Vietnam UPR | June 24, 2014 9:44 am ⋅
Geneva – The Vietnamese civil delegation, representing 10 independent CSOs in Vietnam, on June 24 spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Plenary Session on June 20, a first time for independent civil society.
In his speech, human rights lawyer Trinh Huu Long mentioned recent cases of suppression of voices of conscience in Vietnam, including the arrests of land activist Bui Thi Minh Hang and blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh [aka. Anh Ba Sam]. He also highlighted the government’s reprisals against activists engaged in the February UPR session of Vietnam.
He urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to pay “more attention to the ongoing abuses in Vietnam.”
FULL TEXT:
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
CIVICUS presents this statement together with 10 civil society organizations in Vietnam. It is our first time speaking at the Council.
But it has not been easy for us to be here. Some of our colleagues were stopped from attending this session. Others were warned not to attend.
Specifically, members of our delegation who attended the last session in February have been subjected to harassment and interrogation since their return to Vietnam. Their passports have been confiscated and one member was severely beaten up. Reprisals are therefore real and continuing in Vietnam.
Worse, the Vietnamese government continues to arrest and imprison voices of conscience. Voices like Tran Huynh DuyThuc, the founder of the Vietnam Path Movement who was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for daring to challenge the one-party rule. And human rights lawyer Le QuocQuan who was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 US dollars on the false charge of ‘tax evasion’. All this despite the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s that his detention is arbitrary and unlawful.
Last month, Blogger Anh Ba Sam was arrested for the crime of ‘abusing freedom and democracy’ while most significantly, Vietnam continues to detain Activist Bui Thi Minh Hang without trial, 6 days after Vietnam’s glowing report to this very Council on February 5 on its Universal Periodic Review progress.
There are, in fact, hundreds of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam right now.
Mr President: Despite Vietnam’s joining the Council and the present UPR, the truth remains that Vietnam continues to violate international laws and in many instances, its own domestic laws.
We, therefore, urge you and the Council to pay more attention to the ongoing abuses in Vietnam and to assist independent civil society organizations to determine our own destiny.
Thank you very much.
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June 24, 2014
Civil Society Representatives Speak at the UNHRC
by Nhan Quyen • Bui Thi Minh Hang, Le Quoc Quan, Nguyen Huu Vinh (Anh Ba Sam), Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Trinh Huu Long
Vietnam UPR | June 24, 2014 9:44 am ⋅
In his speech, human rights lawyer Trinh Huu Long mentioned recent cases of suppression of voices of conscience in Vietnam, including the arrests of land activist Bui Thi Minh Hang and blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh [aka. Anh Ba Sam]. He also highlighted the government’s reprisals against activists engaged in the February UPR session of Vietnam.
He urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to pay “more attention to the ongoing abuses in Vietnam.”
FULL TEXT:
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
CIVICUS presents this statement together with 10 civil society organizations in Vietnam. It is our first time speaking at the Council.
But it has not been easy for us to be here. Some of our colleagues were stopped from attending this session. Others were warned not to attend.
Specifically, members of our delegation who attended the last session in February have been subjected to harassment and interrogation since their return to Vietnam. Their passports have been confiscated and one member was severely beaten up. Reprisals are therefore real and continuing in Vietnam.
Worse, the Vietnamese government continues to arrest and imprison voices of conscience. Voices like Tran Huynh DuyThuc, the founder of the Vietnam Path Movement who was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for daring to challenge the one-party rule. And human rights lawyer Le QuocQuan who was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 US dollars on the false charge of ‘tax evasion’. All this despite the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s that his detention is arbitrary and unlawful.
Last month, Blogger Anh Ba Sam was arrested for the crime of ‘abusing freedom and democracy’ while most significantly, Vietnam continues to detain Activist Bui Thi Minh Hang without trial, 6 days after Vietnam’s glowing report to this very Council on February 5 on its Universal Periodic Review progress.
There are, in fact, hundreds of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam right now.
Mr President: Despite Vietnam’s joining the Council and the present UPR, the truth remains that Vietnam continues to violate international laws and in many instances, its own domestic laws.
We, therefore, urge you and the Council to pay more attention to the ongoing abuses in Vietnam and to assist independent civil society organizations to determine our own destiny.
Thank you very much.