RSF: Open letter to the american secretary of state Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

U.S. Department of State

Washington DC

USA

Paris, October 25, 2010

Subject: Your visit to Hanoi for ASEAN summit

Dear Secretary of State Clinton,

Reporters Without Borders would like to ask you to use your October 30 visit to Hanoi to press the Vietnamese authorities to release imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents,referring in particular to the cases of Pham Minh Hoang, Nguyen Tien Trung and Le Cong Dinh. A meeting with their families or with human rights activists would be in line with the support for free expression you declared in your speech of January 21.

Le Cong Dinh, a cyber-dissident and well-known lawyer, was sentenced to five years in prison on January 20. Nguyen Tien Trung, a blogger and pro-democracy activist, is

serving a seven-year jail sentence. Their jail terms are to be followed by three years of house arrest. Both were convicted of endangering national security and “organizing campaigns in collusion with foreign-based reactionary groups aimed at overthrowing the people’s government with the Internet’s help.”

Pham Minh Hoang, who kept a blog (www.pkquoc.multiply.com), was formally charged on September 29 after six weeks in detention, during which his family was without any news of

him. He is accused of activities aimed at overthrowing the government and of being a member of the opposition Viet Tan party, which the authorities regard as a “terrorist organization.” His wife denies the charges and says the real reason for his arrest was his opposition to bauxite mining by a Chinese company in Vietnam’s central highlands and its impact on the environment. Other journalists and bloggers who have tried to cover this subject, such a Bui

Thanh Hieu, have also been arrested.

The human rights situation is getting worse in the run-up to the Communist Party congress scheduled for early next year. Vietnam nonetheless agreed to reconcile economic

development with respect for its citizens’ fundamental rights when it was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2006. Vietnam is also a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which enshrines freedom of expression and opinion as a fundamental right that everyone should be able to exercise freely.

The government has been reinforcing its control over the media and Internet since last year. Censorship of online political content and repression of bloggers and netizens who refer to sensitive issues have been stepped up. There has also been an increase in cyber-attacks on websites critical of the government. Article 1 of “Circular No. 7,” issued in January 2009, told bloggers they could only write about strictly personal matters, effectively banning them from circulating press articles. The Public Security Ministry is involved in Internet surveillance. Vietnam is on the Reporters Without Borders list of “Enemies of the Internet.”

In your historic speech last January, you very clearly affirmed U.S. support for online freedom of speech and opinion, saying the United States had a duty to defend this economic and social development tool. We ask you to now defend these principles in your relations with Vietnam, the world’s second-largest prison for netizens with a total of 16 cyber-dissidents and three journalists detained. The government announced a prisoner amnesty for Vietnam’s national holiday on 2 September, but until now no free speech activist has been released. Our organization hopes it can count on your support for online free speech and for those who struggle every day to defend the right to news and information.

We thank you in advance for the attention you give to this request.

Sincerely,

Jean-François Julliard

Secretary-General

Ahead of Hanoi visit, Hillary Clinton urged to raise cases of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents

Source: RSF

Reporters Without Borders has written to U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton in advance of her visit to Hanoi on 30 October urging the United States to press the Vietnamese authorities to release imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents and suggesting that it should raise the cases of Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Tien Trung and Pham Minh Hoang in particular.

Le Cong Dinh, a cyber-dissident and well-known lawyer, was sentenced to five years in prison on January 20. Nguyen Tien Trung, a blogger and pro-democracy activist, is serving a seven-year jail sentence. Their jail terms are to be followed by three years of house arrest. Both were convicted of endangering national security and “organizing campaigns in collusion with foreign-based reactionary groups aimed at overthrowing the people’s government with the Internet’s help.”

Pham Minh Hoang, a blogger (www.pkquoc.multiply.com) with French and Vietnamese dual citizenship, was formally charged on 29 September after six weeks in detention, during which his family was without any news of him. He is also accused of activities aimed at overthrowing the government. His wife says the real reason for his arrest was his opposition to bauxite mining by a Chinese company in Vietnam’s central highlands and its impact on the environment. Other journalists and bloggers who have tried to cover this subject, such as Bui Thanh Hieu, have also been arrested.

The human rights situation is getting worse in the run-up to the Communist Party congress scheduled for early next year. Vietnam nonetheless agreed to reconcile economic development with respect for its citizens’ fundamental rights when it was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2006.

