Trung's trial will take place in the next few weeks. Trung has recently been charged with attempting to overthrow the state and faces the death penalty.
Therefore, Amnesty International calls to write to the Vietnamese authorities as soon as possible to call for Trung's release, as well as Le Cong Dinh and Tran Anh Kim's.
If you wish to take part in this urgent action, write to the Prime Minister of Vietnam, as well as to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, following the instructions of Amnesty International.
You can use as a basis the following model of letter:
Dear Prime Minister / Dear Minister
I am deeply concerned with the fact that the prisoners of conscience Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Tien Trung and Tran Anh Kim have been charged under Article 79 of the Penal Code, which can carry the death penalty, solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression. Therefore, I ask you to release them immediately and unconditionally, and drop all charges against them.
Moreover, I ask you to ensure that they are allowed access to their families, and lawyers, and are provided with any medical attention they may require.
Finally, I ask you to either repeal or amend provisions in the 1999 Penal Code which criminalize peaceful political dissent.
Yours sincerely,
Addresses
Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung
Government Office
1 Hoang Hoa Tham St.
Ba Dinh district, Ha Noi
Viet Nam
Fax: + 8443 804 4130
Email: vpcp@chinhphu.vn
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Pham Gia Khiem
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1 Ton That Dam Street
Ba Dinh district, Ha Noi
Viet Nam
Fax: + 8443 823 1872
Email: bc.mfa@mofa.gov.vn
Salutation: Dear Minister
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
Feel free to use all the mediums of communication, i.e., mail, e-mail and fax.
Please send appeals as soon as possible, and in any case before 8 February 2010.
Don't forget you can also send New Year postcards to the prison where Trung is detained.
Thank you for your support to Trung!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Send a postcard to Trung!
Trung is going to spend Christmas in jail. Therefore, we ask you to send him a Christmas postcard from your city. The idea is not to deliver a political message, but just to let him know we think to him.
His prison's address is the following:
Nguyễn Tiến Trung
Trại giam 34, 237 Nguyễn Văn Cừ
Quận 1, T.P. Hồ Chí Minh
Việt Nam
You can also print the 4 New Year postcards we prepared; hundreds of such postcards were sent in the last days. Download the pdf file.
Thank you very much for Trung!
His prison's address is the following:
Nguyễn Tiến Trung
Trại giam 34, 237 Nguyễn Văn Cừ
Quận 1, T.P. Hồ Chí Minh
Việt Nam
You can also print the 4 New Year postcards we prepared; hundreds of such postcards were sent in the last days. Download the pdf file.
Thank you very much for Trung!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
At the conference of humain right
Committee for the Liberation of Nguyen Tien Trung - December 13, 2009From left to right: Severine Ke Nguyen Vu, Nguyen Hoai Nam, Hon Viet Quoc
It was the Conference on Human Rights in Asia "Asia and the freedom of speech, press and media" organized by several Asian communities living in Paris as the Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese , Tibetan, Laotian and Burmese community.
The conference aimed to promote the public on the topic of freedom of press and expression in Asia where the situation is getting worse now with the arrest of bloggers, activists Democrats who dared to ask for more freedom in their country.
This is the reason why members of the Committee for the Liberation were present and speak in public about Trung, collect signatures and distribute postcards to send to his prison in Vietnam.
Severine, vice chairman of the committee was authorized to speak publicly if Trung request for action by signing on the website freetrung.tk
Les cartes
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Blogger and activist faces possible death penalty (RSF)
Reporters Without Borders is deeply concerned about French-educated blogger and pro-democracy activist Nguyen Tien Trung, now facing a possible death penalty under article 79 of the criminal code after the charges against him were changed to “trying to overthrow the people’s government.” Arrested more than five months ago, he is due to be tried at the end of the month.
“We call for Nguyen Tien Trung’s immediate and unconditional release as the charges against him are entirely fabricated,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Trung is a pacifist who has never endangered the Vietnamese state. He just exercised his right to free expression, a right he learned to use in France.”
