US condemns jailing of Vietnamese songwritersAFP – 01 Nov 2012The United States said Thursday it was troubled by Vietnam's jailing of two renowned musicians for anti-state propaganda, saying it was the latest example of a worsening human rights situation in Vietnam. "This is the latest in a series of detentions and convictions in Vietnam against those seeking nothing more than the peaceful expression of their views," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement. He urged Vietnam to release the musicians "and all prisoners of conscience," as well as to adhere "to its international obligations immediately." The two singers, Viet Khang, whose real name is Vo Minh Tri, and Tran Vu Anh Binh, were sentenced earlier this week. Khang, 34, was handed a four-year jail term, and Binh, 37, was given a six-year sentence, each followed by two additional years of house arrest. The court did not provide details of their alleged crimes when contacted by AFP. Their lawyer said the musicians had admitted links to a banned political group, though he said they had "no political intention." Khang is widely known for song lyrics which condemn a police crackdown on anti-China activists and touch on other social justice issues. Several of Binh's songs -- including one attributed to him that rails against the imprisonment of dissidents -- have also been performed by other singers in the secretive communist nation. Reports said the two were arrested in late 2011 following a government crackdown on increasingly vociferous anti-China movements, spurred by a row over disputed territories in the South China Sea. Last month, a court in southern Vietnam jailed three bloggers for up to 12 years for "anti-state propaganda" at a brief but dramatic hearing, prompting objection from the United States, EU and international rights groups.
Vietnam Human Rights Network |