The government has been reinforcing its control over the media and Internet since last year and there has been an increase in cyber-attacks on websites critical of the government.

In her historic speech last January, Clinton very clearly affirmed U.S. support for online freedom of speech and opinion, saying the United States had a duty to defend this tool of economic and social development. Reporters Without Borders urges her to defend these principles now in her contacts with Vietnam, the world’s second-largest prison for netizens with a total of 16 cyber-dissidents and three journalists detained.

Government urged to pardon detained journalists and netizens

Source: RSF

Reporters Without Borders reiterates its appeal to the government to ensure that the human rights activists, journalists and netizens who are in prison in Vietnam just for expressing their views are included in the amnesty for detainees that has been announced for Vietnam’s National Holiday on 2 September.

Vietnam needs to respect its undertakings to guarantee freedom of expression. The release of these human rights activists, journalists and bloggers would be seen a major conciliatory gesture.

Reporters Without Borders would like to draw the government’s attention to the following 18 detainees: three journalists (Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, Truong Minh Duc and Nguyen Van Ly) and 15 netizens (Nguyen Van Tinh, Nguyen Manh Son, Nguyen Van Tuc, Ngo Quynh, Nguyen Kim Nhan, Pham Van Troi, Vu Hung, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nham, Tran Quoc Hien, Truong Quoc Huy, Nguyen Hoang Hai, also known as Dieu Cay, Nguyen Tien Trung, Nguyen Xuan Nghia and Le Cong Dinh).

Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard wrote to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on 20 July urging him to pardon these human rights activists, journalists and bloggers.

When Vietnam was admitted to the World Trade Organisation in 2006, it agreed to reconcile economic development with respect for its citizens’ fundamental rights. Vietnam is also a signatory of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which enshrines freedom of expression and opinion as a fundamental right that everyone should be able to exercise freely.

It's been one year, Nguyen Tien Trung was arrested in Vietnam

(Translated from Ouest-France)


Sad anniversary. A year ago to the day, a former student of Rennes, Nguyen Tien Trung, was arrested in his country, Vietnam, "attempting to overthrow the regime of the people." He was sentenced to 7 years in prison and three years of house arrest.

Trung studied five years in Rennes from 2002 to 2007, when he received his diploma in computer engineering from the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA). During these years the young man now 27 years created the Association "Vietnamese Youth for Democracy". During an internship in the U.S., he met exiled Vietnamese and Canadian Prime Minister and former President George Bush ... After graduation, he returned to Vietnam. In March 2007 he was called up. He was arrested and jailed July 7, 2009.

Since then, a support committee was formed with former classmates and teachers Insa. City and County, as Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, continues to press for his release. For them, Trung was taken as an example.

Press release of the support committee Nguyen Tien Trung (May 7 2010)

Update on the health situation of Nguyen Tien Trung held since July 7, 2009.

According to his parents, Nguyen Tien Trung was in good health. He pumps a day in 1000 to deal with. He would like to read books in computer science, mathematics and novels in French and English but it is forbidden to bring into the prison the books that are not Vietnamese.

The support committee Nguyen Tien Trung has met each other on 1 and 2 May 2010 in Rennes.

Present: Quoc Nam and his wife My Duyen (both regular members of the committee), Nguyen Hoai Nam (Nguyen Tien Trung's brother and vice-chair), Philippe Echard (Chairman) and his wife Zoubida Jadda (Regular Member of the Committee), Marie-Jo Pedrono (regular member of the committee) and Severine Denis (Vice-Chair of the Committee).
The committee's activities during the weekend were:
- On 1 May:
Meeting: talked about current activities and those need to be done.
- May 2: Visit an exhibition on the "boat people" in the building of the "Champs Libres in Rennes.


At the meeting of May 1, the support committee decided:

- To send parcels regularly to Trung (in prison). These packages contain only food.
- To strengthen the partnership with supporting committees involved in the fight for the release of other dissidents in Vietnam.
The visit of the exhibition has been emotional and allowed us to understand more about the boat people of Vietnam, who have paid everything for freedom.

Manifestation in front of Unesco Building

The manifestation near the Unesco building in Paris on the occasion of the celebration of Vietnamese New Year took place at 15:30 to 17h February 6, 2010.

