78-year-old Ta Mien Linh was charged with “Abusing democratic freedom” for helping land injustice victims
On April 25, authorities in the northern province of Bac Giang arrested Mr. Ta Mien Linh, a 78-year-old resident of the southern city of Vung Tau city and charged with with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code.
Linh reportedly travelled from Vung Tau to Bac Giang from April to Aug 2022 to provide support for a group of residents of Chu Nguyen neighbourhood, Voi town, Lang Giang district. They had contacted Mr Linh for legal advice after their land had been forcefully confiscated by authorities. On Youtube, Linh had accused Bac Giang officials of colluding with private businesses to confiscate the land of the people here at cheap prices, subdivided, then resold at much higher prices.
Local officials said Linh had engaged in illegal activities as he is not a lawyer.
Father charged with “abussing democratic freedom” for seeking justice for his son dying in police custody
On April 27, authorities in the central province of Phu Yen carried out the arrest of Mr. Dao Ba Cuong and charged him with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code for demanding the local government to clarify the death of his son while being kept in police custody.
In mid-October last year, his son, Dao Ba Phi was detained for stealing. After a short spending in police custody, he was found dead. The local police reported that he had committed suicide but did not provide all information about the case.
Even the police buried him in a secret place unknown for his family.
Since his death, Mr. Cuong has submitted petitions to various agencies in the province to demand for more information to find out the real cause of Phi’s case in suspicion that he was tortured by the investigating police officers.
Religious activist barred from attending meeting with US diplomat
On April 24, authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong sent plain clothes agents to station near the private residence of Mr. Hua Phi, a clerk of Cao Dai Church in order to prevent him from going to Ho Chi Minh City to attend a meeting between the Interfaith Council of Vietnam and a delegation of the US General Consulate in HCM City.
However, many other members of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam managed to be in Giac Hoa Buddhist Pagoda on Monday to meet with the US delegation in which they urged Secretary Anthony Blinken to put Vietnam in the list of countries of particular concerns (CPC) for ongoing suppression against independent religious groups in many locations across Vietnam.
Former political prisoner Huynh Thi To Nga reveals dismal conditions in Vietnamese prison
Huynh Thi To Nga is a Vietnamese prisoner of conscience who was released on March 28. In an interview of RFA, she said prisoners are often subjected to malnourished meals, hard labor, and poor medical care. Nga, 40, a former medical worker, was sentenced to five years in jail on a charge of “distributing anti-State propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code in 2018.
Regarding alleged abduction of Vietnamese blogger Duong Van Thai
Nearly two weeks after announcing the detention of Vietnamese blogger Duong Van Thai, Vietnam’s authorities remain silent about his case while the country’s law requires the maximum detention of a person in nine days and after that the agency conducting the arrest has to release the person or issue an official charge(s).
Duong Van Thai, who has been living in Thailand since early 2019 as a political refugee and was granted a refugee status by the UNHCR Office in Bangkok, went missing on April 13. Three days later, Vietnam’s state-controlled media reported that police in Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province, detained him for illegal crossing the Laos-Vietnam border.
Many human rights groups including HRW, Amnesty International, RSF and CPJ have criticized Vietnam’s government for kidnapping him and urged Hanoi to return him to Thailand.
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May 2, 2023
Vietnam Defend the Defenders’ Weekly Report for April 24-30, 2023: Two Men Arrested for Allegation of “Abusing Democratic Freedom”
by Defend the Defenders • [Human Rights], DEFENDER’S WEEKLY • Tags: Defenders' Weekly
Defend the Defenders | Aprio 30, 2023
78-year-old Ta Mien Linh was charged with “Abusing democratic freedom” for helping land injustice victims
On April 25, authorities in the northern province of Bac Giang arrested Mr. Ta Mien Linh, a 78-year-old resident of the southern city of Vung Tau city and charged with with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code.
Linh reportedly travelled from Vung Tau to Bac Giang from April to Aug 2022 to provide support for a group of residents of Chu Nguyen neighbourhood, Voi town, Lang Giang district. They had contacted Mr Linh for legal advice after their land had been forcefully confiscated by authorities. On Youtube, Linh had accused Bac Giang officials of colluding with private businesses to confiscate the land of the people here at cheap prices, subdivided, then resold at much higher prices.
