The Rafto Foundation strongly condemns the brutal and intensified crackdown on democracy activists, who peacefully exercise their fundamental rights, protected by international human rights law and the Vietnamese constitution. The heavy prison sentences imposed on Father Nguyen Van Ly (right) and his associates prove that the Vietnamese Government has no intentions of loosening up its tight grip.
(31-MAR-07)

The press release issued by the Rafto Foundation has been published here by Gunta Venge, the Rafto Human Rights House Bergen


Friday, March 30th in Vietnam, dissident Catholic priest Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced  to eight years imprisonment after a court found him guilty of “extremely serious violations against national security” and “having distributed materials intended to undermine the government”.

After having heard the verdict, Fader Ly, a long-time and persistent opponent of the suppressive communist rule, strongly condemned the Vietnamese Communist leadership. In addition to the verdict, the judge imposed a five-year surveillance order, which in Vietnam usually means house arrest after time served in prison.

Four of Father Ly’s associates, who helped him produce a dissident publication called Tu do Ngôn luan (Free Speech) were also sentenced. The court found them guilty of “propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” Nguyen Phong, Nguyen Binh Thanh, Hoang Thi Anh Dao and Le Thi Hang received jail terms ranging from 18 months to six years. The four defendants acknowledged being members of the Progression Party of Vietnam, which was founded last year. Nguyen Phong, who received a six-year sentence, reportedly told the judge: “I will continue to fight for the values of freedom and democracy on behalf of the Vietnamese nation.”

According to journalists who were allowed to follow the trial, the defendants were not represented by a lawyer, which is in breach of international standards for a fair trial. Several countries, including Norway, are engaged in human rights dialogues with the Vietnamese Government. For the past several years, Western diplomats have been urging Vietnam’s government to promote “transparency and rule of law” as essential ingredients for fighting corruption and fostering smooth business transactions. 

 The Rafto Foundation calls upon the Vietnamese government to:

* allow individuals to peacefully exercise their rights of the freedom of speech without fear or recrimination.

* immediately and unconditionally release all Vietnamese who are in prison or under house arrest for their peaceful religious or political beliefs.

* respect and act in accordance with the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights covenants that Vietnam has ratified.


Background

In the wake of the APEC-summit in Hanoi in November 2006, and after having been accepted as a member of WTO, the Vietnamese authorities have gradually intensified a crackdown on dissent by arresting and harassing dissidents. Those connected o Bloc 8406 have been targeted, along with people linked to pro-democracy political parties and publications that have emerged during the last 12 months.

Father Nguyen Van Ly is a founding member of Bloc 8406, which in April 2006 launched an on-line petition signed by 118 democracy activists calling for peaceful political change and respect for human rights in Vietnam. The petition quickly attracted more signatories and its launch marked the effective creation of an internet based pro-democracy movement. Ly, who has spent more than a decade in prison since 1983, was last freed from prison two years ago.