Members of the Support Committee of Tien Trung Nguyen were present:

• Nguyen Hoai Nam

• Ke-Vu Nguyen

• Nguyen Quoc Nam

• Séverine Denis

With the formal presence of Reporters Without Borders staff members: Lucie Morillon and 4 other employees of RSF.

With megaphones, Severine Denis briefed visitors on the current situation in Vietnam. Everyone shouted "Freedom for all, freedom for Nguyen Tien Trung, freedom for Le Cong Dinh ..." They brought the masks to symbolize the prohibition of freedom of expression in Vietnam

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Nam has succeed to enter the building to distribute fluers to visitors and tell them about the actual problem in humain right in Vietnam.

Some pictures

Open house day at Insa of Rennes

On 30.01.2010 was the open house day of the Insa Rennes.

Ms. Marie-Jo Pedrono, Philippe Echard, Edward M. Monnier and Miklos Molnar (Support Committee for Trung), took the opportunity to make a stand to inform students about the fate of Trung. They also distributed flyers to all visitors.
People understood very well our action.
Many visitors were already aware of the situation Trung through reading newspapers or news reports on TV or radio.
Actions aimed at reducing his prison term will continue until his release.

European Union expresses its deep concern about the outcome of Trung's trial

Statement by the EU Heads of Mission on the trial of Mr Le Cong Dinh, Mr Nguyen Tien Trung, Mr Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and Mr Le Thang Long on 20 January 2010.

The EU Heads of Mission in Hanoi express their deep concern about the proceedings and the outcome of the trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday 20 January.

The convictions are not consistent with the fundamental right of all persons to hold opinions and freely and peacefully express them, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Vietnam is a party.

Moreover, the severity of the sentences, notably including 16 years imprisonment followed by 5 years of surveillance for Mr Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, is unprecedented in recent years. The trial and verdicts are a major and regrettable step backwards for Vietnam. The esteem of the international community and longterm economic progress are not sustainable if peaceful expression, particularly the exchange and development of ideas about key issues for the people and the country, is suppressed.

The conduct of the trial is also a cause for concern: the families of the accused were not allowed access to the courtroom itself; the sound system relaying the trial to the observers in a nearby room was deficient; and serious allegations by two of the four accused that they had been subjected to pressure or harassment during the investigation were not addressed by the Court.

The EU Heads of Mission reiterate their firm goodwill and support for Vietnam and their readiness to continue to work in partnership with Vietnam. However, the negative trend exemplified by these and other recent verdicts, should be reversed so that Vietnam’s full potential in all areas, both social and economic, can be realised.

EU Delegation in Hanoi, 21 January 2010.

http://www.delvnm.ec.europa.eu/news/vn_news/vn_news99.html

Press review after the judgement

Vietnamese dissidents' trial a mockery of justice - Annesty International
The prosecution gave no evidence to support the indictment, and the judges deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning with the judgment, which took 45 minutes to read and clearly had been prepared in advance of the hearing.

Family members, diplomats and journalists observed the trial from an adjacent room through a video link. Many had been turned away, including several family members of Tran Huynh Duy Thuc.

The trial also shows the urgent need to reform the serious short-comings of the 1999 Penal Code, the vague provisions of which criminalize peaceful dissent, contrary to Viet Nam’s obligations under international law.

Court sentences four netizens and pro-democracy activists to a total of 33 years in jail - Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns the long jail sentences imposed on a total of seven bloggers, cyber-dissidents and human rights activists in rushed sham trials in the past two days. Sentences totalling 33 years in prison were passed on four dissidents who were tried by a court in Ho Chi Minh City today.

Vietnam dissident trial criticised - Reuters
Trung, 26, who started a pro-democracy youth group and, like the others, was a member of the Democratic Party, admitted to breaking the law and expressed remorse, saying his family and friends had been affected.

Dissidents Get Stiff Sentences - RFA

Foreign diplomats attending the trial protested the verdicts, and human rights groups were quick to condemn the proceedings.

Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt-Hansen, the sole European ambassador permitted to attend, said the defendants had been sentenced for actions “which in a democracy are not unlawful.”

The United States condemned the arrests and repeated its concern after the verdict.

“We would like to reiterate our deep concern over the arrest and conviction of persons for the peaceful expression of their beliefs, political or otherwise, by the government of Vietnam,” said Ken Fairfax, U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City.

