresting two female activists and harassing many others.
On April 10, authorities in the Mekong Delta economic hub of Can Tho arrested Ms. Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her posts on Facebook regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. She has allegedly used her Facebook account James Nguyen to post a number of statuses regarding COVID-19 infection in the country and her locality as well as share numerous statuses from other Facebookers which are considered untrue or with content distorting the country’s leadership and senior officials.
On April 18, police in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang detained Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, accusing her of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code for her online posts.
The two are held incommunicado for at least four months for investigation. Phu faces imprisonment of between two and seven years while Thuy faces imprisonment of up to 12 years if they are convicted.
In early April, young female activist Truong Thi Ha returned to Vietnam from Bangkok after several years of study and human rights advocacy. Upon her entry to Vietnam from Laos, she was placed under 14-day Coronavirus quarantine. Police in the central province of Quang Binh confiscated her passport, cell phones, diary, and other personnel items and have not returned them to her when she completed the quarantine on April 15 and allowed to return to her parents’ house.
On April 16, police in Khanh Hoa province detained local resident Vu Dat Phong who returned from Ho Chi Minh to his parents’ house to avoid the COVID-19 in the southern economic hub from late March. Police took him to the Nha Trang City’s police headquarters for interrogation from early morning to late night. Police confiscated his cell phone and took control of his Facebook account.
In recent weeks, police in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and Dak Lak have continuously harassed local bloggers Tran Quoc Hien and Vo Ngoc Luc, summoning them many times for interrogation about their posts on Facebook.
Concerned about the health of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, many organizations such as the International Committee of Jurists, the Vietnam Human Rights, the Vietnam Interfaith Council, a group of religious activists and families of prisoners of conscience have issued public statements urging Vietnam’s communist regime to release all prisoners of conscience in order to protect them from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Defend the Defenders’ statistics, Vietnam is holding at least 242 prisoners of conscience in prison camps and temporary detentions nationwide in very hard living conditions.
===== April 6 =====
Vietnam Authorities Seek to Imprison Facebookers to Tighten Information Control amid Increasing Threat of Coronavirus Pandemic
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has set a plan to imprison a certain number of citizens, including independent bloggers and Facebookers in order to silence independent voices asking the government for information transparency and the right for being informed amid the increasing threat of COVID-19’s expansion nationwide.
The state-controlled media has reported that the Supreme People’s Procuracy is requesting its agencies in provinces and districts nationwide to cooperate with local authorities to “select” some cases to prosecute in order to ensure the government’s orders being implemented strictly.
Along with targeting those citizens who fail to obey the government’s regulations for prevention and protection against Coronavirus outbreak or those who violate the request for social distance leading to government’s extra spending on measures of over VND100 million ($4,230), the campaign likely to aim to crack down on netizens who try to provide accurate information and early warning regarding the COVID-19 infection to the public on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Accordingly, the local authorities will criminalize the acts of spreading “fake news” or unverified information as well as “anti-state online posts regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which threatens to spread with higher speed in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Supreme People’s Procuracy said Coronavirus’s development is very complicated in Vietnam and violations related to the pandemic would cause serious consequences to social orders and instability.
In recent months since COVID-19 broke out in many localities, the security forces have summoned more than 300 Facebookers to police stations for interrogation about their posts on the disease spread and the government’s shortcomings in dealing with the pandemic. Police have forced hundreds of them to delete their posts and imposed administrative fines of between VND7.5 million ($320) to VND15 million. From April 15, the fines may hit VND30 million.
So far, none has been charged with criminal offenses, however, with the direction of the Supreme People’s Court, the things could change and netizens may face imprisonment as well.
Facebookers who disseminate information about COVID-19 may be charged with “abusing democratic freedom” or “conducting anti-state propaganda” in the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between three and seven years in prison for the first charge and between seven to 12 years in jail for the second charge.
Currently, Vietnam has around 250 cases infected with Coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health. Around 4,500 cases suspected and are held in medical facilities while tens of thousands of people are under quarantine in concentrated camps across the nation.
Also according to the ministry, no casualty of COVID-19 has been reported.
