LỜI KÊU GỌI THAM GIA CHIẾN DỊCH “PHẢN ĐỐI BẠO HÀNH TRA TẤN”
Kính chuyển đến Quý vị Bản tiêng Anh Identifying The Vietnam
Authorities’ Advocacy Using Violence Against Human Rights Defenders
và LỜI KÊU GỌI THAM GIA CHIẾN DỊCH “PHẢN ĐỐI BẠO HÀNH TRA TẤN” của Hội Cựu Tù nhân Lương tâm VN
A CALL ACTION to STOP VIOLENCE TORTURE in VIETNAM from Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience
Xin tiếp sức phổ biến rộng rãi.
Chân thánh cảm ơn.
-------------------------------
Identifying The Vietnam Authorities’ Advocacy Using Violence Against Human Rights Defenders
Vietnam has still applied this strategy. Instead of brutal battles with
modern weaponry, there are political dissent with pen and empty hands.
The negotiation sides are not belligerent parties, but diplomats of
democratic governments and international human rights experts who
negotiate for the release of political prisoners. The process is
endless. The Vietnamese government has gained much from signed
agreements to enhance the capacity of its police forces and military
forces which pledge to protect the one-party regime by intensifying more
severe suppression against political dissidents and human rights
defenders.
Posted on November 13, 2014 by CTNLT in FVPoC
U.S. Assistant Secretary Tom Malinowski on a press conference in Hanoi
on Oct 27, the last day of his visit to the communist nation, said “…it
would not be progress if a dozen people were released and then a dozen
more people were arrested, so what we stressed above all is the need to
follow through on the commitment that the Vietnamese government has made
to fundamentally reform the laws …“
So far this year, Vietnam’s
government has released 13 political prisoners, namely Dinh Dang Dinh,
Nguyen Huu Cau, Cu Huy Ha Vu, Nguyen Tien Trung, Vi Duc Hoi, Do Thi Minh
Hanh, Tran Tu, Nguyen Tuan Nam, Tran Hoang Giang, Nguyen Long Hoi, Le
Van Tinh, Nguyen Van Hai- Dieu Cay and Giang A Chu, a prisoner of an
ethnic minority . The first ever release of political prisoners
recognized by many countries as “progressive move” of the Vietnamese
government.
Doing prisoners of conscience business
Arrest,
imprisonment and release are three phases of investment in prisoners of
conscience. Vietnam’s government arrests those who bravely voice
against corruption, office abuse and human rights violations. They jail
them with long-jailed sentences in order to deter other people and
raising prices of political prisoners when their cases are concerned by
democratic governments worldwide. Then they release to show their
humanitarian policy after bargaining with foreign countries. Vietnam’s
high-quality products for this trading are “prisoners of conscience for
export”.
After 1975, a number of post-war issues make the former
foes, the U.S. and the Vietnam communists, seek to settle for mutual
interests. The need of integrating into the economic globalization has
forced Vietnam to improve its human rights record to avoid international
condemnation. In September 1998, world’s big newspapers covered the
releases of three Vietnamese political prisoners namely Dr. Nguyen Dan
Que, Professor Doan Viet Hoat, and Professor Nguyen Dinh Huy. These
releases were fueled by negotiations between Vietnam and the U.S. on
Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and then going further with MFN (the
Most Favored Nations trade status). In July 2000, Vietnam and the U.S.
signed TBA.
Along with releases of the trio, four high profile
religious activists were freed: Buddhist monks Ven.Thich Quang Do,
Ven.Thich Tue Sy, Ven.Thich Tri Sieu (Le Manh That) and Catholic priest
Nguyen Van Ly. The public opinion had no doubt that the release was the
result of the UN rapporteur on Religious Freedom, Mr. Abdelfattah Amor.
After that, the communist government in Hanoi signed a number of
bilateral and multi-lateral agreements on economics, education and
security.
