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OPEN LETTER |
THE COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM
P.O BOX 648 BƯU ĐIỆN BỜ HỒ, HÀ NỘI, VIỆT NAM
Email: humanrightsvn@gmail.com
Hanoi, Vietnam January 9, 2008
- Amnesty International
- UN Human Rights High Commissioner
- Vietnam Human Rights Network
- Vietnamese League for Human Rights in Switzerland
- Reporters Without Borders
- Human Rights Watch
- Conservative Party Human Rights Commission
- Committee to Protect Journalists
- Senators and Representatives of the US Congress who support Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam
- Progressive Representatives of the civilized countries' Congresses and Legislative Chambers who support Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam
Subject: Requesting International Human Rights Organizations To Speak Out For The Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Conscience Being Maltreated In The Vietnamese Communist's Prisons.
In recent days, the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam (the Committee) has received information concerning the maltreatment of the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, especially of the political dissidents and advocates of Democracy and Human Rights who were arrested during the Vietnamese Communist's sweeping campaigns of terror since the beginning of 2007. The Committee, in Communiqués dated 10-15-2007 and 01-5-2008, also adverted to maltreatments of Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Conscience by the Vietnamese Communist Authorities.
Following are typical cases of maltreatment of Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Conscience by the Vietnamese Communist prison system:
1. The case of Human Rights Lawyer Le Thi Cong Nhan, 28 years of age, political prisoner and prisoner of conscience. On January 3, 2008 she was transferred to Concentration Camp number 5 of Thanh Hoa province to serve an unjust and non- sense sentence of 3-year imprisonment and 3 year probation handed down by the Intermediate Appellate Court in Hanoi on November 12, 2007. In an interview on December 12, 2007 Mrs. Tran Thi Le, counselor Nhan's mother, revealed that while at the detention center No. 1 in Hanoi Miss Cong Nhan was shut up in an over crowded room of about 50 square meters along with 38 other ordinary criminals, where she was daily subject to repeated mental terrorization by the inmates with scolding, made up stories, false accusations and insults. There were signs that these inmates were given "green light" to repress her because of her courageous stance on Human Rights and Democracy for Vietnam. Le Thi Cong Nhan went on hunger strike from December 27, 2007 to January 07, 2008 to protest the crowdedness, forced co-habitat with criminals, mental terrorization, poor hygiene condition and rotten food. Because of her protest, Cong Nhan was transferred to the new location despite her poor health resulting from her hunger strike. Without regard for her poor health, the prison administrators forced her to get up at 3:00 AM and transported her on a 180 Km journey while she was vomiting, car sick and unconscious. At the new location, the prison administrator confiscated the Bible given to her by the US International Committee for Religious Freedom (USCIFR) during their visit to the prison on October 23, 2007. The hygiene condition is worse: there is no separate bath room for female prisoners, no running water and she was shut up with 60 ordinary criminals with a sleeping space of 80 centimeter by 2.2 meter.
2. According to the People's Democratic Party's press release dated January 5, 2008: political prisoners such as lawyers Tran Quoc Hien, Nguyen Bac Truyen, doctor Le Nguyen Sang and other prisoners have had to undergo forced labors under intolerable conditions and unreasonable work quotas. Doctor Le Nguyen Sang is particularly threatened with solitary confinement and leg shackles.
3. In October 2007, there was news that writer Tran Khai Thanh Thuy was poisoned by food provided by the prison.
4. We also have learned that father Nguyen Van Ly and human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai are presently being held at Ba Sao prison, Nam Ha.
The above-mentioned are some up to date information concerning the maltreatment of some of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience that we are aware of. At present time, the condition of many others are not known, and our Committee will continue to monitor the situation and will alert you of any new development.
With but a few examples, one can clearly see that this is the Vietnamese Communist Regime's repressive policy for the purpose of trampling on the dignity prisoners and the conscience of the Vietnamese People. For that reason, the Committee hereby:
- Earnestly calls upon all International Organizations to speak out in order to save those who are imprisoned by the Vietnamse Communist because of their political belief and conscience;
- Strongly condemns the Vietnamese Communist Regime's maltreatment of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience;
- Demands that the Vietnamese Communist Regime honors the International Treaty concerning kind treatment of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, and immediately set them free without condition;
- Requests that the Amnesty International and the International Human Rights Monitors and other Human Rights Organizations send delegates to Vietnam with authority to investigate this situation and, if necessary, issue legal measures forcing the Communist Regime to release all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners.