Unsung Heroes

BY TOM MALINOWSKI | OCTOBER 3, 2012 – Some of the world’s bravest dissidents are pursuing their fight against injustice with little attention from the outside world. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth knowing about. Here’s a list of remarkable people who rarely make it into the headlines.

Nguyen Huu Cau, Vietnam

Poet and anti-corruption campaigner Nguyen Huu Cau, 65, has served a total of 34 years in prison since 1975 — the first time from 1975-1980 in a re-education camp; the second time from 1982 till the present for exposing corruption by local authorities. 

He was formally convicted of the crime of being a “reactionary,” a serious charge, especially during the 1980s when Vietnam was a largely closed country; the prosecutor in his trial was one of the officials whom he had accused of corruption. Authorities used songs and poems he wrote as evidence of his “reactionary” activities. Originally sentenced to death, Nguyen Huu Cau is now serving a life term.

He has lost most of his vision and is almost completely deaf. The only image available of Nguyen Huu Cau is shown above. This photo was taken several years ago during a family visit to the prison.

Source: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/10/03/unsung_heroes?page=0,2

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