The press freedom organisation added: “Trung is a scapegoat. The authorities want to make an example of him in order to intimidate other Vietnamese students who want to press for more freedom when they return home after studying abroad.”
Trung’s family told Reporters Without Borders that his father was allowed to visit him on 10 December for the second time since his arrest. The authorities are reportedly now going to allow his family to visit him once a month. Trung seemed to be in good physical and psychological condition and did his best to reassure his father. He asked his father to bring him books, especially economics and French books. The authorities are considering the request.
A former student at the National Institute for Applied Sciences (INSA) in the northern French city of Rennes, where he got a masters in information technology, Trung was arrested at his parents’ home in Ho Chi Minh City on 7 July on a charge of propaganda against the state under article 88 of the criminal code. A government TV station broadcast taped footage in which he made a confession.
He seems to have been arrested because of the pro-democracy views he posted online and, in particular, an open letter to the government about education policies.
The Trung support committee website posted an opinion piece by Philippe Echart, who was one of Trung’s teachers at the INSA.
“It is strange for a teacher to realise that one his students, which whom he had a few talks and to whom he paid special attention because he was a foreigner, is now being in prison at the other end of the world, in his own country, on serious charges,” Echard writes. “And why is he in prison? For expressing his views freely. For criticising university education in Vietnam. For calling for more freedoms and more democracy, as many other intellectuals in his country have.”
The support committee is calling for a determined campaign on his behalf. “The worst that could happen to Trung is that people gradually forget him,” the committee’s appeal says. Trung’s friends and family have relaunched the campaign for his release. Sign a petition at the http://freetrung.tk website.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Letter of Nicole Kii-Nielsen, European deputy to the Embassador of Vietnam in France
Dear Sir The Ambassador,
I am writing to you about a young Vietnamese man, Nguyễn Tiến Trung. I am really worried about him. Trung, who studied in Rennes, the city where I live, for 5 years. He did not only obtained outstanding results but was also an open-minded young man and very dedicated to his country, Vietnam. He is a democratic activist and a pacifist. He created the Young Vietnamese For Democracy Association. However, he was arrested on the 7th of July. The reason for his arrest is still unclear. He has been in jail since this date.
I was in charge of the partnership between Rennes and Hué, as the assistant of the mayor of Rennes. I had an outstanding stay in Hué and I feel really linked to Vietnam and Vietnamese people. I am now an European deputy and a member of the Foreign Affair commission as well as a member of a commission for Human Rights. Due to my experiences as well as my responsibilities, I am really sensitive to the injustice that Trung is now facing. I see democracy, freedom of speech as well as right of association as the most important Human rights.
I thus would be really pleased if you could speak with your government so that Trung be released soon. This is about Humanism.
Your Excellency, M NGUYEN Dinh Bin, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,
Nicole Kiil-Nielsen
European Deputy
European Deputy
AFP - French-schooled activist could face death in Vietnam: father
A French-educated democracy activist could face the death penalty if convicted at a trial expected in Vietnam late this month, his father said on Thursday.
A French-educated democracy activist could face the death penalty if convicted at a trial expected in Vietnam late this month, his father said on Thursday.
Nguyen Tien Trung, 25, was arrested in July along with several others, including human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, and accused of anti-state activities.
The United States and European Union have expressed concern over their cases.
"Trung told me that probably he would be brought to trial at the end of this month," his father, Nguyen Tu Tu, told AFP after meeting his son in detention earlier in the day.
Trung was arrested for "propaganda against the state", which carries a prison term on conviction. But he is now facing the more serious charge of "subverting the people's administration", his father said.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of death.
Tu said this was the second time he had met his son since the arrest.
"He is fine," Tu said.
Dinh, Trung, and another activist, Tran Anh Kim, 60, are allegedly linked to the banned Vietnam Democratic Party, the state Vietnam News has reported.
Trung graduated from an engineering college in Rennes, France.
