Amnesty
International USA asks release of all political prisoners in Vietnam for Tet
January 7, 2011
President of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Dr. Nguyen Phu Trong
Office of the National Assembly
35 Ngo Quyen St.
Hoan Kiem
Hanoi, Vietnam
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to draw your attention to Amnesty International USA’s concerns
about human rights in Viet Nam, in particular the severe restrictions on freedom
of expression and association and the harassment, arrest and imprisonment of
peaceful dissidents. Those targeted include human
rights lawyers, independent trade unionists, writers, bloggers and
pro-democracy activists critical of government policies. The harsh prison
sentences handed down and an increasing number of arrests of peaceful activists
over the last year paint a bleak picture to those concerned for the protection
and promotion of human rights.
Amnesty International is aware of at least 30
peaceful dissidents who were recently sentenced to long prison terms imposed
after unfair trials. All of these individuals are considered to be
prisoners of conscience. A
prisoner of conscience is anyone imprisoned for
their political, religious or other conscientiously-held beliefs who has not
used or advocated violence. An unknown number of dissidents are under sentences
of house arrest (administrative
detention) or in pre-trial detention, with no guarantee of having trials
in a timely manner.
Most of the imprisoned dissidents known to Amnesty International have been
charged under the vaguely-worded provisions in Viet Nam’s
1999 Penal Code. Two articles of the Penal Code
most frequently used against peaceful dissidents, Article 79 (Subversion) and
Article 88 (Conducting propaganda against the Socialist
Republic of Viet Nam), are specifically noted in recent resolutions by
the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
to be in violation of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which Viet Nam signed in 1988.
For the Vietnamese New Year in February 2011, Amnesty International USA urges
you and Members of the National Assembly to release all prisoners of conscience
under Articles 79 and 88 of the Penal Code so they may have a chance to reunite
with their families. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Larry Cox
Executive Director
Amnesty International USA