The release of 13 political prisoners this year was for
signing of Trans-Pacific Partnership and the full removal of lethal
weapon ban with the U.S. and FTA, Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
(PCA) with the EU. Also, Vietnam released prisoners of conscience to
prove that it is an eligible member of the UN Human Rights Council.
Talk/Fight strategy
Once being student in Vietnam, one can understand Talk/Fight strategy
in Vietnam’s modern revolutionary history. Accordingly, policies of
diplomacy and military have influence on each other. The victory in
frontline will bring advantage in negotiation, and the success in
negotiation will encourage soldiers and pave the way for the larger
victory of soldiers. The strategy was applied successfully in signing
Geneva Accord in 1954 and Paris Agreement in 1973.
Vietnam has
still applied this strategy. Instead of brutal battles with modern
weaponry, there are political dissent with pen and empty hands. The
negotiation sides are not belligerent parties, but diplomats of
democratic governments and international human rights experts who
negotiate for the release of political prisoners. The process is
endless. The Vietnamese government has gained much from signed
agreements to enhance the capacity of its police forces and military
forces which pledge to protect the one-party regime by intensifying more
severe suppression against political dissidents and human rights
defenders.
Facing a number of questions in the UN Human Right
Council, Vietnam has chosen to implement a delicate suppression tactic
to hide its clear violations on human rights. After the UN rapporteur on
Religious Freedom, Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt left Vietnam and after visit
exchanges of senior officials between Hanoi and Washington, Vietnam’s
police have ratcheted up using violence against dissidents. They have
used thugs or plain-clothe agents to attack political dissidents and
human rights activists, and the incidents have never been investigated.
Violence, torture – a having wings number
In the report titled “Deaths in Custody and Police Brutality in
Vietnam” published on Sept 16 by Human Rights Watch, the 96-page report
named 28 Vietnamese citizens died in custody. 14 deaths were caused by
police violence as authorities admitted, four from unexplained causes,
six were allegedly suicides and four allegedly from illness during
detention. These not included political prisoners and dissidents.
In my statistics below, I focus on the harassment against political dissidents and human rights activists
There have been 31 attacks and degraded treatments against 115 dissidents so far this year
In January 2014:
Activist Le Quoc Quyet was attacked by security agents at My Kim apartment, Hiep Binh Chanh ward, Thu Duc district, HCMC.
In February 2014
On Feb 11, Bui Thi Minh Hang and 21 other activists were beaten by
policemen and mobs in Long Hung village, Lap Vo district, Dong Thap
province.
On Feb 11, the house of activist Huynh Ngoc Tuan in Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province was attacked with stones.
On Feb 16, blogger Nguyen Van Thanh was beaten by policemen in an
administrative checking on household registration at his rent room in
Hoa Phuoc commune, Hoa Vang district, Danang city.
On Feb 19,
blogger Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu and his father Huynh Ngoc Tuan were brutally
beaten by ten masked men when the duo get out of taxi.
On Feb 21, the house of former political prisoner Huỳnh Ngọc Tuấn was thrown with stones and rank liquid.
On Feb 24, former political prisoner Nguyen Bac Truyen was attacked in Hanoi when he was going to Australia Embassy.
In March 2014:
On March 20, blogger Trịnh Anh Tuấn (nickname Gio Lang Thang) on the
way to home was attacked by security agents after attending a human
rights cafe in Hanoi.
On March 31, the house of Hoa Hao Buddhist
follower Nguyễn Văn Vinh was attacked. Followers Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Nguyen
Thi Ngoc Lan and tens of others were beaten brutally, many of them fell
unconscious.
On March 22, human rights activist Trương Văn Dũng was assaulted with iron bar near the Nam Dong gas station, Hanoi.
On March 23, women human rights activist Trần Thị Nga and many others
were beaten when they held banners demanding Hanoi to release activist
Bui Thi Minh Hang. Ms. Nga was sexually abused in the police station.
On March 24, Hoa Hao Buddhist follower Nguyễn Hoàng Nam were attacked
by policemen in a house raid when he was conducting religious ritual at
his home in Vinh Chau commune, Chau Doc district, An Giang province .