He was an outstanding student with a love of his country, French European Parliament member Nicole Kiil-Nielsen said in a letter to Vietnam's French embassy, calling for his release.
He is a "democrat and pacifist", she said in the letter posted on a blog set up by Trung's supporters.
A French-educated democracy activist could face the death penalty if convicted at a trial expected in Vietnam late this month, his father said on Thursday.
Nguyen Tien Trung, 25, was arrested in July along with several others, including human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, and accused of anti-state activities.
The United States and European Union have expressed concern over their cases.
"Trung told me that probably he would be brought to trial at the end of this month," his father, Nguyen Tu Tu, told AFP after meeting his son in detention earlier in the day.
Trung was arrested for "propaganda against the state", which carries a prison term on conviction. But he is now facing the more serious charge of "subverting the people's administration", his father said.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of death.
Tu said this was the second time he had met his son since the arrest.
"He is fine," Tu said.
Dinh, Trung, and another activist, Tran Anh Kim, 60, are allegedly linked to the banned Vietnam Democratic Party, the state Vietnam News has reported.
Trung graduated from an engineering college in Rennes, France.
He was an outstanding student with a love of his country, French European Parliament member Nicole Kiil-Nielsen said in a letter to Vietnam's French embassy, calling for his release.
He is a "democrat and pacifist", she said in the letter posted on a blog set up by Trung's supporters.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Video of the news conference at "INSA de Rennes" in October
Video in 2 parts of the news conference held on October 22nd 2009 at "INSA de Rennes", France, in order to ask for Trung's release:
(French version with English subtitles)
Part 1
Part 2
(French version with English subtitles)
Part 1
Part 2
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Report of the last action for Trung
The last event of the comity supporting NGUYEN Tien Trung took place on the 22nd of October 2009. This event started by a press meeting occuring at the INSA (the university where Trung studied) followed by a meeting on the main place of Rennes, main city of Brittany, France.
The director of the INSA as well as many journalists (France3, Ouest-France, Le Mensuel de Rennes and RSF) attended both meetings.
The main speakers were:
• Mrs Mono Bras, advisor for the region Brittany, assistant of the mayor of Guimgamp.
• Roselyne Lefrançois, assistant of the mayor of Rennes, in charge of international and European affairs.
• Jean-François Julliard, secretary of the association Reporter Without Borders.
All of them attended the event because they strongly reacted on the 7th of July 2009 after the arrest of Trung.
Alain Jigorel, director of the INSA of Rennes, the university where Trung studied IT started the press meeting: “I am director of the INSA but I am here above all as a simple French citizen to defend freedom.” He highlighted the fact that engineers have to respect social and human values and above all freedom.
Mrs Roselyne Lefrançois: “I am here today to show the involvement of the city of Rennes in favor of Nguyen Tien Trung who studied in Brittany.” She believes that it is highly important to know why Trung was arrested the 7th of July. She added: “It is great that people get involved to develop freedom throughout the world.”
She notified again the two letters asking for more information about Trung sent to the Vietnamese embassy in accordance with both the mayor of Rennes and assembly of the city. She added that a letter was sent to Bernard Kouchner, minister of foreign affairs to ask him to give us more news about Trung thanks to his link to the French embassy in Vietnam.
Mrs Mono Bras represented Monsieur Christian Guyonvarc’h, vice president of foreign affairs. She confirmed the fact that the two letters notified above were correctly sent. She also added that the government of Vietnam has been in charge of security commission for the UNO since October 2009. Consequently, the government of Vietnam has to respect fundamentals of the UNO and among them Human rights which are universal. She also expected members of the UNO to react to the current situation in Vietnam. She also wondered how the «Trung case» would end since very strong sentences such as death have already been used against dissidents. Moreover Trung accomplished his military obligations. The government had since nothing to reproach him. Mrs Mono Bras qualified the arrest of Trung as scandalous and added that the regional council asks for the freedom of Trung.