However, activists and many experts said the figures provided by the ministry are not reliable given the fact that hundreds of Chinese citizens, including from Wuhan, the first epicenter of the disease, have been visited and freely moved across Vietnam since late 2019 when the first cases were reported in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Activists said Vietnam’s communist regime, like China’s regime, is undermining the figures of Coronavirus infection and praise the government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic to raise the regime’s legitimacy.
===== April 10 =====
Vietnamese Facebooker Probed for “Abuse of Democratic Freedom” for Posting on COVID-19
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Ninh Kieu district in the Mekong Delta’s hub of Can Tho City have arrested a local female resident named Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her posts on Facebook regarding the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
The state-controlled media reported that Ms. Phu, 28, was arrested on April 10. She will be held incommunicado for investigation and faces imprisonment of between two and seven years in prison if is convicted.
Citing the information from the Ninh Kieu district police, newspapers reported that Phu used her Facebook account James Nguyen to post a number of statuses regarding COVID-19 infection in the country and her locality.
She was accused of sharing 14 statuses from other Facebookers which are considered untrue or with content distorting the country’s leadership and senior officials.
Police said Phu has admitted her wrongdoings.
She is the first Facebooker facing imprisonment regarding online posts regarding the COVID-19 outbreak a few weeks after Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Procuracy asked procuracy agencies in provinces and districts to prosecute those who disseminate Coronavirus-related information incorrect or harmful for the regime.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Vietnam and other countries, authorities in many Vietnamese localities have summoned hundreds of Facebookers for their posts regarding the disease and Vietnam’s response to the outbreak. According to media, around 400 of them have been fined between VND7.5 million ($320) and VND15 million after being requested to delete their questionable posts.
Meanwhile, on the same day, authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong prosecuted Dinh Vinh Son and charged him with “Illegal provision or use of information on computer networks or telecommunications networks” under Article 288 of the Criminal Code. Accordingly, Son was accused of posting fake news on his Facebook account Ho Hoang Duy in a bid of revenging a guy named Ho Hoang Duy, with who he has quarrel.
Also regarding COVID-19, one citizen was imprisoned and two others were probed for the same allegation of “Resisting a law enforcement officer in the performance of his/her official duties” under Article 330 of the Penal Code. Specifically, they were said to cursing and attacking patrol teams after being warned of not wearing face masks while moving outside.
Dao Xuan Anh from the northern province of Quang Ninh was arrested on April 4 and on April 10 he was sentenced to nine months in jail. Two other guys, Tran Van Manh from Thai Binh and Vi Van Thai were arrested a few days ago and will be taken to a court soon as Vietnam’s authorities want to use their cases to threaten others.
Currently, Vietnam has more than 250 cases infected with Coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health. Around 4,500 cases suspected and are held in medical facilities while tens of thousands of people are under quarantine in concentration camps across the nation.
Also according to the ministry, no casualty of COVID-19 has been reported although there have been a number of suspicious deaths in many localities in recent months.
However, activists and many experts said the figures provided by the ministry are not reliable given the fact that hundreds of Chinese citizens, including from Wuhan, the first epicenter of the disease, have been visited and freely moved across Vietnam since late 2019 when the first cases were reported in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Activists said Vietnam’s communist regime, like China’s regime, is undermining the figures of Coronavirus infection and praise the government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic to raise the regime’s legitimacy. As a result, people are not believing in the government’s data and seek other sources on social networks, especially on Facebook which is the most popular in Vietnam with more than 40 million accounts.
===== April 11 =====
VHRN Calls for Release of Prisoners of Conscience during COVID-19 Pandemic
On April 8, the Vietnam Human Rights Network issued an open letter calling on Vietnam’s communist regime to free all prisoners of conscience during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19.
“With the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families of prisoners of conscience have petitioned the Vietnamese government to release their relatives so that they can get safe at home.
The United Nations and many international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders, Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, U. S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Defend the Defenders have also asked Vietnam to release all those who are wrongfully detained to ensure their health and safety during the pandemic.