“There are serious concerns about the whole process,” Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen told reporters.

Vietnam: Repression Intensifies Prior to Party Congress - HRW

"With its treatment of peaceful critics, the Vietnamese government seems determined to stand out as one of the most repressive countries in Asia," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "We'd be thrilled if the Vietnamese government proved us wrong, but there are no signs that it will reverse its increasingly harsh crackdown on dissent." In the lead-up to a key Vietnamese Communist Party congress in 2011, Human Rights Watch is concerned that the Vietnamese government will intensify its campaign to silence government critics and curb social unrest in an effort to quell any potential challenges to its one-party rule.

Vietnam’s democracy activists - The Economists

SPEAKING your mind can be costly in Vietnam. This week a court in Ho Chi Minh City, the main city in the south of the country, sentenced four democracy activists to jail terms ranging from five to 16 years. Two of the men, Le Cong Dinh and Nguyen Tien Trung, had previously studied and lived abroad and one, Mr Dinh, is among the country’s best-known criminal defence lawyers.

Dangerous convictions

On January 20th a court in Ho Chi Minh City sentenced Le Cong Dinh, a 41-year-old lawyer, and Nguyen Tien Trung, 26, an activist, to prison terms of five and seven years for advocating multiparty democracy. For both, the road to prison began with Western scholarships. Mr Dinh has a law degree from America; Mr Trung took a masters in France.

Nguyễn Tiến Trung sentenced to 7 years of jail after a sham trial (Press Release)

Nguyễn Tiến Trung has been sentenced to 7 years of jail, and 3 years of probation, this Thursday, January 20th 2010.

Trung is a pacifist, and he only expressed his wish for more freedom of speech in his country. He was accused of trying to overthrow the current regime. That is the reason why he has been in jail in Hô-Chi-Minh-City in Viêt Nam since the 7th of July 2009.

At the end of a one-day sham trial, he was sentenced to 7 years of jail.
Graduated from the INSA of Rennes after 5 years of study in France, Trung created the worldwide-known Young Vietnamese for democracy association.

We, the support committee, are shocked by this sentence and denounce this sham of trial in a country able to put a free man in jail only because he dared to make use of freedom of speech. We ask for the immediate release and for the quashing of all charges against Nguyễn Tiến Trung. Above all, we call the international organization to put pressure on the Vietnamese regime.

Press release by the support committee, Wednesday, the 20th of January
French version: Nguyễn Tiến Trung condamné à 7 ans de prison ferme à l'issue d'une parodie de procès (communiqué de presse)

News from first day of the trail

AFP

Vietnam dissidents put on trial for subversion

By Aude Genet (AFP)

HO CHI MINH CITY — A group of democracy campaigners went on trial in Vietnam Wednesday, facing possible death sentences on charges of trying to overthrow the communist regime in a case which has sparked global concern.

Human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, 41, French-trained computer expert and blogger Nguyen Tien Trung, 26, and Internet entrepreneur Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, 43, are charged with "activities aimed at subverting the people's administration," according to the indictment.

The charges against the three carry a minimum penalty of 12 years in prison and a maximum of death.

It is the most high-profile case in a series of arrests and convictions of dissidents and bloggers in the communist country over the past year.

A fourth man in the dock, Le Thang Long, 42, is accused of being an accomplice and faces five to 15 years in prison if convicted.

"This is an extremely serious case," said the indictment. "It is prejudicial to national security."

It accused the men of an organised non-violent campaign, in collusion with "reactionary Vietnamese in exile and hostile forces", to overturn the government with the help of the Internet.

"They broadly disseminated information to distort reality and make people disbelieve party and state leadership," the charge said.

Although the defendants did not enter formal pleas, Dinh and Trung told the court in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, that they had violated the law.

Thuc testified that he wanted to warn people about socio-economic problems, like corruption.

"My behaviour did not violate the law," he said, admitting that he signed a confession saying he had called for a multi-party system.

But he alleged he was "mistreated" during the investigation process which "was not conducted in accordance with the law."

All except Long were accused of having links to the banned Democratic Party of Vietnam (DPV), which Dinh testified wants to establish a multiparty system and calls for pluralism.

"What I did violated the law," Dinh said.

The DPV, which the indictment says seeks to overthrow the government, has its roots in the Communist Party. It was dissolved in the 1980s but revived in 2006 by Hoang Minh Chinh, a former communist official-turned-dissident who died in 2008.

