Rosenheim, Germany - October 5, 1996: The Vietnamese Refugee Association at Rosenheim and the surroundings, and the local press, People Newspaper, organized a press stand at the Maxplatz, Traunstein City of southern Germany, to inform the public of the on-going human rights violations in Vietnam. The activity is part of the campaign for the release of Mr. Ha Si Phu, a prominent dissident writer, and other political prisoners in Vietnam. Mr. Ha Si Phu, a scientist, was sentenced to one year imprisonment at a sham trial last month in Hanoi for his series of calls for democratic changes. The campaign initiated by the Free Vietnam Alliance was also for the release of dissidents Le Hong Ha and Nguyen Kien Giang - both former high-ranking members of the communist party - and scores of other political prisoners.
During three hours of activities, volunteers at the booth distributed nearly 2000 flyers and collected several hundred signatures of support.
Similar booths will be erected throughout the campaign, according to Mr. Nguyen Van The, a representative of the campaign committee.
As a result of non-stop campaigning by overseas Vietnamese communities and FVA member chapters around the world for international intervention on behalf of political prisoners in Vietnam, a flood of public appeals and correspondences among various international human rights organizations, governments, committees, overseas Vietnamese freedom advocates, and political prisoners inside Vietnam have taken place despite the Vietnamese Communist Party's numerous efforts to discourage and disrupt the communication.
Following are three instances of these appeals and exchanges:
- Appeal by Pen Club and International Freedom of Expression
Exchange Clearing House to their members to demand the release of
Ha Si Phu,
- Reply of the Swiss government to the Swiss Vietnamese
Committee regarding political prisoners in Vietnam, and
- Letter by Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh to COSUNAM.
International Freedom of Expression Exchange Clearing House
Date: 27 September 1996
VIETNAM: Writer Nguyen Xuan Tu sentenced to twelve months in prison
ORIGINATOR: Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC), International PEN, London
Writer and biologist Nguyen Xuan Tu, also known as Ha Si Phu, was given a twelve month prison sentence on 22 August 1996 on charges of possessing "secret" documents. No details are presently available to International PEN as to the nature of these documents. It is feared, however, that the real reason for his arrest was a broadcast he made to a Vietnamese language radio station in the United States of America in which he called for democratic and economic reform. He was arrested the same day as the broadcast.
Nguyen, age 56, was trained in the Czech republic. He is known for his occasional articles over the past ten years in which he has been critical of Vietnamese government policy. For example, he wrote an article entitled "Farewell to Ideology" in which he argued that Marxist-Leninism was no longer appropriate in today's Vietnam. In his broadcast in December 1995, he is said to have told listeners that "the direction of the party is hindering the development of many talented people in Vietnam. We have to say goodbye to the old proletarian ideology." He went on to suggest that the USA should not grant Vietnam the prized Most Favoured Nation trading status "until democracy is well developed."
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to authorities:
-seeking details of the charges and evidence used to convict Ha
Si Phu of possession of "secrets"
-voicing concern that Ha Si Phu appears to be held for voicing
his criticism of Vietnamese government policy and may be held in
violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights (ICCPR)--of which Vietnam is a
signatory--which guarantees the right to "seek, receive and
impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of
frontiers"
-asking that, should Ha Si Phu be detained solely for the
practice of his internationally recognized rights to free speech,
the Vietnamese government show its commitment to the ICCPR
through the immediate and unconditional release of Ha Si Phu
APPEALS TO:
Do Muoi
Secretary General
The Vietnamese Communist Party
Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Fax: +84 4 259 205 (or try +84 4 459 205)
Nguyen Manh Cam
Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1 Ton That Dam
Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Fax: +84 4 259 205
the Vietnamese diplomatic representative to your country
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
1233 20th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036 United States
Fax: + 1 202 861 0917
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
25 B Davidson Dr.
Gloucester, Ontario
K1J 6L7 Canada
Fax: +1 613 744 5072
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
For further information, contact WiPC, 9/10 Charterhouse
Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AT, U.K., tel:+44 1 71 253
3226, fax:+44 1 71 253 5711, e-mail: intpen@gn.apc.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of its originator.
*******************************************************
* IFEX CLEARING HOUSE *
* 490 Adelaide St. W. #205 Toronto ONT M5V 1T2 CANADA *
* tel: 416-703-1638 fax: 416-703-7034 *
* e-mail: ifex@web.net *
*******************************************************
Letter from Swiss Federal Foreign Ministry to Swiss Vietnamese Committee
Berne, September 5, 1996
Office Director
Federal Foreign Ministry
The Swiss Vietnamese Committee
Mr. Thierry Oppikoffer, Chairman
Mr. Nguyen Tang Luy, Secretary
P.O. Box 3767
1211 Geneve 3
Gentlemen,
I would like to thank you for your letter dated July 9, regarding the fates of Messrs. Nguyen Ho and Nguyen Van Tran.
As expressed in my earlier responses, I am deeply concerned of the human rights condition in Vietnam. I have personally raised this issue with the Vietnamese Foreign Minister and specifically brought up the case of Mr. Nguyen Ho. Our Swiss Embassy in Hanoi has voiced our concerns twice about his well-being. Mr. Nguyen Van Tran is also on the list of people Switzerland has intervened twice on their behalf.
Your concerns are being looked into with special interests by the Political Office Number 4, in charge of human rights and humanitarian policies. Our office will be glad to exchange other information with you on this matter.
Best regards,
Flavio Cotti
Federal Counselor
Overseeing Swiss Federal Foreign Ministry
Letter from Hoang Minh Chinh To COSUNAM
Hanoi, August 18, 1996
Mr. Thierry Oppikofer, Chairman
Mr. Nguyen Tang Luy, Secretary General
The Swiss Vietnamese Committee (COSUNAM)
Dear Gentlemen,
When I was recently released from a 12-month jail sentence on baseless and lawless political charges, I was deeply touched by the Appeal from the Swiss Vietnamese Committee, dated June 11, 1996, to the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release Hoang Minh Chinh and Do Trung Hieu.
Your appeal had arrived exactly two days before the political trial of the two [already] political prisoners Hoang Minh Chinh and Do Trung Hieu. Your callings were filled with noble humanitarianism, freedom and democracy ideals, and solid legal bases--reflecting the human rights guarantees in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which all member countries must respect.
Regretfully, your rightful appeals fell on deaf ears. And even worse, both courts in Hanoi went back on their own words of holding the trials publicly according to the laws. Only when the trials began, the authorities announced their about-face decision to keep both trials under "utmost secrecy". They violated their own article 131 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and article 19 of the Civil Laws, which states "Trials must be carried out in public, and everyone has the right to attend."
Nevertheless, beyond these trials, the spirit and the love of justice from the COSUNAM's appeal is expanding and deeply touch the Vietnamese people.
Personally, I hope I had not disappointed your expectation. My last words at the trial were: "Regardless of how long you will keep me in jail, the truth belongs to me! I have fought for freedom and democracy, for my nation and people, for basic rights of human beings. My conscience is at peace! These ideals are sacred to me."
Dear Gentlemen,
Allow me to express the appreciation from the bottom of my heart for your heartfelt and noble appeal.
Respectfully,
Hoang Minh Chinh
26 Ly Thuong Kiet
Hanoi, Vietnam