15 July 2009

Government arresting activists one by one


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A young blogger and a seasoned pro-democracy activist are the most recent victims of Vietnam's clampdown on journalists and dissidents, report Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Nguyen Tien Trung, a recent graduate, was nabbed by police on 7 June in Ho Chi Minh City, one day after 60-year-old Tran Anh Kim was arrested for alleged anti-government activities. Both are members of the Vietnam Democracy Party.

"While the world's eyes are turned to Iran and Xinjiang, the Vietnamese are arresting pro-democracy activists one by one," Reporters Without Borders said.

According to RSF, Nguyen's arrest is thought to be linked to the June arrest of Le Cong Dinh, a human rights lawyer and pro-democracy writer who has been held without trial since his arrest in June. Dinh has been charged with spreading propaganda against the government under Article 88 of the Vietnam Criminal Code.

Nguyen's family and friends fear the young activist will also be charged under Article 88, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

After graduating from the INSA engineering school in Rennes, France in 2007, Nguyen returned to Vietnam, where he helped create the Association of Young Vietnamese for Democracy and joined the Vietnam Democracy Party. Up until his army training began in March 2008, he frequently updated his blog (http://tinyurl.com/mhkszo). A few hours before the arrest, Trung was expelled from the military for refusing to take an oath during the course of his mandated army service.

Nguyen's arrest brings the number of journalists and bloggers held in Vietnam to at least 11, says RSF.

According to the Free Journalist Network in Vietnam, conditions have worsened for another writer languishing in prison, Nguyen Hoang Hai (pen name Dieu Cay.) The independent journalist was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in September 2008 on trumped-up tax fraud charges. The Network fears for their well-being of Dieu Cay, as well as his lawyer, Dinh. Members of the Network in Vietnam have been subjected to interrogation and surveillance.

More on the web


Authorities arrest young pro-democracy blogger who studied in France (RSF)

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Also from the Communiqué, 15 July 2009

AFRICA: Pan African Media Observatory deeply flawed, say media freedom advocates 15 July 2009 IRAN: Now world's worst jailer of journalists 15 July 2009 SYRIA: Journalists and political opponents speak from prison 15 July 2009 PAKISTAN: Militants raze homes of two journalists 15 July 2009 UNITED KINGDOM: Sedition law to be scrapped, finally 15 July 2009 CHINA: Demand China respect rights in crackdown on Xinxiang violence 15 July 2009

Vietnam

Blogger released 20 January 2012 Peaceful activist sent to "education center" for 24 months 5 January 2012 Newspaper reporter arrested for undercover investigation of police corruption 3 January 2012 Appeal court reduces blogger's jail sentence but upholds three years of house arrest 30 November 2011 Overturn democracy activist's sentence, says Human Rights Watch 28 November 2011 See all alerts: Vietnam


Asia and Pacific

TIBET (CHINA): PEN American Center concerned over "virtual lockdown" on freedom of expression 9 February 2012 MALDIVES: New government must guarantee safety and rights of journalists 8 February 2012 SRI LANKA: FMM voices concern over allegations in "Dinamina" newspaper article 7 February 2012 INDIA: Danish journalists refused visas 7 February 2012 CHINA: Senior newspaper staff fired for reporting inflation concerns 6 February 2012


 
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