A number of countries, such as Iran, Turkey, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have released some prisoners for humanitarian reasons during the epidemic.
The Viet Nam Human Rights Network (VNHRN) recognizes that returning prisoners of conscience and non-harmful prisoners back to their families during the pandemic period would better ensure their health and reduce the State budget burden.
Therefore, the VNHRN calls on the Vietnamese authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and all prisoners who pose no risk to the public, especially the elderly and those with serious medical conditions.
The VNHRN also calls on civil society organizations and the Vietnamese communities around the world to partake in a joint campaign to protect prisoners who are under extremely dangerous circumstances.
===== April 15 =====
Relatives of Vietnam’s Political Prisoners Plead For Release Amid Coronavirus Fears
RFA: The relatives of more than 30 political prisoners in Vietnam have penned an open letter to the country’s leaders pleading for the release of their loved ones, who they say are at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus due to poor conditions in jail.
“Amid fears over COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus], we—the relatives of political prisoners—call on Vietnam’s leaders to release the detainees so that they can avoid infection,” said the letter, dated April 14.
“Due to the outbreak over the last several months, the family members of political prisoners have been unable to visit with them. We are worried that the bad conditions in prison can affect the health of prisoners, leaving them more susceptible to the virus.”
In the letter, the relatives warned that the reputation of Vietnam’s government—and particularly Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc—would be “tarnished in the eyes of the international community” if any political prisoners die as a result of becoming infected in detention.
The petition follows similar calls from groups including New York-based media watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), California’s Vietnam Human Rights Network (VNHRN), Vietnam-based blogger organization Defend the Defenders, and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for Hanoi to release prisoners deemed not to be a risk to society from Vietnam’s jails.
Nguyen Thi Lanh, the wife of Nguyen Trung Ton—a pastor serving a 12-year prison sentence in Gia Lai province’s Gia Trung Prison for his involvement with the Brotherhood for Democracy—told RFA’s Vietnamese Service Wednesday that she has been extremely concerned for her husband’s well-being since prison visits were suspended in early March.
“I am worried because the conditions in jail are not safe for the health of the prisoners and sick prisoners aren’t being examined,” she said.
“My husband is very sick, but I can’t send him anything or visit him.”
In August last year, Lanh told RFA that her husband’s health condition had deteriorated because he was beaten before his arrest and the detention center did not allow him to seek a medical examination and treatment.
Ton was arrested in July 2017 on charges of “attempting to overthrow the people’s government” and was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years of probation in April 2018.
Estimates of the number of prisoners of conscience now held in Vietnam’s jails vary widely. New York-based Human Rights Watch said that authorities held 138 political prisoners as of October 2019, while Defend the Defenders has suggested that at least 240 are in detention, with 36 convicted last year alone.
Prime Minister Phuc said Wednesday that he was extending a March 31 directive aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus by requiring people to stay home except for emergencies and to buy food at least until April 22, and possibly longer.
As of April 15, Vietnam had confirmed 267 cases of COVID-19 infection.
==== April 16 =====
Vietnamese Police Harass Three Activists, Confiscating Their Personnel Items amid COVID-19
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Vietnam’s central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Quang Binh and Dak Nong have harassed three local activists while placing them under quarantine related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Defend the Defenders has learned.
Ms. Truong Thi Ha reported that police in Quang Binh confiscated her personnel items including passport, diary and cell phone before placing her under quarantine when she returned from Thailand on a bus in late March.
Ha said she was kept by Vietnam’s security when she entered the homeland from Laos. In the past several years, Ha reportedly participated in short courses on human rights in the EU and has recently worked for a human rights group in Bangkok.
She was allowed to return to her parents’ house without having the items confiscated by police. She expects to be summoned by security forces in the coming days for interrogation for her activities in recent years.
Ha is a young activist, participating in peaceful demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10, 2018 to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security. She was reportedly beaten by police after being detained and held for several days.
Graduated law in HCM City Law University, Ha has pledged to be a lawyer to assist vulnerable groups. She has done an internship with prominent human rights attorneys Le Cong Dinh and Tran Vu Hai.