Trung also testified that he violated the law and had been "immature".

He and the others are accused of preparing dozens of anti-state documents and blogs.

Thuc foresaw the elimination of the Communist Party by 2020, Dinh drafted a new constitution, while Trung, together with students in France, established a "democratic youth movement", the indictment said.

Long testified that he and Thuc were part of a group that discussed socio-economic issues and ways to "develop the country".

Long, who admitted writing articles and sending them to a foreign radio service, said: "I think my discussion is natural and it's within my citizen's rights."

Neither relatives of the accused nor foreign journalists and diplomats were allowed into the courtroom and watched the trial via closed-circuit television.

Dozens of police surrounded the People's Court complex in central Ho Chi Minh, where the defendants were arrested between May and July last year.

Dinh's arrest in particular sparked concern in Europe and the United States, and among a global association of lawyers, human rights watchdogs and press freedom groups.

"Their real crime, in the eyes of the authorities, was to have requested more freedoms," said press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders.

US consul general Kenneth Fairfax, who monitored the trial, said the case "related to exercise of free speech" and called for their release.

Demonstration in London in front of the Embassy of Vietnam in Great Britain

On 18.01.2010 evening, Marie-Jo PEDRON (in the right of the picutre), former director of the Computer Science department of INSA Rennes, the former teacher of Trung at Insa and member of the Support Committee of NGUYEN Tien Trung with Mr Quoc Nam, representative of The Alliance for Democracy, went to London to attend the manifestation outside the Embassy of Vietnam in England.

Due to time stress, some committee members could not leave.

The manifestation on 19/01/2010 was a success with the live interview with BBC London to Vietnam.

Mme PEDRONO wrote
I am a member of the Support Committee of Trung.
My name is Marie-Joe Pedrono. I was one’s of the teacher of Trung at the National Institute of Applied Science (INSA), an engineer school in Rennes (France). I was the director of the Computer Science Department where Trung was studying. So, I am deeply concerned about his detention.
Trung was a very clever student and has obtained outstanding results. At the end of his second year at INSA, he was the best among 200 students.
For many times, he told me that he wanted to come back to Vietnam to help his country at the end of his studies. Just before he left France, he has offered me a very beautiful picture brought by his mother. When he came back to Vietnam, he sent me a mail to say that he was very happy to have a job at IBM. A few months later, he told me that he was enroled by the army and he didn’t send any news during many months. I was worry when I knew that Trung was arrested in July 7th.
Trung has learnt the right of the freedom of speech and democracy in our school in France. So all the teachers and all the students of INSA support Trung and ask for his immediate release.

A Vietnamese engineer graduated in France may risk death penalty (press release)

Because of his call for more freedom of speech and democracy in Vietnam, Nguyễn Tiến Trung has been imprisoned since the 7th of July 2009 and may be sentenced to death.

During his 5 years of study at the INSA of Rennes in France, he founded a worldwide-known association: the Young Vietnamese for Democracy Association.

Before the trial which will take place in Hô-Chi-Minh-City on January 20th, we, the support committee, ask for the immediate release and for the quashing of all charges against Nguyễn Tiến Trung.


Press release by the support committee, Monday, the 18th of January
French version: Risque de peine de mort pour un ingénieur vietnamien diplômé en France (communiqué de presse)

The process of Trung will take place on 20 January 2010

On January 8, 2009, parents of Trung have seen him for the third time in prison under the supervision of 3 guards. When Trung was not there, an official said Trungwould get 5 years in prison.

Trung looked in good shape (physical and moral). He said he was doing gymnastics every day, exercise breathing and meditation.

His parents have received official information, in addition Trung confirmed that the trial would take place on 20 and January 21, 2010. By cons, an officer said that the trial could be shifted down to 25 and January 26, 2010.

After listening to feedback from family and friends, Trung thanked his friends for their concern about him. He took the news of his family and his teachers at Insa. He told his parents to take a taxi to come to trial.

Trung knows already that Mr Tran Anh Kinh has sentenced a trial of 5 ½ years in prison.

Trung said that having confessed on television had its reasons. He stressed that what matters is the truth and not what has been said on television.

Trung expressed his confidence in his lawyer Doan Thai Duyen Hai. He also asked his parents to bring books whenever possible.