Mrs Mireille Ducassé, in charge of the IT department at the INSA, was one of Trung’s lecturers. She said that Trung was a good and serious student with a strong personality. She added that Trung spent one semester in Danemark and one in the USA to accomplish respectively an exchange program and an internship. She affirmed that the arrest of Trung was truly stupid.
Mr Jean François Juiliard, general secretary of RWB added that Trung was nominated for the price of « cyber freedom » of RWF in December. He believes that the arrest of Trung is representative of the countries where the access to internet is not free of access. He reminded us of the worldwide ranking about freedom of speech recently published by RWB where Vietnam ranks 166th over 175 countries. He added that Trung and 9 other Vietnamese cyberdissidents were arrested since they wrote articles about freedom and democracy what we can not understand in France. He thinks that the only ways to change the current situation in Vietnam are both the international pressure and the media. Indeed, the Vietnamese government is afraid of emitting a bad image to the rest of the world. He suggested to go on with the current actions we are leading.
Hoai Nam NGUYEN, Trung’s brother, vice-president of the comity supporting Trung said that Trung’s family did not get any information since Trung’s arrest, four months ago. He indicated that a lawyer cancelled his action for Trung because of the pressure of the police. He then presented the other Vietnamese taking part into the meeting. Among them, the writer Vu Thu Hien, Mr Nguyen Quoc Nam (member of the alliance for the democracy in Vietnam), Mr Nguyen Viet Quoc (member of the association of the young Vietnamese for democracy).
The atmosphere became really emotive when Remy, one of Trung best friend, began to cry.
Interviews of participants closed the press meeting.
The participants of the press meeting then reached the main place of Rennes to gather signatures and inform people about Trung’s arrest. More than 300 signatures were gathered.
Trung in the newspapers :
* Le Mensuel de Rennes
http://www.lemensuelderennes.fr/article/actualite/un-ex-rennais-emprisonne-au-vietnam-pour-dissidence-politique/index.html
* Ouest France
http://www.ouest-france.fr/ofdernmin_-Manifestation-de-soutien-a-l%E2%80%99ancien-etudiant-rennais-Nguyen-Tien-Trung_-1123957_actu.Htm
The director of the INSA as well as many journalists (France3, Ouest-France, Le Mensuel de Rennes and RSF) attended both meetings.
The main speakers were:
• Mrs Mono Bras, advisor for the region Brittany, assistant of the mayor of Guimgamp.
• Roselyne Lefrançois, assistant of the mayor of Rennes, in charge of international and European affairs.
• Jean-François Julliard, secretary of the association Reporter Without Borders.
All of them attended the event because they strongly reacted on the 7th of July 2009 after the arrest of Trung.
Alain Jigorel, director of the INSA of Rennes, the university where Trung studied IT started the press meeting: “I am director of the INSA but I am here above all as a simple French citizen to defend freedom.” He highlighted the fact that engineers have to respect social and human values and above all freedom.
Mrs Roselyne Lefrançois: “I am here today to show the involvement of the city of Rennes in favor of Nguyen Tien Trung who studied in Brittany.” She believes that it is highly important to know why Trung was arrested the 7th of July. She added: “It is great that people get involved to develop freedom throughout the world.”
She notified again the two letters asking for more information about Trung sent to the Vietnamese embassy in accordance with both the mayor of Rennes and assembly of the city. She added that a letter was sent to Bernard Kouchner, minister of foreign affairs to ask him to give us more news about Trung thanks to his link to the French embassy in Vietnam.
Mrs Mono Bras represented Monsieur Christian Guyonvarc’h, vice president of foreign affairs. She confirmed the fact that the two letters notified above were correctly sent. She also added that the government of Vietnam has been in charge of security commission for the UNO since October 2009. Consequently, the government of Vietnam has to respect fundamentals of the UNO and among them Human rights which are universal. She also expected members of the UNO to react to the current situation in Vietnam. She also wondered how the «Trung case» would end since very strong sentences such as death have already been used against dissidents. Moreover Trung accomplished his military obligations. The government had since nothing to reproach him. Mrs Mono Bras qualified the arrest of Trung as scandalous and added that the regional council asks for the freedom of Trung.
