Activist Dang Van Thanh
Defend the Defenders, October 28, 2018
Police from Vietnam’s southern province of Tra Vinh have detained and beaten young activist Dang Ngoc Thanh who was alleged of disseminating leaflets in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in early June with the content opposing the bill on Special Economic Zones.
According to Ho Chi Minh City-based human rights defender Nguyen Thien Nhan, Thanh, 25, was detained on October 26 by police officers from the police unit of Ward 5, Tra Vinh city who came to his rent apartment in the city to seek for him.
When Thanh took his cell phone to film the police officers, one of them robbed his phone and others handcuffed him, Nhan said, citing the news from Thanh’s relative.
One of the police officers beat Thanh before taking him to the ward police station where Thanh was interrogated for two days continously, Nhan said, noting he was beaten again, and was forced to take off all his clothes.
Police released him in the evening of October 27 but placed him under house arrest, Nhan said.
In his Facebook account, Thanh also confirmed that he was beaten and interrogated for days. He said that he has to go to police for further questioning in coming days.
Nhan said police plan to take him to his mother’s house in Can Tho City and transfer him to the city’s Police Department for further interrogation about his activities related to the mass demonstration in mid-June.
It is likely Thanh’s detention is linked to the allegation that in early June he had disseminated leaflets in Can Tho City with the content calling for peaceful protest again the Vietnamese regime’s plan to pass the bill on Special Economic Zones. The bill meets strong public protest as it is likely to favor Chinese investors to hire land for 99 years amid increasing concerns about Beijing’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
Other activists said his detention is linked to the to-be-established group Vietnam National Coaliation which intends to promotes multi-party democracy. In August, the People’s Court of HCM City convicted five activists Luu Van Vinh, Nguyen Quoc Hoan, Nguyen Van Duc Do, Tu Cong Nghia and Phan Trung who were said to be linked with the group on allegation of subversion, sentencing them to between eight and 15 years in prison and three years of probation each.
On October 9-11, tens of thousands of Vietnamese from different social groups rallied on streets in Hanoi, HCM City, Danang, Nha Trang, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Dong Nai and other localities to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security. The second bill aims to silence online critics.
In response to the public anger, Vietnam’s security forces used violent measures to disperse the public gatherings, beating and detaining hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. So far, 56 protesters have been sentenced to between eight and 54 months in prison on allegation of “disrupting public orders” while tens of others, including eight members of the Hiến Pháp (Constitution) group, are still held in police custody and facing serious accusations such as “disrupting security” and “conducting anti-state propaganda” with punishment of up to 15 years and 20 years in prison, respectively.
In September-October, Vietnam’s authorities convicted five activists named Nguyen Hong Nguyen, Truong Dinh Khang, Doan Khanh Vinh Quang, Bui Manh Dong, and Nguyen Dinh Thanh to between one year and seven years in prison for posting and disseminating leaflets calling for opposing the two bills.
The rights to freedom of peaceful expression both online and offline, and assembly have been violated seriously, especially in the past few years. Since the begining of 2018, Vietnam has arrested 27 activists and sentenced 39 human rights defenders and democracy campaigners with a total 294.5 years in prison and 66 years of probation.
As many as 22 activists are in pre-trial detention with allegations in the national security provisions in the Penal Code. They are facing lengthy imprisonments if are convicted, according to the current Vietnamese law.
Police torture is still rampant in localities after Vietnam’s parliament ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in November 2014. Several criminal suspects died in unknown circumstances in police custody in rerent weeks.
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October 28, 2018
Southern Activist Detained, Beaten by Police, Facing Arrest for Opposing Bill on Special Economic Zones
by Nhan Quyen • Dang Ngoc Thanh
Activist Dang Van Thanh
Defend the Defenders, October 28, 2018
Police from Vietnam’s southern province of Tra Vinh have detained and beaten young activist Dang Ngoc Thanh who was alleged of disseminating leaflets in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in early June with the content opposing the bill on Special Economic Zones.
According to Ho Chi Minh City-based human rights defender Nguyen Thien Nhan, Thanh, 25, was detained on October 26 by police officers from the police unit of Ward 5, Tra Vinh city who came to his rent apartment in the city to seek for him.
When Thanh took his cell phone to film the police officers, one of them robbed his phone and others handcuffed him, Nhan said, citing the news from Thanh’s relative.
One of the police officers beat Thanh before taking him to the ward police station where Thanh was interrogated for two days continously, Nhan said, noting he was beaten again, and was forced to take off all his clothes.
Police released him in the evening of October 27 but placed him under house arrest, Nhan said.
In his Facebook account, Thanh also confirmed that he was beaten and interrogated for days. He said that he has to go to police for further questioning in coming days.
Nhan said police plan to take him to his mother’s house in Can Tho City and transfer him to the city’s Police Department for further interrogation about his activities related to the mass demonstration in mid-June.
It is likely Thanh’s detention is linked to the allegation that in early June he had disseminated leaflets in Can Tho City with the content calling for peaceful protest again the Vietnamese regime’s plan to pass the bill on Special Economic Zones. The bill meets strong public protest as it is likely to favor Chinese investors to hire land for 99 years amid increasing concerns about Beijing’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
Other activists said his detention is linked to the to-be-established group Vietnam National Coaliation which intends to promotes multi-party democracy. In August, the People’s Court of HCM City convicted five activists Luu Van Vinh, Nguyen Quoc Hoan, Nguyen Van Duc Do, Tu Cong Nghia and Phan Trung who were said to be linked with the group on allegation of subversion, sentencing them to between eight and 15 years in prison and three years of probation each.
On October 9-11, tens of thousands of Vietnamese from different social groups rallied on streets in Hanoi, HCM City, Danang, Nha Trang, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Dong Nai and other localities to protest two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cyber Security. The second bill aims to silence online critics.
In response to the public anger, Vietnam’s security forces used violent measures to disperse the public gatherings, beating and detaining hundreds of peaceful demonstrators. So far, 56 protesters have been sentenced to between eight and 54 months in prison on allegation of “disrupting public orders” while tens of others, including eight members of the Hiến Pháp (Constitution) group, are still held in police custody and facing serious accusations such as “disrupting security” and “conducting anti-state propaganda” with punishment of up to 15 years and 20 years in prison, respectively.
In September-October, Vietnam’s authorities convicted five activists named Nguyen Hong Nguyen, Truong Dinh Khang, Doan Khanh Vinh Quang, Bui Manh Dong, and Nguyen Dinh Thanh to between one year and seven years in prison for posting and disseminating leaflets calling for opposing the two bills.
The rights to freedom of peaceful expression both online and offline, and assembly have been violated seriously, especially in the past few years. Since the begining of 2018, Vietnam has arrested 27 activists and sentenced 39 human rights defenders and democracy campaigners with a total 294.5 years in prison and 66 years of probation.
As many as 22 activists are in pre-trial detention with allegations in the national security provisions in the Penal Code. They are facing lengthy imprisonments if are convicted, according to the current Vietnamese law.
Police torture is still rampant in localities after Vietnam’s parliament ratified the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in November 2014. Several criminal suspects died in unknown circumstances in police custody in rerent weeks.