In April 2014:
13. On April 9, Hoa Hao Buddhist followers Bùi Văn Luốc and Le Van Soc were beaten by plain-clothed security agents.
14. On April 16, activist Bùi Tuấn Lâm was severely assaulted by Quang Nam province’s security policemen in Tam Ky city.
15. On April 19, activists Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, Trinh Kim Tien,
Nguyen Ho Nhat Thanh and Nguyen Van Hai were beaten and detained due to
organizing human rights cafe in Nha Trang city.
16. On April 21,
two women rights activists Trần Thị Hài and Nguyen Ngoc Lua were beaten
by police after attending the appeal of two land petitioners in Can Tho.
In May 2014:
17. On May 8, former political prisoner Nguyen Van Dai was attacked by
security agents who threw a glass cup at his head, causing bleeding.
18. On May 17, Vinh-based music lecturer- activist Nguyễn Năng Tĩnh was
beaten by thugs with presence of dozens of local policemen.
19.
On May 18, activists Nguyễn Ngọc Lụa, Nguyen The Lu, Huynh Trong Hieu
and Vo Quoc Anh were attacked by police in HCM City when they prepared
for attending anti-China protest.
20. On May 25, member of the
Vietnamese Women for Human rights, Ms. Trần Thị Nga was assaulted by
plain clothes to broke her arm and leg. The attack happened at 4pm in
Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.
21. On May 25, Buddhist monk, Ven.
Thích Vĩnh Phước led a delegation from Ba Ria- Vung Tau to pay a tribute
to Le Thi Tuyet Mai’s funeral, who self-immolated to protest China’s
invasion in the East Sea. He was hit by security agents at Saigon
Bridge.
In June 2014:
22. On June 9, Binh Duong
province-based Protestant Mennonite was attacked by policemen, militia
and thugs with stones and bricks. As many as 29 followers out of 76
people were injured.
In August 2014:
23. On August 28,
Nguyễn Bắc Truyển was intentionally hurt by security agent’s vehicle.
Luckily, he did not get injured seriously after being checked in a
hospital.
In September 2014:
24. On Sept 8, Trương Minh Đức was pulled out of a taxi in Hanoi by two security agents and then was beaten.
25. On Sept 30, Dương Âu was hit at his head with a brick by a local policeman at his house in Lam Dong.
In Oct 2014
26. On Oct 29, activists Phạm Bá Hải and Lê Văn Sóc were beaten by security agents after they left Duong Au’s house.
27. On Oct 30, Mr. Pham Ba Hai was tortured at Vinh’s police station.
He was detained together with Le Van Soc immediately after landing to
the Vinh airport.
28. Nghe An province-base activist Chu Manh Son
was beaten and fined for leaving his house without permission to pick
up Pham Ba Hai and Le Van Soc.
In November
29. On Nov 1-2,
followers of Binh Duong Protestant Mennonite Church were attacked with
stones and bricks by local policemen and thugs. Many got injured.
30. On Nov 2, independent journalist Truong Minh Duc, who is also
former political prisoner, was attacked and robbed by eight agents in
Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong province. He recognized one as a police officer.
31. On Nov 9, Binh Duong Protestant Mennonite Church’s pastor was beaten when thugs threw stones to the church.
In 2013, 71 Vietnamese activists were attacked in 18 incidents.
In April 2013:
On April 6, activist Trương Văn Dũng and student Vu Ngoc Thanh were
beaten seriously in the first day of the trial against Doan Van Vuon.
On April 9, activist Nguyen Chi Duc was attacked.
On April 12, Mrs. Trần Thị Hồng, wife of pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh was
detained in one house where she was taken off clothes and beaten
brutally by plain-clothe agents.
In May 2013:
On May 5,
after human rights picnic in Saigon, bloggers Nguyen Hoang Vi, Vo Quoc
Anh, Nguyen Thao Chi and Nguyen Thi Cuc were beaten severely.