Mrs Mireille Ducassé, in charge of the IT department at the INSA, was one of Trung’s lecturers. She said that Trung was a good and serious student with a strong personality. She added that Trung spent one semester in Danemark and one in the USA to accomplish respectively an exchange program and an internship. She affirmed that the arrest of Trung was truly stupid.
Mr Jean François Juiliard, general secretary of RWB added that Trung was nominated for the price of « cyber freedom » of RWF in December. He believes that the arrest of Trung is representative of the countries where the access to internet is not free of access. He reminded us of the worldwide ranking about freedom of speech recently published by RWB where Vietnam ranks 166th over 175 countries. He added that Trung and 9 other Vietnamese cyberdissidents were arrested since they wrote articles about freedom and democracy what we can not understand in France. He thinks that the only ways to change the current situation in Vietnam are both the international pressure and the media. Indeed, the Vietnamese government is afraid of emitting a bad image to the rest of the world. He suggested to go on with the current actions we are leading.
Hoai Nam NGUYEN, Trung’s brother, vice-president of the comity supporting Trung said that Trung’s family did not get any information since Trung’s arrest, four months ago. He indicated that a lawyer cancelled his action for Trung because of the pressure of the police. He then presented the other Vietnamese taking part into the meeting. Among them, the writer Vu Thu Hien, Mr Nguyen Quoc Nam (member of the alliance for the democracy in Vietnam), Mr Nguyen Viet Quoc (member of the association of the young Vietnamese for democracy).
The atmosphere became really emotive when Remy, one of Trung best friend, began to cry.
Interviews of participants closed the press meeting.
The participants of the press meeting then reached the main place of Rennes to gather signatures and inform people about Trung’s arrest. More than 300 signatures were gathered.
Trung in the newspapers :
* Le Mensuel de Rennes
http://www.lemensuelderennes.fr/article/actualite/un-ex-rennais-emprisonne-au-vietnam-pour-dissidence-politique/index.html
* Ouest France
http://www.ouest-france.fr/ofdernmin_-Manifestation-de-soutien-a-l%E2%80%99ancien-etudiant-rennais-Nguyen-Tien-Trung_-1123957_actu.Htm
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Meeting in Rennes, the 22nd of october
Our last meeting in Rennes was a real success. It gathered many personalities such as:
Among representatives:
Among representatives:
- Jean-François JULLIARD, secretary of Repoter Without Borders
- Madame Mono Bras, regional advisor of the region Brittany, assistant of the mayor of the city of Guimgamp
- Journalists of the tv channel France 3
- Journalists of the newspaper Le Mensuel de Rennes
- Journalists of the newspaper Ouest France
- Monsieur Alain JIGOREL, director of the Insa of Rennes
- Madame Mireille DUCASSÉ, director of the IT department (Trung's department)
- Madame Joubida JADDA, lecturer in mathematics
- Monsieur Philippe Gall, lecturer in chemistry
- Monsieur Monier, lecturer in IT
- Monsieur Vu Thu Hien, exiled vietnamese writer, his father is Vu Dinh Huynh, former secretary of Ho Chi Minh
- Monsieur Nguyen Quoc Nam, member of the vietnamese allaince for democraty
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
The second meeting to support Nguyen Tien Trung took place the 26th of september 2009 on the « Parvis des Droits de l’Homme », in Paris, France. Trung was unfairly jailed by the Vietnamese government on the 7th July 2009.
More than 50 people gathered on the Trocadéro Place to show their support to Trung. No one has been able to talk to Trung since his improsenment. We have no information about Trung’s health. Three months after his improsenment, Trung appeared tired on a TV. He had to confess his “mistakes” and swear that from now he would be an exemplary citizen. However, we believe that Trung is still the same, deep inside.
