Mar 24-Mar 30, 2014 Defenders’ Weekly: Criminal proceedings against 6 environmental activists

Defenders-weekly-256x300

From March 24th  to  March 30th, 2014

Last week, protests against the Government from many areas in the country showed high conflict between the authorities, police forces with Vietnamese people. The most remarkable was the protests against titanium exploitation in Ninh Thuan and forced eviction at Vung Ang (Ha Tinh Province). In addition, recently a series of prisoners of conscience have been subjected to torture, mental and physical abuses. Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience  issued a statement to condemn the atrocities, abuses of human rights and justice, and called on international organizations, non-governmental organizations  to collaborate with them to defend Human Rights and victims of oppression and unfairness.  There are also many other notable news :

*********Mar 24, 2014 *********

Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh denounces  jailers

From An Phuoc prison (Binh Duong Province), Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh had managed to send out letter of denunciation on his being beaten and forbidden to pray in the prison.

Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, head of the  Evangelical Lutheran Church of Vietnam, was arrested on April 28th 2011, convicted  under the article 87 of the Vietnam Penal code  and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Refer to:

Mục sư Nguyễn Công Chính tố cáo công an trại giam

Nguyễn Công Chính

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Latest news about Mr. Nguyen Huu Cau after released

Prisoner of the century Nguyen Huu Cau – serving life sentence –  has just been released after 32 years in prison on March 21st, 2014 in a bad health status. He was blind in one eye, suffered  stomach ache and brain ischemia and the gout makes him more painful.

On March 29th 2014, the representative of  Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience offered  a gift of five million VND  for his medical treatment.

More information:

Thông tin mới về ông Nguyễn Hữu Cầu

Viếng thăm hội viên đặc biệt – người tù thế kỷ Nguyễn Hữu Cầu

Nguyễn Hữu Cầu

*********Mar 25, 2014 ***********

Ms. Tran Thi Nga was assaulted physically in the street  and sexually in the police station.

On March 23rd 2014, Tran Thi Nga (a member of Vietnamese Women for Human Rights) was illegal arrested, brutally beaten and sexually assaulted  in Dong Da ward police station, Hanoi.

The incident happened while she was participating in a peaceful demonstration to call for release of Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hang, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh and Mr. Nguyen Van Minh.

Read further:

Chị Trần Thị Nga bị côn an tấn công tình dục và đánh đập man rợ

Hành hung ngoài đường, hạ nhục sàm sỡ trong đồn và còn gì nữa?

Trần Thị Nga

***********03/26/2014 ************** **

Appeal court dismissed the appeal  of Doan Van Vuon

On March 26th 2004, the People’s Court of Hai Phong  City denied the appeal of Mr. Doan Van Vuon. The appeal has requested the court to  cancel  the first instance verdict and the decisions of the land confiscation  and the People’s Committee of Tien Lang district has to compensate Mr. Vuon’s family the sum of 30, 379 billion VND (1,446,000 USD) for physical  and spiritual damage.

However, the court rejected the request and held up the trial verdict.  In addition, due to losing the court case, Mr. Vuon must pay the court fee of 23 million VND (1,050 USD).

Mr. Doan Van Vuon and his family shot back to the coercive force of Tien Lang district because he was forced to evict his shrimp farm that he and his family built up. He was sentenced five years in prison.

Refer to:

Tòa phúc thẩm bác bỏ kháng án của ông Đoàn Văn Vươn

Đoàn Văn Vươn

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Land petitioners gather to protest in Saigon

At 9 am, March 26th, 2014, about 50 people marched from  the gate of Independence Palace to Notre Dame Cathedral, they all are forcibly evicted farmers from the southern provinces of Vietnam. Besides  calling for return of their land seized by the state without any fair compensation, protesters  also held banners calling for the release of Hang Bui, Thuy Quynh and Nguyen Van Minh.

As usual, the demonstration  was quickly  stamped out  by police and security forces.

More here:

DÂN OAN BIỂU TÌNH TẠI SÀI GÒN

Dân oan các tỉnh phía nam biểu tình tại Sài Gòn ngày 26/3/2014

***********Mar 27, 2014************

Hearings on the religious freedom of Vietnam at U.S Congress

A campaign for Vietnam’s Human Rights  at the U.S  Congress takes place in two days, Mar 26 and 27. Hearings in the U.S. Congress were remarked by the videos of Priest Phan Van Loi and Ms. Bach Phung – a female manager of  Cao Dai Church. The speeches of the activists presented the facts and truth about the violations of human rights  in Vietnam, including the violation of religious freedom, in order to convince U.S. Congress of passing Vietnam Human Rights Acts.

Refer to:

Điều trần về tự do tôn giáo ở VN trước Quốc hội Hoa Kỳ

Vận động cho Tự Do Tôn Giáo, Nhân Quyền ở Việt Nam

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Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience (FVPOC) : Statement about  the arrest of the residents in Thuan Nam, Ninh Thuan Province.

On March 27th 2014, FVPOC  declared  a strong objection about  the arrests in Thuan Nam district, Ninh Thuan province, and urged people in Thuan Nam, international human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations to raise their voices to prevent the arbitrary detention and environmental destruction of the police and government  in Ninh Thuan province.