Meanwhile, on April 16, police in Nha Trang City detained Vu Dat Phong for interrogation. The Saigon-based activist returned to his home city in early April after authorities in big cities including HCM City and Hanoi impose social distance and halt businesses. Phong was placed under quarantine until the early morning of Thursday when a group of security police came to request him to go with them. They reportedly took him to a police station and questioned him until late evening of the same day. Police were said to confiscate his cell phones and take control of his Facebook account Vũ Phong. Phong was allowed to return home exhausted.
Phong is among many outspoken activists in HCM City, openly criticizes the communist regime on Facebook and participates in numerous activities that aim to promote human rights and democracy as well as protect the country’s sovereignty amid China’s increasing aggressiveness in the East Sea (South China Sea).
Mr. Tran Quoc Hien in Dak Mil district in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong reported that the district police have repeatedly summoned him to their headquarters for interrogation about his posts on his Facebook accounts. During some interrogation, he affirmed that he has done nothing wrong but practicing his right to freedom of expression enshrined in the country’s Constitution and the international treaties that Vietnam is a signatory party.
In recent weeks, police in Buon Me Thuat city, Dak Lak province, have harassed local resident Vo Ngoc Luc, a member of the unregistered group Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. They continuously request him to go to the city police department for questioning about his online activities.
One week earlier, on April 10, authorities in Can Tho arrested local Facebooker named Ma Phung Ngoc Phu and charged her with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the country’s Criminal Code for her post on her Facebook account James Nguyen. The 28-year-old Facebooker is held incommunicado and facing imprisonment of between three and seven years if is convicted.
In another development, dozens of Hanoi-based activists have reported that they have been placed under de facto house arrest for unknown reasons. Someone said the city police are not willing them to go to Dong Tam commune on the 100-day anniversary of the death of Mr. Le Dinh Kinh, the local leader killed by security forces during their brutal attack in early hours of January 9.
===== April 18 =====
Vietnam Arrests 7th Activist So Far This Year, Accusing Her of “Conducting Anti-state Propaganda”
Defend the Defenders: Vietnam’s communist regime has not stopped its crackdown on the local dissent amid increasing threat of COVID-19 outbreak nationwide, arresting the 7th activist so far this year.
On April 18, authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang arrested female activist Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, charging her with “Making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the country’s Criminal Code.
Ms. Thuy will be held incommunicado for at least four months during the investigation period and faces imprisonment of between seven and 12 years in prison if she is convicted, according to the current Vietnamese law.
Citing information from police, the state-controlled media reported that Ms. Thuy has created a number of Facebook accounts to disseminate numerous articles to distort the communist regime’s policies and defame its leadership. She was also accused of criticizing the communist regime’s measures in dealing with COVID-19.
Thuy is an activist participating in the mass peaceful demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City on June 10, 2018 which aimed to protest two bills on Special Economic Zone and Cyber Security. The first seeks to favor Chinese investors while the two countries are disputing over the East Sea (South China Sea) while the second bill which became law from 2019 strives to silence online government critics. She was detained, beaten and interrogated, and fined with money before being released.
In recent years, she has been under constant persecution of the local police who often summoned her to their station for interrogation about her posts on Facebook.
Thuy is the seventh detained activist and the second Facebooker being arrested since the beginning of 2020 on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda.” The first was Dinh Van Phu, who is from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and was arrested on January 9.
In January-April, police in Can Tho City arrested Mr. Chung Hoang Chuong and Ms. Ma Phung Ngoc Phu on allegation of “Abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code for their online posts.
In addition, authorities in Gia Lai detained three religious activists named Ju, Lup, and Kunh in mid-March after chasing them in the past eight years. The trio, who was forced to live in a forest during the past eight years, was likely charged with “Sabotaging implementation of solidarity policies” per Article 116 of the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between seven and 15 years. Vietnam’s communist regime often uses this allegation to imprison religious activists.
With the arrest of Ms. Thuy, Vietnam is holding at least 244 prisoners of conscience, 26 of them are held in pre-trial detention which may last more than two years, according to Defend the Defenders’ statistics.
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