The meeting on the 26th of September was divided into five parts: The speech, the information session, the “circle walk”, again an information session and finally a thank you speech. The main speech dealt with Trung’s history and beliefs. During the information sessions, we explained people what Trung is fighting for. The “circle walk” was simply a walk around the Trocadéro place, sreaming “free Trung”. At the end, Nam, Trung’s brother thanked us for supporting Trung.
Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6gZKaHGMKI
More than 50 people gathered on the Trocadéro Place to show their support to Trung. No one has been able to talk to Trung since his improsenment. We have no information about Trung’s health. Three months after his improsenment, Trung appeared tired on a TV. He had to confess his “mistakes” and swear that from now he would be an exemplary citizen. However, we believe that Trung is still the same, deep inside.
The meeting on the 26th of September was divided into five parts: The speech, the information session, the “circle walk”, again an information session and finally a thank you speech. The main speech dealt with Trung’s history and beliefs. During the information sessions, we explained people what Trung is fighting for. The “circle walk” was simply a walk around the Trocadéro place, sreaming “free Trung”. At the end, Nam, Trung’s brother thanked us for supporting Trung.
Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6gZKaHGMKI
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Meeting Number 2!
Trung has been in jail since the 7th of July 2009 because he is for democracy in country against it! Free Trung!
Meeting on the 26th of September 2009
Place du Trocadéro, Parvis des Droits de l'Homme, Paris
From 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Join us and please wear white clothes!!!!
Place du Trocadéro, Parvis des Droits de l'Homme, Paris
From 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Join us and please wear white clothes!!!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Press review
- 2009/08/03: GS Pháp bảo vệ Nguyễn Tiến Trung: article on BBC Vietnam
- 2009/07/31: Un ex-étudiant rennais arrêté au Vietnam: article published in the national edition of French newspaper Ouest France [jpg]
- 2009/07/28: RSF lên tiếng vì Nguyễn Tiến Trung: article on BBC Vietnam
- 2009/07/27: Trois semaines de détention au secret pour le blogueur démocrate Nguyen Tien Trung: press statement by Reporters Without Borders
- 2009/07/15: Arrestation de MM. Nguyen Tien Trung et Tran Anh Kim: press statement by the French embassy in Vietnam
- 2009/07/14: EU expresses concern over Vietnam arrests: Article in EU Business
- 2009/07/14: Arrestations/Vietnam: UE "préoccupée": article in French newspaper Le Figaro
- 2009/07/10: Authorities arrest young pro-democracy blogger who studied in France: press statement by Reporters Without Borders
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Rally on the 2nd of August
The rally for the release of Trung took place on the 2nd of August on the « place du Trocadéro » in Paris. It gathered more than 40 people and more than 140 signatures. As the “place du Trocadéro” is famous all around the world, we were able to talk with people from many different countries about what is happening to Trung.
On the 7th of August, Trung will be in jail for one month. There is still no lawyer willing to stand up for Trung. We are urgently looking for a lawyer!
In September, two more rallies will be organized. The first one will be organized in Rennes either the 16th or the 17th of September. The second one will take place in Paris at the end of September.
We thank you for your support. We have to keep on fighting!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Reports on Nguyen Tien Trung, a leader of the Viet Youth for Democracy.
Reports on Nguyen Tien Trung, a leader of the Viet Youth for Democracy.
On 07 July 2009, a day after discharging him from the military service, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam arrested Nguyen Tien Trung, founder of the Viet Youth for Democracy.
Nguyen Tien Trung is an alumnus of Le Hong Phong High School and HoChiMinh City University of Technology. From 2002, Nguyen Tien Trung attended at the College of INSA in Rennes-France, with the honor in Master degree in information technology (IT). During his study from 2004-2007, he obtained the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In his application for the scholarship, he stressed the desire to contribute his work in wireless technology for Vietnam. He observed and realized the important factor in developing the country by providing the means of communication and information to the rural and remote areas.
While studying in France, Trung has researched and exposed to different sources of ideologies and realizing that the Marxism-Leninism is not appropriate for Vietnam. As a foreign student looking back to the country, he realized and very upset by the current situation in Vietnam, especially corruption, issues of sovereignty on the territory of Vietnam, as well as other social issues of education, health care, and transportation in Vietnam.