It is known that the police in Ninh Thuan Province decided to take the criminal prosecution to six defendants, who have gathered over 300 people to prevent the explotation of Titanium mines which polluted the environment and retrenched the groundwater in the area.

Refer to:

Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience (FVPOC) condemns detention of two innocent residents in Thuan Nam district, Ninh Thuan province

Dương Văn Phước

**********28/3/2014**************

Prison guards have traumatized Blogger Ta Phong Tan

Ms. Ta Minh Tu, Ta Phong Tan’s sister said that through visiting the prisoner of conscience Ta Phong Tan on March 25th, she knew that Ms. Tan has been forced to share a room with two other prisoners who were opium addicts and infected with HIV. The two prisoners frequently insult and beat Ms. Tan. She has submitted  a complaint but the managers of jail still keep silent. In addition, Ms. Tan cannot receive  the medicines for her headache and arthritis and food that Ms. Tu has sent to Ms. Tan.

More:

Cán bộ trại giam khủng bố tinh thần Blogger Tạ Phong Tần

Tạ Phong Tần

================

Making an alert about the situations of some prisoners of conscience

FVPOC  strongly condemned the communist state continued to trample upon international  law, human rights, dignity of  Vietnamese citizens through actions like :

Only releasing the prisoners of conscience in critical condition.

Sentencing many persons of Hmong ethnic minority.

Prosecuting Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hang, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh and Ms.  Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh.

“Criminalizing” and splitting  Hoa Hao Buddhist Church.

Oppressing  many prisoners of conscience.

FVPOC calls on Vietnamese all over the country and the world to care about the deterioration of prisoners of conscience, and urged international organizations to defend human rights in Vietnam.

See further:

Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Consciences Warns Situation of Prisoners of Conscience

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People in Ninh Thuan Province protest against the exploitation of Titan and the arbitrary arrests  of some residents.

Around 12 a.m on  March 27th 2014, people at Son Hai (Ninh Thuan) rallied to protest the police’s  arrests of six residents  and prosecution of these people due to their objections of  titanium exploitation project  which can allegedly reduce the veins of groundwater  and in its turn that will make a serious  impact on the lives of people.

In the afternoon, on March 28th, residents continued to rush to the provincial center for protesting. In this situation, a large security and riot police were deployed todisperse the crowd. In response, the people resisted fiercely by throwing stones and objects at police and security forces. The Ninh Thuan authorities had a decision to terminate the titanium explotation. Yet, 6 people were still detained for participating in protest against police.

Read more:

Người dân Ninh Thuận biểu tình ngày 27/3/2014 phản đối việc khai thác titan và công an bắt người vô cớ

Biểu tình lớn ở Ninh Thuận, dân chống trả lực lượng công an đàn áp

*********Mar 29, 2014************

The detained land petitioners have committed suicide at police station?

On March 29th 2014, many people in Duong Noi  Ward, Ha Dong district of Hanoi gathered at the Duong Noi ward police station. These people requested the release of two previously arrested persons, Tran Van Sang and Tran Van Mien arrested on March 26th  under the article 245 of the Vietnam Penal  Code – disturbing public order. They have reportedly committed suicide by biting their own tongue.

It is known that Tran Van Sang and Tran Van Mien along with many people at Duong Noi have been  determined  to reclaim their land that was confiscated by the Government for some projects but at present the land is still left unused.

Their relatives were waiting for an explanation about the fate of these men, but they have not received any reply from the police yet. Taking advantage of the darkness, policemen cut off electricity, then threw fish sauce at these people, beat them  with batons and arrested two other people. Even so, they were determined to wait outside the station to claim the bodies of Mr. Tran Van Sang and Mr. Tran Van Mien.

Refer to:

Dân oan bị bắt tự vận tại trụ sở công an?

Dân oan Dương Nội lại bị ghép tội gây rối trật tự

Hai dân oan Dương Nội vô đồn công an tự tử

===============

The Most Venerable Thich Chon Tam was threatened  to be  driven out of  Tu Hieu Pagoda in Saigon by policemen 

The Most Venerable Thich Chon Tam, Chief Secretary of Vien Tang Thong, Vietnamese Unified Buddhist Congregation, is currently residing at Tu Hieu Pagoda in Ward 1, District 8, Saigon, has been expelled and forced to come back to his home in An Giang Province. According to his reporting,  this expulsion is aimed at “isolating The Most Venerable Patriarch Thich Quang Do” from  necessarily medical help when he is so old and weak.

The Most Venerable Thich Chon Tam had sent his message to International Buddhist Information Bureau and  Vietnam Committee on Human Rights  in Paris, and media agencies. In this notice, he asked for help so that he can continue his residence in Saigon and freely exercise his religious activity as a monk.

Vietnam Committee on Human Rights has promised  immediately to submit the case with the UN Human Rights Council and other  involved international organizations.

Refer to:

Hoà thượng Thích Chơn Tâm bị Công an Tp Hồ Chí Minh đòi trục xuất khỏi chùa Từ Hiếu ở Saigon

Thích Chơn Tâm

Summarized by Chau Van Thi.

Translation by [rollinglinks]Huynh Thuc Vy [/rollinglinks]