In June 2013:
On June 2, anti-China activists Nguyen Van Phuong, Truong Van Dung and Nguyen Chi Duc were beaten brutally by police officers.
On June 25, Hoa Hao monk Võ Văn Thanh Liêm and 20 followers were beaten
brutally by policemen and militia when they were praying in Quang Minh
Tu Pagoda.
On June 25, Falun Gong member Phạm Hữu Phước was
beaten by thugs who threw garbage at his head. In a police station in
Ben Thanh ward, HCMC, he was also beaten by a plain-clothe policeman.
In August 2013:
Hồ Đức Thanh was beaten after Hanoi police raid into an English class.
Activists Trần Thị Nga and Nguyen Bac Truyen were attacked in front of a Saigon-based hotel.
In September 2013:
10. Catholic followers of My Yen parish in Nghe An were violently
suppressed by local police when they gathered to demand the release of
other followers illegally detained.
11. Activists Nguyen Phuong
Uyen, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, Pham Ba Hai, Le Quoc Quyet, Duong Thi Tan and
Nguyen Thi Nhung were attacked and detained at Mr. Thuy’s house in Thanh
Tri district, Hanoi. Other activists, including Dinh Van Thi were also
beaten when they came to help the attacked activists.
In October 2013:
12. On Oct 24, Hoàng Thị Vàng and Duong Van Phung were hospitalized
after being beaten in suppressing Hmong people in Ly Tu Trong park of
Hanoi.
13. Activist Lê Thiện Nhân and Trương Văn Dũng were
detained and beaten by Hanoi police after they provided assistance for
land petitioners in Hanoi. Mr. Dung was broken his ribs.
14. Lưu Trọng Kiệt and Lam Bui were brutally beaten when they tried to attend a trial against blogger Dinh Nhat Uy.
In November 2013:
15. Activists Trương Văn Dũng and Tran Thi Nga were attacked when they
were going to fill complaints for being attacked earlier.
In December 2013:
16. Activist Nguyen Hoang Vi, Hoang Dung, Me Nam and five others were
beaten on the Human Rights Day when they prepared to launch Blogger
Network.
17. Bloggers Nguyễn Đức Quốc, Nguyen Van Thanh, Le Thi
Phuong Anh and Le Anh Hung were attacked when they went to the police
station to demand for returning illegally-confiscated gadgets in Danang
city.
18. Huynh Ngoc Tuan was beaten to broke his rib in a visit
to the former prisoner of conscience Pham Van Troi in Thuong Tin
district, Hanoi.
TORTURE AND OTHER DEGRADING TREATMENTS AGAINST PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
In 2014, at least 18 prisoners of conscience had either taken hunger strike or been punished, tortured.
In February, 2014
Human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan went on hunger strike from Feb 2. He
demanded legal books to prepare for his self-defense prior to the
appeal. He also asked for religious books and met with a priest when he
was held in the Hanoi-based B14 prison.
Activists Bùi Hằng,
Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh and Nguyen Van Minh conducted 15-day hunger strike
to protest their illegal arrest. The trio was held in Dong Thap
province.
Prisoner of conscience Nguyễn Văn Hoa was mistreated
and refused medical care in Ha Nam province-based Ba Sao prison, because
he refused to confess.
In March 2014:
Political prisoner Ngô Hào was forced to work as he is over 60 with serious diseases.
Prisoner Tạ Phong Tần was beaten and degradingly treated by inmates.
Pastor Nguyễn Công Chính denounced that he was beaten by 15 jailers.
They used electrical batons, rubber batons and pepper spray to attack
him when he prayed in the cell.
In April 2014:
Prisoner Đặng
Xuân Diệutook hunger strike (down to 41kg weight) to protest the jailers
refused to settle his complaints. He also refused to wear prisoner’s
uniform, saying he is innocent.
Trần Minh Nhật and Trần Hữu Đức
conducted the hunger strike to ask for religious freedom in Phu Son
prison, Thai Nguyen province.