Before the Tenth plenum of Communist Party of Vietnam in early 2006, many intellectuals have raised their demand for a political reform in Vietnam. Since there was no voice from the youth in this matter, Trung sent an open letter to Mr. Nguyen Minh Hien, former minister of Education, and a petition to the Tenth Plenum of Communist Party, but he did not received any reply from anyone. He decided to send the letter to the BBC Vietnamese to bring up his point of view as a student from abroad speaking out his freedom of speech and the knowledge that he observed in a democratic society.
After the letter got published from BBC, Trung received many responses and sympathy from individuals inside and outside of Vietnam. As his name get recognized by the vast majority of the Vietnamese people, the authorities also sent public security agents to his home and threatening his life and his family’s safety.
On 08 May 2006, together with his friends and colleagues of the same political aspirations, he founded Viet Youth for Democracy, with the objective of advocating for democracy for Vietnam by peaceful activities.
In the same year of 2006, Trung joined the Democratic Party of Vietnam. The Democratic Party of Vietnam had existed since 1944, but it was disbanded by the Communist Party in 1988.
In 2006, the Democratic Party of Vietnam was reactivated by its former Secretary General Hoang Minh Chinh, and since then has been run by a new generation of leaders, with the independence from any other political party.
The political view of the Democratic Party of Vietnam and the Viet Youth for Democracy is peaceful and moderate.
In August 2007, after graduated with a Master degree in Computer Science in France, Trung returned to Vietnam. He continued to write, and met with people of the same political ideals, foreign governments’ representatives in Vietnam, to advocate for democratizing Vietnam.
In March 2007, even though he attended the MBA program at Hoa Sen University and was employed by a French Computing Company in Saigon, he was called up for the military service. In his file, he specified clearly that he had been a member of the Democratic Party of Vietnam. Nonetheless, the government has still drafted him, also confirmed his good ethics and appropriate qualities to serve in the military.
In the military, Trung was frequently convoked and questioned by the military security forces about his political activities. The military repeatedly pressed him to recite the Ten Oaths of the People’s Army of Vietnam, the content of which obligated the soldiers to pledge allegiance to the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Socialism. Meanwhile, he was forced to write a statement to renounce his adherence to the Democratic Party of Vietnam. He has never complied to these demands.
On 6 July 2009, the regiment of Gia Dinh where he had stationed discharged him. The morning of 07 July 2009, the policemen came and searched his home and confiscated Trung’s computer, his parents’ cell phones and cut off all communications to his house. The policemen then arrested him, with the accusation of propagating against the State, under Article 88 of the Criminal Code.
The activities of Trung, as well as that of former Lieutenant Colonel Tran Anh Kim, Lawyer Le Cong Dinh and CEO Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, have always been peaceful. To criminalize peaceful political dissent is violating the Constitution of Vietnam and the public international law.
The Viet Youth for Democracy believes that these arrests are purely of political act. In consequences, the pressure from the international community, individuals, associations inside as well as outside the country will put pressure on the Vietnamese government to free these detainees.
We are asking for your help!
The trend of evolution of the world nowadays is to move towards the respect of basic values of humanity. The unlawful and absurd arrests that the Vietnamese government has made recently have shown that the Vietnamese government is acting against the tide of history.
Your voice to stop these acts, so that the Vietnamese people will have the opportunity to live in a society where the rule of law is observed and human rights are respected, is appreciated.
Thank you all very much.
The Viet Youth for Democracy
July 2009
On 07 July 2009, a day after discharging him from the military service, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam arrested Nguyen Tien Trung, founder of the Viet Youth for Democracy.
Nguyen Tien Trung is an alumnus of Le Hong Phong High School and HoChiMinh City University of Technology. From 2002, Nguyen Tien Trung attended at the College of INSA in Rennes-France, with the honor in Master degree in information technology (IT). During his study from 2004-2007, he obtained the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In his application for the scholarship, he stressed the desire to contribute his work in wireless technology for Vietnam. He observed and realized the important factor in developing the country by providing the means of communication and information to the rural and remote areas.
