Free Nguyễn Tiến Trung

CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR VIETNAMESE BLOGGER BEHIND BARS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS

2011-11-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

Reporters Without Borders expresses its gravest concern over the fate of the Vietnamese blogger and democratic activist Nguyen Tien Trung, in custody for more than two years and sentenced in January last year to seven years’ imprisonment and three years’ house arrest for subversion.

“We request the immediate and unconditional release of de Nguyen Tien Trung. The accusations made against him are a total fabrication,” the press freedom organization said.

“Nguyen Tien Trung has never been a danger to the Vietnamese state. He merely expressed himself freely, a right guaranteed by the constitution. The authorities want to make an example of him and intimidate Vietnamese students who return home from studies abroad and demand greater freedom.”

Trung, a graduate of the INSA School of Engineering in the French city of Rennes, was arrested at his parents’ home in Ho Chi Minh City on 7 July 2009 for “anti-state propaganda” under the criminal code.

A government TV station broadcast his taped confession. Under duress, he admitted in court he had broken the law and had been influenced by Western values. However, he said he had no intention of overthrowing the government, a statement which was believed to have been taken into account by the judge.

He was found guilty on 20 January last year of endangering national security and colluding via the Internet with reactionary organizations based abroad to organise campaigns aimed at overthrowing the people’s government.

His family announced it would campaign for his release. They stressed that Trung never had any intention of overthrowing the government and was simply exercising his rights as a citizen.

The committee formed to support him published on its website a tribute from his former professor at INSA, Philippe Echard, who said: “It’s a strange thing as an educator to imagine that a student one has taught, with whom one has had discussions, and to whom one has most probably paid particular attention since he is a foreigner, is today in prison in his own country at the other end of the world and facing serious charges…

“Why is he in prison? For expressing himself freely, for criticising university education in Vietnam, for appealing, like many other intellectuals in his country, for greater freedom and democracy.”

The committee has called for a campaign for his release: “The worst that can happen to Trung is that he is forgotten little by little,” it said. His family and friends have stepped up their action – visit http://freetrung.tk and sign their petition.

International Solidarity Week is a major event in France to raise awareness of international solidarity and sustainable development. A number of events have been organised throughout the country and the Committee for the Release of Nguyen Tien Trung , headed by Professor Echard, was due to give a presentation on Friday 19 in Rennes on cyber dissidence in Vietnam, giving full details of Trung’s case.

The committee has organised a mass meeting on Saturday 19 a 2 p.m. in the Place de la Mairie in Rennes, which will be attended by teachers and students from INSA and by many of those who support Trung. On this occasion, Reporters Without Borders joins the committee in demanding his release.

Statement by Jean-François Julliard, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, on the occasion of the presentation by the Committee for the Rele

2011-11-19T15:16:00.001-08:00

More than two years after his conviction, we wish to reaffirm our support for Nguyen Tien Trung and his family on the occasion of International Solidarity Week. We are pursuing our efforts to obtain his release and we continue to defend the right to freedom of information in Vietnam.

On 2 September, Vietnam’s national day, we sent a letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. At that time, the government had announced an amnesty for more than 10,000 detainees. We requested that all prisoners of conscience also be released and drew the prime minister’s attention to the fate of the three journalists and 17 bloggers, including Nguyen Tien Trung, who were still in prison. To date, there has been no reply to the letter.

Human rights and freedom of expression have deteriorated in the country in recent years and arrests go on. Today, Vietnam is the country with the second highest number of netizens in prison, after China. Most have been charged with subversion or trying to overthrown the people’s government under article 88 of the criminal code.

However, in several of its provisions the Vietnamese constitution guarantees human rights and freedom of expression. Article 43, for example, gives citizens the right to take part in public and social affairs and discuss local and national problems, to send petitions or make recommendations to the organs of state, and to participate in referendums organised by the government .

What, then, justifies Nguyen Tien Trung’s detention for addressing the government on the country’s education policy and expressing pro-democratic views?

