Mar 10-Mar 16 Defenders’ Weekly: Increasing repression against prisoners of conscience

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This week, the government has made human rights violations with torture, applied forced labor to prisoner of conscience Ngo Hao; frequently harassment, beating the activist Nguyen Van Thanh. Especially H’mong Hoang Van Sang, the follower of Duong Van Minh religion received 18 months in jail under Article 258 of the penal code.
There are some other notable events like FVPoC and VNWHR aided for the families of the victims in the case that the government accused of “disturbing public order” in Lap Vo, and U.S. Congressman Ed Royce presented the Vietnam human rights sanctions bill.

Defenders ‘ Weekly | Mar 10-Mar 16, 2014 summarized as follows:

**********Mar 10, 2014**********

FVPoC and VNWHR’s aids to victims of HR abuses

FVPoC and VNWHR offered financial assistance to three families of the victims who were arrested illegally in Lap Vo, Dong Thap province. Each family including Bui Hang, Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh and Nguyen Van Minh, received a gift of 10 million VND (500 USD).

See also:

Illegally-detained citizens in Lap Vo received support from FVPoC, VNWHR

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Emergency of Con Dau parish: about to be wiped out

Con Dau parish positions in Da Nang, there are currently about 100 households left and facing being “wiped out” as the result of the minutes of a meeting last week between Danang officials and representatives of the land petitioners. The officials decided to confiscate the remain lands to supply for the project “the Hoa Xuan ecological urbanism”. They also said that the request of the parishioners to be resettled before clearance is “no basis to solving”, and suggested “the households must hand over lands before 15 April, 2014”.

On Mar 11, hundreds of undercover police, government officials and even thugs surrounded the will-be-confiscated area and the Church. All roads leading to the area were locked, houses and belongings of all the petitioners were razed.

See also:

Giáo xứ Cồn Dầu sắp bị xóa sổ

**********Mar 11, 2014**********

Vietnam pauses  licensing to establishment of press agencies

Ministry of Information and Communications said on Mar 10 it would ‘pause licensing to establishment of press organs’ .

Minister Nguyen Bac Son was quoted as saying to ‘review and reduce the press agencies run out of the line of its regulations’.

See also:

Ministry halts licensing new press agencies

Vietnam to stop licensing new media agencies

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Vietnamese police fabricates evidence, distorts witness statements to convict blogger

On March 10, 2014, after the incident of police of Lap Vo district detained Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh and Bui Thi Minh Hang, police summoned five witnesses Phan Duc Phuoc, Nguyen Vu Tam, To Van Manh, Bui Thi Diem Thuy and Do Thi Thuy Trang for testimony. The blogger’s lawyer, Tran Nhu Nam, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the authorities tried to force five activists into incriminating Hang by providing false testimony to support the charges against her.

Meanwhile outside the prison, Bui Hang’s son is calling the attention of the public and the international community about his mother. The son said he would ask the foreign embassies in Vietnam intervention after the authorities did not respond his appeal.

See more:

Vietnamese police fabricates evidence, distorts witness statements to convict blogger

Bùi Thị Minh Hằng

Families concerned Over Jailed Activists on Third Week of Hunger Strike

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The Xuan Phuoc jailers forced prisoner Ngo Hao to labor

During a recent visit to Ngo Hao, dated Mar 8, 2014, in Xuan Phuoc prison, Phu Yen Province, Ngo Hao’s son – Ngo Minh Tam said his father’s health seemed bewildered, frighten. Prison guards forced him to labor causing his health worse and even cutting down quantity of food supply to him  from the family each month.

Refer to:

VRNs: Cán bộ trại giam Xuân Phước trả thù, xâm phạm sức khoẻ của ông Ngô Hào

NHÀ BẤT ĐỒNG CHÍNH KIẾN NGÔ HÀO BỊ CƯỠNG BỨC LAO ĐỘNG TRONG TRẠI GIAM

Ngô Hào

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Human rights activist Nguyen Van Thanh gets continuous persecution and harassment

At 10 pm on Feb 16, 2014, blogger Nguyen Van Thanh were beaten by security forces and police of Phuoc Hoa village, Danang city during an “administrative house search”.

Earlier, on Dec 10, 2013, Nguyen Van Thanh was assaulted and robbed his tablet by an unknown group when he was on the way to reclaim gadgets that police illegally confiscated on Dec 7, 2013.

In addition, the police repeatedly asked each member of his family to pressure upon him to abandon Thanh’s struggle. Wherever he resides, local government continually put pressure on the landlords to cancel the lease agreement.

See also:

Which path should engineer Nguyen Van Thanh take?

VNHRDs: NẠN NHÂN NGUYỄN VĂN THẠNH VÀ CHÍNH SÁCH ĐÀN ÁP NHÂN QUYỀN

Con Đường Việt Nam: Tuyên bố về việc CA xã Hòa Phước, Hòa Vang, Đà Nẵng hành hung Nguyễn Văn Thạnh

********** Mar 14, 2014 **********

Police interrogate person participated in the memorial of the naval battle in Sprattles, 1988

Former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Ba Dang in Nam Sach district, Hai Duong province was interrogated in two days because he intended to hold a Memorial  of 64 Vietnamese soldiers sacrificed on  March 14 naval battle of 1988.

See more:

Cựu Tù nhân Lương tâm Nguyễn Bá Đăng bị an ninh bắt giữ trái phép

RFA: Bị công an thẩm vấn vì tưởng niệm trận Gạc Ma

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Trial of Hoang Van Sang, a follower of Duong Van Minh religion

First instance trial  of H’mong Hoang Van Sang about reforming the bad practices of funerals, weddings of this ethnic group, took place at the People’s Court of Tuyen Quang province. The authorities called it heresy and smashing “worship houses” of ethnic Hmong to organize funerals.

Sang was arrested in the crackdown took place from October to December 11, 2013, followed by hundreds of Hmong took streets of Hanoi to denounce the central government severely suppressed them. Sang was sentenced 18 months in jail under Article 258 of the Penal Code of Vietnam “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, organizations and citizens.”

See also:

Hmong Ordered Jailed for Defying Vietnamese Government Campaign

Hoang Van Sang

********** Mar 15, 2014 **********

U.S. Congressman – Ed Royce introduces Vietnam sanctions bill

Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives had submitted the Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act to the United States Congress. The bill number H.R. 4254 makes sanctions against the Vietnam government officials alleged accomplices in human rights abuses.

The bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4254, targets certain government agents, police officers, and others who commit human rights abuses against peaceful dissidents with travel restrictions and financial sanctions.  To exert pressure on the Vietnamese government, the Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act also instructs the President to create a list of individuals who continue to disregard the human rights of the Vietnamese people.  Those listed will be refused entry into the United States, and will be prohibited from doing business with U.S companies.

See also:

Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act S.929

Royce – Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act

Chairman Royce Introduces Vietnam Sanctions Legislation

* Summary of Nguyen Thao Chi, edited  and translated by [rollinglinks]Trang Thien Long[/rollinglinks]