While studying in France, Trung has researched and exposed to different sources of ideologies and realizing that the Marxism-Leninism is not appropriate for Vietnam. As a foreign student looking back to the country, he realized and very upset by the current situation in Vietnam, especially corruption, issues of sovereignty on the territory of Vietnam, as well as other social issues of education, health care, and transportation in Vietnam.
Before the Tenth plenum of Communist Party of Vietnam in early 2006, many intellectuals have raised their demand for a political reform in Vietnam. Since there was no voice from the youth in this matter, Trung sent an open letter to Mr. Nguyen Minh Hien, former minister of Education, and a petition to the Tenth Plenum of Communist Party, but he did not received any reply from anyone. He decided to send the letter to the BBC Vietnamese to bring up his point of view as a student from abroad speaking out his freedom of speech and the knowledge that he observed in a democratic society.
After the letter got published from BBC, Trung received many responses and sympathy from individuals inside and outside of Vietnam. As his name get recognized by the vast majority of the Vietnamese people, the authorities also sent public security agents to his home and threatening his life and his family’s safety.
On 08 May 2006, together with his friends and colleagues of the same political aspirations, he founded Viet Youth for Democracy, with the objective of advocating for democracy for Vietnam by peaceful activities.
In the same year of 2006, Trung joined the Democratic Party of Vietnam. The Democratic Party of Vietnam had existed since 1944, but it was disbanded by the Communist Party in 1988.
In 2006, the Democratic Party of Vietnam was reactivated by its former Secretary General Hoang Minh Chinh, and since then has been run by a new generation of leaders, with the independence from any other political party.
The political view of the Democratic Party of Vietnam and the Viet Youth for Democracy is peaceful and moderate.
In August 2007, after graduated with a Master degree in Computer Science in France, Trung returned to Vietnam. He continued to write, and met with people of the same political ideals, foreign governments’ representatives in Vietnam, to advocate for democratizing Vietnam.
In March 2007, even though he attended the MBA program at Hoa Sen University and was employed by a French Computing Company in Saigon, he was called up for the military service. In his file, he specified clearly that he had been a member of the Democratic Party of Vietnam. Nonetheless, the government has still drafted him, also confirmed his good ethics and appropriate qualities to serve in the military.
In the military, Trung was frequently convoked and questioned by the military security forces about his political activities. The military repeatedly pressed him to recite the Ten Oaths of the People’s Army of Vietnam, the content of which obligated the soldiers to pledge allegiance to the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Socialism. Meanwhile, he was forced to write a statement to renounce his adherence to the Democratic Party of Vietnam. He has never complied to these demands.
On 6 July 2009, the regiment of Gia Dinh where he had stationed discharged him. The morning of 07 July 2009, the policemen came and searched his home and confiscated Trung’s computer, his parents’ cell phones and cut off all communications to his house. The policemen then arrested him, with the accusation of propagating against the State, under Article 88 of the Criminal Code.
The activities of Trung, as well as that of former Lieutenant Colonel Tran Anh Kim, Lawyer Le Cong Dinh and CEO Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, have always been peaceful. To criminalize peaceful political dissent is violating the Constitution of Vietnam and the public international law.
The Viet Youth for Democracy believes that these arrests are purely of political act. In consequences, the pressure from the international community, individuals, associations inside as well as outside the country will put pressure on the Vietnamese government to free these detainees.
We are asking for your help!
The trend of evolution of the world nowadays is to move towards the respect of basic values of humanity. The unlawful and absurd arrests that the Vietnamese government has made recently have shown that the Vietnamese government is acting against the tide of history.
Your voice to stop these acts, so that the Vietnamese people will have the opportunity to live in a society where the rule of law is observed and human rights are respected, is appreciated.
Thank you all very much.
The Viet Youth for Democracy
July 2009
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