Article 69 guarantees freedom of expression and of the press. Citizens have the right to be informed, as well as to hold meetings, form associations and take part in demonstrations within the law. Why has he been criticized for affiliation to the Democratic Party of Vietnam?

Finally, article 71 protects citizens’ physical integrity, private life, health, honour and dignity. No one can be arrested without a warrant issued by the People’s Court or ratified by the People’s Inspectorate, except in cases where someone is caught breaking the law red-handed. Nguyen Tien Trung merely expressed his desire to see these principles applied and respected. Yet he has been accused of “anti-state propaganda”.

Just after the 66th anniversary of Vietnam’s independence in September this year, we welcomed the release of 10,000 detainees. Today we urgently call on the Vietnamese authorities to extend the amnesty to Nguyen Tien Trung and all political prisoners.

Jean-François Julliard Secretary-General, Reporters Without Borders

The international solidarity week in Rennes

2011-11-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Dear,

The international solidarity week will be held from November 9 to 19, at the “Maison International de Rennes” (7 Quai Chateaubriand, 35000 Rennes, France)

On this occasion, the committee for the release of Nguyen Tien Trung will participate with the presentation of Mr Philippe Echard, the president of the committee, on the subject of Vietnamese cyber dissident, and particularly the case of Nguyen Tien Trung. The talks will start from 18h30 and right after that, the conference about “democracy, humain right and political practice: the role of the media” from 20h30 to 22h.

The next day, Saturday 19/11 at 14h, there will be a manifestation at “place de la Mairie” in Rennes, with the participation of professors, students in Insa of Rennes and all those who support the release of Nguyen Tien Trung.

Your participation in these two activities will be welcome.

Regards,

The committee for the release of Nguyen Tien Trung.

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

2010-10-31T03:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-31T02:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-08T02:36:00.001-07:00

(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)

2010-05-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-02-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-01T01:09:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

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)

2010-01-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T03:27:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-19T13:51:00.001-08:00

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)

2010-01-18T00:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-10T03:21:00.000-08:00

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.

Call on the Vietnamese authorities to release Trung

2009-12-25T14:05:00.000-08:00

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!

Send a postcard to Trung!

2009-12-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

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!

At the conference of humain right

2009-12-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

Committee for the Liberation of Nguyen Tien Trung - December 13, 2009
From 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

Blogger and activist faces possible death penalty (RSF)

2009-12-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

From 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.

Letter of Nicole Kii-Nielsen, European deputy to the Embassador of Vietnam in France

2009-12-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

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

AFP - French-schooled activist could face death in Vietnam: father

2009-12-10T08:55:00.001-08:00

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.

Sign to support Trung!

2009-11-30T23:42:00.001-08:00

The picture of Trung in Berlin

2009-11-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Fall of Berlin Wall 1989-2009

Video of the news conference at "INSA de Rennes" in October

2009-11-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

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

Report of the last action for Trung

2009-10-28T06:18:00.001-07:00

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

Meeting in Rennes, the 22nd of october

2009-10-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

Our last meeting in Rennes was a real success. It gathered many personalities such as:

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

http://www.lemensuelderennes.fr/article/actualite/un-ex-rennais-emprisonne-au-vietnam-pour-dissidence-politique/index.html

Journalists of the newspaper Ouest France

http://www.ouest-france.fr/ofdernmin_-Manifestation-de-soutien-a-l%E2%80%99ancien-etudiant-rennais-Nguyen-Tien-Trung_-1123957_actu.Htm

Among lecturers:

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

Among vietnamese personalities:

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

Trung in "Le Monde", a famous French newspaper

2009-10-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2009/10/10/vague-de-condamnation-d-opposants-au-vietnam_1252115_3216.html#xtor=RSS-3208

2009-10-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

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

Meeting Number 2!

2009-09-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

Press review

2009-08-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

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

Rally on the 2nd of August

2009-08-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

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!

Reports on Nguyen Tien Trung, a leader of the Viet Youth for Democracy.

2009-07-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

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