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THE COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM P.O BOX 648 BƯU ĐIỆN BỜ HỒ, HÀ NỘI, VIỆT NAM Email: humanrightsvn@gmail.com www.humanrightsvn.blogspot.com http://uybannhanquyenvietnam.blogspot.com
Hà nội, February 21 2008 VOICE OF CONCERNS OVER THE MISSING OF MR. LE TRI TUE
The Committee For Human Rights in Vietnam (the Committee) has received letters from the Vietnamese refugees living in Cambodia urging us to alert the World about the case of Mr. Le Tri Tue, a participant in the Democracy and Human Right Movement in Vietnam the previous years who had to escape to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's Capitol City around mid-April 2007 in order to evade the fierce campaign of suppression against the dissidents that the Vietnamese Communist Authorities had started since the beginning of 2007. Since early May of 2007, Mr. Le Tri Tue has inscrutably disappeared from Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Authorities started the investigation and searched for Mr. Le right after his disappearance, but so far have not come up with any concrete evidence of his where about and his condition. Followings are some of the incidents and Mr. Le Tri Tue's activities that the Committee has chronicled: - June 19, 2006: While taking pictures of victims of injustice demonstration, Mr. Le was pushed off his bicycle, assaulted and escorted to the public security office of Ward 12, Saigon's 4th District where he was held until 23:45 hours. - June 29, 2006: Arrested, detained, and interrogated by public security agents (PSA). - July 27, 2006: Partook in meeting of the democrats in Saigon. - September 07, 2006: Arrested in Thai Binh Province - October 20,2006: Along with other members, published on the Internet literatures of the Independent Worker Union of Vietnam (IWUVN). - October 22,2006: Arrested and interrogated by PSA about his role in the IWUVN. - November 11, 2006: Interviewed by Radio Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon) about the continual round up and harassments by public security since his participation in the IWUVN. - November 13, 2006: Assaulted and escorted to the public security office of Ward 12, Saigon's 4th District. - November 19, 2006: Arrested and interrogated by PSA until 11:00 PM. - November 30,2006: Summoned and interrogated by PSA of Saigon's 4th District. - December 12,2006: PSA, without Mr. Le's knowledge, ransacked his rented lodge, inventoried his equipments and personal items and documented his computer's files while he was being held at Saigon's 4th District. - January 01, 2007: While on his way to pay homage to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (ARVN) National Cemetery in Bien Hoa with members of the Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam (DHRVN) Coalition, Mr. Le was intercepted and held at the public security office of Phu Nhuan District from 8:45 AM to 4:00 PM. - January 24, 2007: Interrogated by PSA from 13:30 Hrs to 16 H:00 Hrs about his involvement in the DHRVN, Bloc 8406, the IWUVN and his connection to Mr. Do Nam Hai. - February 02, 2007: Forced to report to the 4th District's public security office for "discussion." - March 15, 2007: Savagely beaten by plain cloth PSA in daylight on street of Saigon for his membership in the IWUVN. - March 29 – 30, 2007: Summoned and demanded by Public security that, within 10 days beginning April 2, 2007 he had to remove the IWUVN literatures from the Internet and pledge a stop to his participation in the "reactionary" organizations such as the IWUVN, Bloc 8406 as well as his other activities demanding democratization of Vietnam. - April 11, 2007: Escaped to Phnom Penh where he reported to the UN High Committee for Refugees (UNHCR). - April 13, 2007: Interviewed by Radio Free Asia (RFA) about his refuge in Phnom Penh. - May 02, 2007: Interviewed by the UNHCR and was issued Person of Concern (P.O.C.) Certificate that allowed him refugee status and afforded him the UNHCR's protection. - May 02, 2007: Hai Phong Public Security published search warrant for his arrest. - May 06, 2007: Disappeared from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. - May 16, 2007: An Ninh The Gioi (World Security) newspaper (issue#645, May 16, 2007) and others news outlets such as Nhan Dan (The People) and Cong An Nhan Dan (People's Public Security) simultaneously published articles accusing him of illegal appropriation of properties pursuant to Article 139 of the Criminal Code of Vietnam. So far, the Committee has not been able to independently verify the sources and accuracy of these accusations because of the government's total control of the news media. It is a well-known fact that the government often uses slander, count attribution and falsified evidence to suppress political dissidents and advocates of Democracy and Human Rights. Basing upon the incidents that have been widely reported by the International media in recent years, the Committee fears that the missing of Mr. Le Tri Tue is somehow tied to the Vietnamese Communist agents' tactics in dealing with the advocates of Freedom of Religion and Democracy for Vietnam who take refuge in Cambodia. Cases in points: In 2004, the most Venerable Thich Tri Luc who mysteriously vanished without a trace after being granted legal refugee status by the UNHCR in Cambodia, only to be learned later that he had been kidnapped and brought back to Vietnam to stand trial. The second case involved a Khmer Indigenous of Southern Vietnam, bonze Tim Sakhorn, the Buddhist Abbot at the Phnom Den Temple at Kiri Vong District, Takeo Province of Cambodia who disappeared on June 06 2007. It was later learned that he had been kidnapped and smuggled back to Vietnam, and was sentenced to 1 year in prison by a court in An Giang Province, Vietnam for the so-called "sabotage of the Unity policy." Another serious case involved Minister Vu Hua Khang (currently teaching Protestantism in the Vietnamese community in Cambodia) who on December 17, 2007 staged a demonstration protesting China's violation of Vietnam's Sovereignty before the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh. The next day two secret polices, one Chinese and one Vietnamese, armed with hand guns arrived at his resident and threatened to shoot him off if he continued his protest. (During an interview with the RFA on December 19, 2007, Minister Vu expressed his strong denouncement and condemnation of this threat.) Facing this complicated situation, the Committee is very fearful for the safety of Mr. Le Tri Tue. We earnestly suggested that Human Right Organizations and International Media start a campaign alerting public opinions to these atrocities. We also urgently ask the Cambodian Authorities, the UNHCR, and other Democratic Countries to start investigating the missing of Mr. Le Tri Tue and to search for his where about and fate. The Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, within its means, will cooperate with any individual or organization in this search and investigation. Le Tri Tue, born July 26 1979, People ID number 031.000.669 issued May 21, 1994 by Hai Phong Public Security. P.O.C Certificate number IC # xxx by the UNHCR in Phnom Penh on May 2, 2007. The Committee For Human Rights in Vietnam.
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