Defend the Defenders, October 27, 2017
Vietnam’s authorities summoned former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Xuan Nghia from the northern city of Haiphong to a police station over the past nine days to question him about the Brotherhood for Democracy, an online organization which has been the main target of the ongoing crackdown.
After interrogation in the afternoon of October 27, police officers said they would not summon Mr. Nghia for further interrogation on issues related to the Brotherhood for Democracy, seven key members of which have already been arrested on allegation of subversion under Article 79 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code.
During the past nine days starting from October 17, security officers from the Ministry of Public Security and the city’s Police Department interrogated him about his relations with imprisoned key figures of Brotherhood for Democracy, such as Nguyen Trung Ton, Pham Van Troi and Nguyen Van Tuc, who were arrested a few months ago and charged with “carrying out activities aiming to overthrow the government.”
He was forced to go report to the police station in the early mornings and not allowed to return to his private residence until late in the afternoons.
Police also questioned him about Facebook postings on human rights and democracy under the nickname Nguyen Xuan Nghia.
Police said Mr. Nghia would not face detention as he had left the Brotherhood for Democracy two months after joining. However, they asked him to pledge not to join unregistered organizations, which are “harmful” for the communist regime.
Mr. Nghia’s wife said he is exhausted after being questioned for eight hours every day.
Mr. Nghia spent six years in prison in 2008-2013 on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code. His three-year probation period only just ended last year.
The 68-year-old poet, writer, and journalist is a member of the Haiphong Writers’ Association and one of the co-founding members of the 8406 Bloc, a banned pro-democracy organization in Vietnam.
His writings have been banned for publication since 2003 since they promote multi-party democracy and human rights in the communist nation.
Two years ago, he was honored with the Freedom of Expression Prize of the Norwegian Authors’ Union for his writings, which aim to promote multi-party democracy and human rights.
After being released from prison, he continues to work to promote multi-party democracy and human rights in the one-party state.
He has been under constant harassment from local police who have often placed him under house arrest or summoned him to the police station for interrogation.
Sometimes, local police also sent plainclothes agents and thugs to assault other activists attempting to visit him.
The interrogation of Mr. Nghia this time is part of Vietnam’s ongoing crackdown on local activists in which the Brotherhood for Democracy and California-based Vietnam Reform Party are the main targets. Ten activists from the two organizations have been detained in the last few months and charged with subversion.
Facing a number of obstacles, including poor economic performance, systemic corruption, serious environmental pollution, China’s increasing aggressiveness in the East Sea (South China Sea), the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its government have intensified persecution against local activists in order to prevent the formation of opposition party.
The government has also tightened online activities to silence netizens. A number of bloggers have been imprisoned in the past few years.
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October 27, 2017
Former Political Prisoner Summoned, Interrogated about Brotherhood for Democracy for Nine Days
by Nhan Quyen • Nguyen Xuan Nghia
Defend the Defenders, October 27, 2017
Vietnam’s authorities summoned former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Xuan Nghia from the northern city of Haiphong to a police station over the past nine days to question him about the Brotherhood for Democracy, an online organization which has been the main target of the ongoing crackdown.
After interrogation in the afternoon of October 27, police officers said they would not summon Mr. Nghia for further interrogation on issues related to the Brotherhood for Democracy, seven key members of which have already been arrested on allegation of subversion under Article 79 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code.
During the past nine days starting from October 17, security officers from the Ministry of Public Security and the city’s Police Department interrogated him about his relations with imprisoned key figures of Brotherhood for Democracy, such as Nguyen Trung Ton, Pham Van Troi and Nguyen Van Tuc, who were arrested a few months ago and charged with “carrying out activities aiming to overthrow the government.”
He was forced to go report to the police station in the early mornings and not allowed to return to his private residence until late in the afternoons.
Police also questioned him about Facebook postings on human rights and democracy under the nickname Nguyen Xuan Nghia.
Police said Mr. Nghia would not face detention as he had left the Brotherhood for Democracy two months after joining. However, they asked him to pledge not to join unregistered organizations, which are “harmful” for the communist regime.
Mr. Nghia’s wife said he is exhausted after being questioned for eight hours every day.
Mr. Nghia spent six years in prison in 2008-2013 on allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 88 of the Penal Code. His three-year probation period only just ended last year.
The 68-year-old poet, writer, and journalist is a member of the Haiphong Writers’ Association and one of the co-founding members of the 8406 Bloc, a banned pro-democracy organization in Vietnam.
His writings have been banned for publication since 2003 since they promote multi-party democracy and human rights in the communist nation.
Two years ago, he was honored with the Freedom of Expression Prize of the Norwegian Authors’ Union for his writings, which aim to promote multi-party democracy and human rights.
After being released from prison, he continues to work to promote multi-party democracy and human rights in the one-party state.
He has been under constant harassment from local police who have often placed him under house arrest or summoned him to the police station for interrogation.
Sometimes, local police also sent plainclothes agents and thugs to assault other activists attempting to visit him.
The interrogation of Mr. Nghia this time is part of Vietnam’s ongoing crackdown on local activists in which the Brotherhood for Democracy and California-based Vietnam Reform Party are the main targets. Ten activists from the two organizations have been detained in the last few months and charged with subversion.
Facing a number of obstacles, including poor economic performance, systemic corruption, serious environmental pollution, China’s increasing aggressiveness in the East Sea (South China Sea), the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam and its government have intensified persecution against local activists in order to prevent the formation of opposition party.
The government has also tightened online activities to silence netizens. A number of bloggers have been imprisoned in the past few years.