Hanoi Police Arrest Five Activists Who Claim to Establish Republican Party Recently

Earlier on the same day, the five-man group, led by Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, joined with hundreds of other activists in a demonstration in Hanoi’s center to protest the city’s plan to chop down 6,700 aged trees in its main streets.

The group attracted attention of the public and security forces with clothes and signs of the Vietnam Republic Army which was on the U.S.’s side during the Vietnam War.

By Vu Quoc Ngu | Apr 14, 2015 (Defend the Defenders)

The Police Department in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi have detained five activists who claim to be members of the newly-established Republican Party, according to the local media.

Accordingly, the police in Hoan Kiem district on Sunday summoned five young people belonging to the Republican Party and have kept them in detention for interrogation, said friends and relatives of the arrested activists.

So far, the police forces admitted that they are holding the five activists on allegation of committing public disorders but refused to provide sufficient information to their relatives and friends who came to the Hoan Kiem police headquarter to question about their detentions. No written document for their detention was sent to their families.

Earlier on the same day, the five-man group, led by Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, joined with hundreds of other activists in a demonstration in Hanoi’s center to protest the city’s plan to chop down 6,700 aged trees in its main streets.

The group attracted attention of the public and security forces with clothes and signs of the Vietnam Republic Army which was on the U.S.’s side during the Vietnam War.

In Vietnam, the communist party has ruled the country for decades and vowed to maintain the nation under one-party regime. Its government has strived to prevent the establishment of other parties, especially those which advocate for multi-party democracy.

The security forces have launched political crackdown against local dissidents and human rights activists. According to international human rights bodies, Vietnam is imprisoning between 150 and 200 political prisoners.

The Vietnamese Constitution 2013, Vietnamese citizens have right of freedom of assembly and association. However, the communist government has vowed to control all organizations, and considered others illegal.