Urgent Announcement Over Ongoing Hunger Strike of Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Alias Dieu Cay)

Urgent Announcement Over Ongoing Hunger Strike of Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Alias Dieu Cay)

Hanoi, 25 July, 2013

We, Vietnamese citizens the undersigned, who went right in Nghe An on July 22, 2013 to meet in person relatives of Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai and work with the representatives of the Nghe An province’s Department of Procuracy and Prison No. 6 where Mr. Hai has been serving his 12-year-term for just exercising the fundamental freedoms.

After finding facts, we are convinced to conclude as below:

I. It is true that Mr. Hai has fasted against the illegal decision by the authorities of the Prison No. 6. Mr Hai’s hunger strike was confirmed on July 22, 2013 by Mr Nguyen Quoc An, Deputy Head of Office No. 4 of the Nghe An province’s Department of Procuracy as his reply: “We have been expecting a report from the Prison No 06 over convicted Nguyen Van Hai’s hunger strike.”

II. The authorities in the Prison No.6 behaved irresponsible, elusive and deceptive over questions on Mr. Hai’s hunger strike. As examples as while on July 20, 2013 Captain Nguyen Van Dieu of the Prison No 6 told Mr Hai’s son that the Prison No. 6 had forwarded all Mr Hai’s petitions to Nghe An province’s Department of Procuracy, on July 22, 2013, Mr Tran Danh Tien, an official of Nghe An province’s Department of Procuracy, issued a written confirmation that his Department had never seen any petitions signed by convicted Nguyen Van Hai from the Prison No 6. Right in the afternoon of July 22, 2013 we eye-witnessed the indifferent, irresponsible and misleading conduct of the representatives of the Prison No 6.

III. The well-being of Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai is in a critical state and his life may be counted down by days.

Upon today as of July 25, 2013, Mr Hai has been on hunger strike for the past 32 days to protest the Prison No 6’s coercing him into pleading guilty.

Mr Nguyen Van Hai told his son in a brief visit on July 20, 2013 that he would not stop hunger strike unless the Nghe An province’s Procuracy responds to his petition and investigate his denunciation against the prison’s authorities.

Thus, we heartily demand that the Prison Management Department No 8 of Ministry of Public Security, the Prison No 6, the Procuracy in Nghe An province and other relevant governmental establishments urgently satisfy Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai’s legal requirements so he could stop hunger strike as soon as possible.

We vigorously call upon Vietnamese people and foreigners, media outlets, human rights organizations all around the world and foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam to voice for and act more strongly to save the life of Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Van Hai, who has proved integral and dedicated his own life in fighting for freedoms and against injustice.

Sincerely,

Nguyen Thuy Hanh Phan Trong Khang Vu Quoc Ngu

Đang Bich Phuong Pham Hong Son Nguyen Tuong Thuy

J.B. Nguyen Huu Vinh

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Annonce urgente sur le jeûne de protestation du prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai - Dieu Cay

Annonce urgente sur le jeûne de protestation du prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai - Dieu Cay

Hanoi, 25 Juillet 2013

Nous, les citoyens vietnamiens nommés ci-dessous, sommes rendus à Nghệ An le 22 Juillet 2013 afin de rencontrer la famille du prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) et deux (2) établissements gouvernementaux : le Parquet populaire de Nghe An et le Centre de détention (Prison) numéro 6 où est détenu Dieu Cay.

A l’issu des rencontres, recherches, entretiens et discussions nous sommes arrivés à des conclusions suivantes :

I. La grève de faim de M. Dieu Cay est réelle. A part d’autres sources crédibles, cette grève (dans le but de protester contre les décisions illégales, lui forcer à admettre sa culpabilité, de la Prison n◦. 6) a été confirmée par la déclaration de M. Nguyen Quoc An, Directeur Adjoint du Bureau 4, du Parquet populaire de Nghe An, le matin du 22 Juillet 2013 : « Nous attendons le rapport sur la grève de faim de M. Nguyen Van Hai du Centre de Détention n◦. 6 ».

II. Les autorités de la Prison n◦. 6 sont d’une attitude douteuse, irresponsable, et cherchent à dissimuler la réalité sur la grève de faim de M. Dieu Cay. Le 20 Juillet 2013, le Capitaine Nguyen Van Dieu a dit à la famille que la Prison n◦.6 a envoyé la réclamation de M. Dieu Cay (faite le 24 Juin 2013) au Parquet populaire de Nghe An. Pourtant le 22 Juillet 2013, M. Tran Danh Tien du Parquet populaire de Nghe An a affirmé par écrit à la famille de M. Dieu Cay que le Parquet n’a jamais reçu ce document. Dans l’après-midi du 22 Juillet 2013, nous avons assisté aux comportements évasifs, irresponsables et trompeurs des représentants de l’autorité de la Prison n.6.

III. La vie du prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) est dans un état alarmant.

Comptant aujourd’hui (25 Juillet 2013) M. Dieu Cay a jeûné pendant 32 jours consécutifs pour protester contre les contraintes pour lui faire admettre sa culpabilité par la Prison n◦. 6. Selon la famille, M. Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) ne cessera sa grève si et seulement si le Parquet populaire de Nghe An répond et résout ses réclamations évoquées dans la requête faite le 24 Juin 2013.

Se fondant sur les arguments ci-dessus, nous urgemment :

1. Réclamons : Le 8e Département General du Ministre de la Sécurité Publique, la Prison n◦.6, le Parquet Populaire de Nghe An et les institutions gouvernementales concernées, doivent adresser une réponse urgente aux demandes légitimes et conformes a la loi du plaignant-prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) actuellement en grève de faim– dans le but de sauver la vie, constamment menacée, du prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay).