Local officials said Linh had engaged in illegal activities as he is not a lawyer.
References:
https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/a-person-in-ba-ria-vung-tau-detained-for-helping-petitioners-in-bac-giang-province-04252023091854.html, RFA April 25
https://baophapluat.vn/khoi-to-ta-mien-linh-xam-pham-loi-ich-cua-nha-nuoc-post473558.html, Phap Luat, April 25
Father charged with “abussing democratic freedom” for seeking justice for his son dying in police custody
On April 27, authorities in the central province of Phu Yen carried out the arrest of Mr. Dao Ba Cuong and charged him with “abusing democratic freedom” under Article 331 of the Criminal Code for demanding the local government to clarify the death of his son while being kept in police custody.
In mid-October last year, his son, Dao Ba Phi was detained for stealing. After a short spending in police custody, he was found dead. The local police reported that he had committed suicide but did not provide all information about the case.
Even the police buried him in a secret place unknown for his family.
Since his death, Mr. Cuong has submitted petitions to various agencies in the province to demand for more information to find out the real cause of Phi’s case in suspicion that he was tortured by the investigating police officers.
https://thoibao.de/blog/2023/04/30/father-arrested-for-seeking-justice-for-son-who-dies-mysteriously-in-police-station/, Berlin- based Thoi Bao, April 20
https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/phu-yen-person-died-in-police-custody-10202022085613.html, RFA, Oct 20, 2022
Religious activist barred from attending meeting with US diplomat
On April 24, authorities in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong sent plain clothes agents to station near the private residence of Mr. Hua Phi, a clerk of Cao Dai Church in order to prevent him from going to Ho Chi Minh City to attend a meeting between the Interfaith Council of Vietnam and a delegation of the US General Consulate in HCM City.
However, many other members of the Interfaith Council of Vietnam managed to be in Giac Hoa Buddhist Pagoda on Monday to meet with the US delegation in which they urged Secretary Anthony Blinken to put Vietnam in the list of countries of particular concerns (CPC) for ongoing suppression against independent religious groups in many locations across Vietnam.
ttps://www.thevietnamese.org/2023/04/lam-dong-provincial-authorities-prohibit-religious-freedom-activist-from-meeting-u-s-delegation/
Former political prisoner Huynh Thi To Nga reveals dismal conditions in Vietnamese prison
Huynh Thi To Nga is a Vietnamese prisoner of conscience who was released on March 28. In an interview of RFA, she said prisoners are often subjected to malnourished meals, hard labor, and poor medical care. Nga, 40, a former medical worker, was sentenced to five years in jail on a charge of “distributing anti-State propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code in 2018.
https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/former-prisoner-of-conscience-huynh-thi-to-nga-says-she-is-not-against-nation-04262023055637.html, RFA April 26
Regarding alleged abduction of Vietnamese blogger Duong Van Thai
Nearly two weeks after announcing the detention of Vietnamese blogger Duong Van Thai, Vietnam’s authorities remain silent about his case while the country’s law requires the maximum detention of a person in nine days and after that the agency conducting the arrest has to release the person or issue an official charge(s).
Duong Van Thai, who has been living in Thailand since early 2019 as a political refugee and was granted a refugee status by the UNHCR Office in Bangkok, went missing on April 13. Three days later, Vietnam’s state-controlled media reported that police in Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province, detained him for illegal crossing the Laos-Vietnam border.
Many human rights groups including HRW, Amnesty International, RSF and CPJ have criticized Vietnam’s government for kidnapping him and urged Hanoi to return him to Thailand.
References:
Screams from abducted Vietnamese blogger heard on Thai security camera video, April 28
Police give no information on detained Vietnamese blogger after end of custody period, April 25
Ede ethnic minority citizens brutally bashed for protesting against water releasing system
https://www.rfa.org/vietnamese/news/vietnamnews/protest-against-waste-releasing-system-in-daklak-04242023091309.html, RFA April 24