Committee to Protect Journalists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New York, July 20, 2004-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls for
the immediate release of writer Nguyen Dan Que, who spent 16 months in
detention without charge. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court will finally
try Que on July 29 on charges of "taking advantage of democratic rights to
infringe upon the interests of the state," the third time in less than a
month that Vietnamese authorities will try a writer on such grounds.
Que, 62, was arrested outside his house in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17,
2003. Four days earlier, Que had written an essay titled "Communiqué on
Freedom of Information in Vietnam," which condemned the government's strict
control over information and the media. In the commentary, which was
distributed online, Que wrote, "The state hopes to cling to power by
brainwashing the Vietnamese people through stringent censorship and through
its absolutist control over what information the public can receive."
Three days after his arrest, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that,
"Nguyen Dan Que was arrested red-handed while carrying out activities that
violate Vietnamese law."
But the government did not release any information about his legal status or
charges against him, until his trial was announced this month. Que's trial
was originally scheduled for July 19, but on July 16 a court official
announced the proceedings would be delayed because "preparations are not
complete."
"Que has already spent 16 months in prison for doing nothing more than
exercising his constitutional right to free expression," CPJ Executive
Director Ann Cooper said today. "He should be released immediately and all
charges against him dropped."
Que, an endocrinologist, is also a prominent writer and political activist.
Since 1978, he has spent a total of 18 years in prison. After his release in
1998, authorities put Que under tight surveillance and restricted his
movements. Despite this government interference, Que has continued to be
active by writing a number of essays and open letters calling for political
reform.
In May 2004, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Que would be
released only if he agreed to leave Vietnam permanently and live in exile.
Que's brother, Nguyen Quoc Quan, told CPJ that Que had rejected a similar
offer when he was released from prison in 1998, saying, "exile is not
freedom."
Que is in poor health and suffers from kidney stones, a bleeding ulcer, and
high blood pressure, according to Amnesty International. He is being held at
Prison B34 in Ho Chi Minh City, according to Que's brother, Nguyen Quoc
Quan. His wife has not been allowed to visit or speak with him since his
arrest.
Two other prominent writers and political activists, Tran Khue and Pham Que
Duong, were sentenced this month to 19 months in prison on charges of
"taking advantage of democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the
state." Because their sentences account for time served, both men are
scheduled for release next week.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, nonpartisan
organization dedicated to the defense of press freedom around the world. For
more information about press conditions in Vietnam, visit www.cpj.org.
Abi Wright
330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465-1004
Fax: (212) 465-9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Asia Program Coordinator
Committee to Protect Journalists
212-465-1004 x140
www.cpj.org