2. Appelons le public, les medias, les organisations civiles des droits de l’homme, les corps diplomatiques et tous les individus, à prendre parole et action, à continuer encore plus persévérant afin de sauver le prisonnier de conscience Nguyen Van Hai (Dieu Cay) – un individu honnête, droit, courageux, et qui risque sa vie pour s’opposer à l’injustice et lutter pour une société libre et équitable.

Cordialement,

Nguyen Thuy Hanh Phan Trong Khang Vu Quoc Ngu

Đang Bich Phuong Pham Hong Son Nguyen Tuong Thuy

J.B. Nguyen Huu Vinh

DECLARATION OF VIETNAMESE MASS ORGANIZATIONS

DECLARATION OF VIETNAMESE MASS ORGANIZATIONS

On the occasion of the meeting between US President Barack Obama and SRV President Truong Tan Sang in the White House, we, the undersigned Vietnamese mass organizations, issue to the public this declaration.

In recent years the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) has been identified by Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Freedom House, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), etc., as one of the worst perpetrators of human rights violations in the world and especially as an enemy of the Internet (CPJ and RSF, among others)--a finding supported by the latest "Statement from a Network of Vietnamese Bloggers" signed by 69 bloggers inside Vietnam (as of July 18, 2013).

The SRV's total disregard of the most basic human rights for its citizens as guaranteed in international covenants to which Vietnam is a signatory made a farce of its international commitments and makes it unworthy of a place in the UN Human Rights Council which it is coveting.

In view of the above, we, representatives of the Vietnamese mass organizations both inside Vietnam and in the Vietnamese Diaspora, welcome the announcement by the White House that President Barack Obama will make a point to discuss "human rights" in his upcoming meeting with SRV President Truong Tan Sang. We urge that the discussion will go beyond words and result in the Vietnamese government carrying out the concrete actions as follows

   1/ To abolish vague “national security” provisions, especially articles 79, 87, 88, and 89, in Vietnam's Criminal Code.

   2/ To release all bloggers (RSF mentions 35 names) currently in jail simply because they have spoken up on various issues plaguing the country and therefore doing nothing more than exercising peacefully their rights of freedom of opinion and expression.

    3/ To immediately release the following prisoners of conscience:

          - Dieu Cay Nguyen Van Hai, whose name has been mentioned by President Obama himself at last year's Press Day and who is undergoing a hunger strike in Camp 6, Nghe An Province, reaching its 25th day as of July 17, 2013;

          -  Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, who completed a 25-day hunger strike on June 21 last;
          - Father Nguyen Van Ly, one of the most famous prisoners of conscience in the country;
          - Lawyer Le Quoc Quan, a former NED Fellow in Washington and a specialist on Civil Society;
          - Mr. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, an entrepreneur who was given a 16-year jail sentence simply because he refused to admit to crimes allegedly accused by the government;
          - Ms. Ta Phong Tan, a former public security officer turned dissident, whose mother had to immolate herself to demand her daughter's release;
          - the three labor activists Doan Huy Chuong, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung and Do Thi Minh Hanh, who tried to form independent trade unions to protect the workers' rights;
          - the musicians Viet Khang and Tran Vu An Binh, who did nothing more than compose patriotic songs;
          - the students Nguyen Phuong Uyen and Dinh Nguyen Kha, who simply distributed flyers saying "Chinese, Go Home!" ;

          - Pastor Nguyen Cong Chính, being imprisoned for 11 years for preaching the Gospel to ethnic groups in Gia Lai, Kontum.

          - And especially, Mr. Nguyen Huu Cau, a former ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) officer who has so far spent 35 years in jail and has gone blind with a variety of very severe ailments.   

     4/ To respect the freedom of religion by repealing all legislation that are intended to restrict the people’s religious practices; to stop interfering with the internal activities of all religions, and to stop the persecution of clergy and faithful.

     5/ To release all prisoners of conscience who are currently in jail because of their faith, whether it be Hoa Hao Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism (as in the case of Khmer Krom Buddhists in Soc Trang Province), Catholicism (as in the case of Con Dau parishioners in Da Nang or Nghe An Catholic students), Evangelism, Mennonite Protestants, or House Church Protestantism.

A serious and effective, result-producing intervention on these prisoners' behalf by the President will prove that the United States is true to its word, that his administration puts democracy and human rights, the cornerstones of our republic, above many other mundane considerations whether mercantile- or defense-oriented. In fact, democracy and human rights do not undermine long-term alliance, especially of a strategic nature, because such an alliance, to be lasting, must be based on common values and mutual trust.

We wish therefore to publicize this declaration appeal as widely as possible, both in Vietnam and outside of Vietnam, and we call upon the public media to help us carry this message to the Vietnamese Diaspora and to international community.

Vietnam, July 22, 2013

Signed by the following organizations:

- Assembly for Democracy in Vietnam (Lam, Đang Chau)

- International Institute for Vietnam (Doan, Viet Hoat, Chairman)

- National Congress of Vietnamese Americans (Nguyen, Ngoc Bich,  Chairman)

- Neo Dai Viet Party (Le, Minh Nguyen - Vice-Chairman)

- Rallying For Democracy ( Nguyen, The- Binh - Representative)

- The Dai Viet Revolutionary Party (Dinh, Quang Tien -  2nd Vice President)

- The People’s Democratic Party (Do, Thanh Cong – Spokesperson)

- The People's Force to Save Vietnam (Tran, Quoc Bao, Chairman)

- Vietnam Center for Human Rights, Paris (Tran, Thanh Hiep, President) 

- Vietnam Human Rights Network (Nguyen, Ba Tung, President)

- Vietnam Nationalist Party (Tran, Tu Thanh, Chairman, Overseas Central Coordinating Council)

- Viet Tan Party (Do, Hoang Diem, Chairman)