International Publishers Association Condemns Arrest of 2011 IPA Freedom to
Publish Prize Recipient Bui Chat and Calls for his Immediate Release
Young Vietnamese
Publisher was honoured on 25 April in Buenos Aires for courage under difficult
conditions. He was arrested upon his return to Vietnam on 30 April. His award
was confiscated.
Geneva
– 1 May 2011
Bui Chat, recipient of the 2011 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize awarded in Buenos
Aires last week, was arrested by authorities on his return to Vietnam yesterday.
The Award and Prize certificate were confiscated. Bui Chat is the founder of
Giay Vun publishing in Vietnam and was honoured by the IPA for his exemplary
courage in upholding freedom to publish. IPA condemns the arrest and calls for
his immediate release.
According to reports received by the IPA, today Bui Chat was taken to his home
and a search warrant was executed. The authorities searched throughout his home,
then told Bui Chat to pack some clothes and proceeded with a preliminary
detention order. The location of his detention was not yet disclosed to his
family. Bui Chat may face up to 9 months under the current law for “purpose of
investigation” before an official charge needs to be laid.
The co-founder of Giay Vun Publishing House, Poet Ly Doi, was also ordered to
report for interrogation. Both men were evicted from their rented apartment. The
landlord is reported to have said that he was under pressure and ordered by the
local security police to evict them both.
IPA is liaising with the relevant authorities to facilitate Bui Chat’s release.
The IPA calls upon governments and advocates for human rights and the freedom of
expression to join publishers in calling for Bui Chat’s immediate release.
Bjorn Smith-Simonsen, Chair of IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee said: “IPA
strongly condemns the arrest of Bui Chat, the recipient of this year’s IPA
Freedom to Publish Prize and calls for his immediate release as his arrest
appears to be directly linked to his awarding of the IPA Freedom to Publish
Prize in Buenos Aires a few days ago. In addition to his immediate release, his
prize should be returned to him”.
More about Bui Chat:
The IPA Freedom to Publish Committee and the Board of the IPA have named Bui
Chat, a courageous underground publisher in Vietnam, and the leader of Giay Vun
Publishing House, as winner of the 2011 Freedom to Publish Award. Giay Vun is
devoted to printing and publishing of the works of Vietnam’s “pavement poets”
beyond the reach of censorship authorities. Under Bui Chat’s leadership, Giay
Vun has directly assisted in the establishment in Vietnam of other publishing
houses that operate independently and freely, publishing the works of banned
authors and historians.
More about the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize:
IPA President YoungSuk “Y.S” Chi formally presented this year’s award in a
ceremony hosted by the 37th Buenos Aires International Book Fair as part of the
Buenos Aires 2011 World Book Capital programme on 25 April 2011. In 2005 IPA
created the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize, a prize designed to honour each year a
person or an organisation that has made an important contribution to the defence
and promotion of freedom to publish anywhere in the world. While the 2006 IPA
Freedom to Publish Prize was awarded to Iranian publisher Shalah Lahiji during
the Göteborg Book Fair, the 2007 Prize was awarded to Zimbabwean publisher
Trevor N’cube at the Cape Town Book Fair. Special Prizes were also given
posthumously to Anna Politkovskaya (Russia) and Hrant Dink (Turkey/Armenia). The
2008 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize was awarded to Turkish publisher Ragıp
Zarakolu during the opening ceremony of an international seminar on
neo-censorship co-organised in Amsterdam by IPA and Amsterdam 2008 World Book
Capital. The 2009 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize was awarded to Sihem Bensedrine,
Neziha Rjiba and Mohamed Talbi, founders of the Observatory for the Freedom of
the Press, Publishing and Creation in Tunisia (OLPEC), as part of the Global
Forum on Freedom of Expression program, a Forum IPA was partner of. In 2010 the
IPA Freedom to Publish Prize was awarded to Israpil Shovkhalov, Editor-in-Chief,
and Viktor Kogan-Yasny, publisher of the Dosh Magazine on the occasion of the
Istanbul Book Fair. Prize-winners receive the sum of 5000 CHF.
More about IPA:
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international industry
federation representing all aspects of book and journal publishing. Established
in 1896, IPA’s mission is to promote and protect publishing and to raise
awareness for publishing as a force for economic, cultural and political
development. Around the world IPA actively fights against censorship and
promotes copyright, literacy and freedom to publish. IPA is a trade association
with a human rights mandate.
For further information, please contact:
Alexis Krikorian
Director, Freedom to Publish
International Publishers Association
3, avenue de Miremont
CH – 1206 Geneva
Tel: +41 22 704 1820
Fax: +41 22 74 1821
krikorian@internationalpublishers.org
www.internationalpublishers.org