Viet Labor Movement: Statement about Arrest of Hoang Duc Binh

Once again, the Vietnamese authorities have used force to oppress the people. About 9.30AM Monday 15/5/2017, the police stopped Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc’s vehicle and took Mr Hoang Duc Binh away on 2 trumped-up charges, “Resisting officials conducting government business” and “Abusing democratic freedoms to damage the interests of the government and the legal rights and interests of the people” per Decision number 15 QĐ/VKS-P2.

The truth is that the authorities want to neutralize Mr Hoang Duc Binh because he has assisted religious leaders in helping thousands of victims of the Formosa (Steel Company) and Ho Ho (Hydropower Plants) environmental disasters.

A large number of people, from hundreds to a thousand, immediately flocked to the Dien Chau People’s Committee building to demand freedom for Mr Hoang Duc Binh (see PHOTOS 1-4). The authorities mobilized hundreds of mechanized police (PHOTO 5) and, to avoid bloodshed, religious leaders called on the people to disperse.

The police also arrested a currently-unknown number of other people.

Viet Labor Movement (VLM) calls on the authorities to immediately free Mr Hoang Duc Binh, who is a Vice Chairman of Viet Labor Movement member.

Viet Labor Movement calls on the people and groups inside and outside Vietnam, and countries of the free world, to protect those under arrest.

Do Thi Minh Hanh, Chairwoman  of Viet Labor Movement