November 2, 2017

Statement of concern over the case of Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh and Trần Thị Nga by scholars and professionals around the world

by • [Human Rights]

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Mr. Trần Đại Quang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Mr. Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Prime Minister

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, Chairman of the National Assembly

Mr. Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party

Cc:       Foreign Embassies in Hanoi

Dear Sirs and Madam:

We are deeply concerned about the charges and sentences against Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, also known as blogger Mẹ Nấm, and Ms. Trần Thị Nga.

According to Vietnam’s state media, Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, arrested in October 2016, and Ms. Trần Thị Nga, arrested in January 2017, were accused of “posting articles, video clips and documents containing anti-state propaganda on Facebook, YouTube, giving interviews with foreign media outlets ’distorting’ the situation in Vietnam”.

The charges violate the right to freedom of expression as provided in international human rights law that Vietnam is bound to respect. Nevertheless, Vietnam’s courts sentenced Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh on 6/29/2017 and Ms. Trần Thị Nga on 7/25/2017 to ten years’ and nine years’ imprisonment, respectively. These are particularly heavy sentences against the two women who are mothers with children under 10 years old, for activities that should not and must not have been criminalized in the first place.

For legal and humanitarian reasons, we strongly request that Ms. Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh and Ms. Trần Thị Nga be immediately and unconditionally released.

While the country prepares to host APEC 2017, it is important to recognize that APEC goals for “sustainable economic growth and prosperity” are based on a fundamental respect for the inherent dignity and worth of all persons.

As friends of Vietnam, we urge the authorities to reconsider their position on all prisoners of conscience in Vietnam and resolve differences through dialogue and constructive engagement. That approach will accelerate Vietnam’s progress and development.

We thank you for your attention to this matter and trust that you will respond in a manner that reflects the civility and dignity of Vietnam.

October 4, 2017

VNdoithoai@gmail.com

Name Title and Affiliation Country
1 Etienne Balibar Professor, Department of French & Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, Columbia University USA
2 Mark Philip Bradley Bernadotte E. Schmitt Distinguished Service Professor, Department of History, University of Chicago USA
3 David Brown Writer; Diplomat (retired) USA
4 Anita Chan, PhD Visiting Research Fellow, Australian National University; Co-editor of The China Journal Australia
5 Cari Coe, PhD Circulation Librarian, Butte Public Library, Butte, Montana USA
6  Đỗ Đăng Giu Physicist; former Research Director at the National Center for Scientific Research and University of Paris-Sud France
7 Wynn Gadkar-Wilcox Professor of History and Non-Western Cultures, Western Connecticut State University USA
8 Christopher Goscha Associate Professor of History, University of Quebec Montreal Canada
9 Lelia Green Professor of Communications, Edith Cowan University Australia
10 Hồ Tài Huệ Tâm Professor Emerita, Harvard University USA
11 Ben Kerkvliet Professor Emeritus, Australian National University Australia
12 Ben Kiernan  A. Whitney Griswold Professor of History, Professor of International and Area Studies, Yale University USA
13 John Kleinen Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Anthropology, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) The Netherlands
14 Scott Laderman Professor of History, University of Minnesota, Duluth USA
15 Lê Xuân Khoa  Adjunct Professor, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University (retired) USA
16 Lê Trung Tĩnh Engineer The United Kingdom
17 Jonathan London, PhD University Lecturer of Global Political Economy – Asia, Leiden Institute of Area Studies, Leiden University The Netherlands
18 Bruno Machet, PhD Researcher, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris France
19 Pamela McElwee  Associate Professor of Human Ecology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey USA
20 Shawn McHale  Associate Professor of History, George Washington University USA
21 Paul Mooney Freelance Journalist USA
22 Jason Morris-Jung, PhD Senior Lecturer, Singapore University of Social Science Singapore
23 Ngô Lâm Information Specialist, Leiden University Library The Netherlands
24 Ngô Vĩnh Long Professor of History, University of Maine USA
25 Nguyễn Điền Independent Researcher Australia
26 Nguyễn Ngọc Giao Journalist; former Lecturer of Mathematics, University of Paris VII France
27 Nguyễn Đức Hiệp Atmospheric Scientist, Office of Environment & Heritage, NSW Australia
28 Nguyễn Thị Hường, PhD Editor at The 88 Project USA
29 Claire Oger Professor of Information and Communication Sciences, University of Paris Est-Creteil France
30 Sophie (Sophia) Quinn-Judge Associate Professor (retired) USA
31 Pierre Rousset Writer France
32 Mark Sidel Doyle-Bascom Professor of Law and Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison USA
33 Jonathan Sutton PhD Researcher, University of Otago New Zealand
34 Philip Taylor, PhD Senior Fellow, Australian National University Australia
35 Thái Văn Cầu Space Systems Specialist USA
36 William S. Turley  Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University Carbondale USA
37 R J Del Vecchio Independent Researcher USA
38 Vũ Quang Việt Former Chief of National Accounts Statistics at the United Nations USA 
39 Phạm Xuân Yêm Physicist; former Research Director at the National Center for Scientific Research and University of Paris VI France
40 Peter Zinoman Professor of History and Southeast Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley USA
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