Đinh Nguyên Kha took hunger strike to protest inhumane treatment in Xuyen Moc prison, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.
In May 2014:
10. Pastor Nguyễn Công Chính was publicly denounced in the prison
because he requested jailers to open cell’s windows and improve prison’s
living conditions.
11. Võ Thu Thủy denounced mistreatment against prisoners, including Ho Thi Bich Khuong..
12. Tạ Phong Tần and Ngo Hao were mistreated.
In August 2014:
13. Mai Thị Dung was suppressed, mistreated.
14. Đặng Xuân Diệu was punished, shackled in solid confinement.
In September 2014
15. Nguyễn Đình Cương was subjected to solid confienment and shackeled.
In Oct 2014:
16. Đặng Xuân Diệu called for rescue during punishment.
The number of mistreated prisoners of conscience was 12 in 2013 at least.
In May 2013:
Cu Huy Ha Vu conducted a hunger strike to protest prison’s authorities denied his denunciation petition.
Union activist Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh was beaten and punished.
In June 2013:
Trần Minh Nhật conducted hunger strike in Nghi Kim prison, Nghe An province.
In July 2013:
Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) conducted 33-day hunger strike in Prison No. 6 of Nghe An province.
In August 2013:
Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Huynh Anh Tri, Phan Ngoc Tuan, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung were shackled and punished.
Vi Đức Hồi was punished after protesting jailers to beating Le Van Son,
and installing camera and wave-destroying device in the cell.
Trần Hữu Đức conducted ten-day hunger strike when he was punished by authorities of Phu Son prison in Thai Nguyen.
Paulus Lê Sơn, Nguyen Van Oai and Vi Duc Hoi were mistreated.
In September 2013
Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa was beaten by inmates.
In October 2013:
10. Pastor Nguyễn Công Chính was beaten.
11. Cù Huy Hà Vũ conducted second hunger strike.
Conclusion
In 2013, there are 71 people assaulted in 18 incidents compared to 115
people in 31 incidents of the first ten months of this year.
Prisoners of conscience are always the target of repression and
mistreatment by prisons’ authorities across Vietnam. After failing in
forcing them to confess, prison’s authorities have applied numerous
measures to break their resilience. The number of prisoners of
conscience on hunger strike rose from 12 in 2013 to 18 in 2014.
In order to ease international criticism, and qualify for a seat in the
election of UN Human Right Council, Vietnam temporarily geared down its
arrests. In 2013 there was only four arrests, including Ngo Hao, Truong
Duy Nhat, Pham Viet Dao, and Dinh Nhat Uy; and Bui Hang (three
defendants), Anh Ba Sam (two) and Le Thi Phuong Anh (three) in 2014.
That is a tactic of the Talk/Fight strategy.
Back to the press
conference of U.S. Assistant Secretary Tom Malinowski. The reporter of
Thanh Nien newspaper asked him to reveal more the information of his
meeting with Deputy Minister of Public Security, Lieutenant-General To
Lam, he replied that the meeting with the Deputy Minister of for Public
Security was almost two hours long. It was very serious, very
substantive. “There are many things that the governments of Vietnam and
the United States want for our relationship in the future and that the
Ministry of Public Security holds the most important key,” he retold.
The U.S. and other countries have used diplomat channels to express
their concerns about human rights violation without any sanctions. Thus,
this has encouraged Vietnam government to keep trading prisoners of
conscience.
The history has pointed out that Vietnamese
communists do not always fulfill their commitments with the U.S. and
foreign countries. They do on their way, the way of dictators to repress
any people who may undermine their power, even peaceful human rights
campaigners.
Will the brutality of violence with no endpoint end? And who will bring justice to human rights defenders in Vietnam?.
Sài Gòn, Nov 11, 2014.
Phạm Bá Hải.
Coordinator of FVPoC.
Member of IJAVN.
http://fvpoc.org/…/identifying-the-vietnam-authorities-adv…/
No comments:
Post a Comment