Today 15 non-governmental organizations * call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, a human rights defender in Vietnam. In a joint letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 8, 2017 the organisations express their deep concern about his arrest and his incommunicado, arbitrary, detention since the end of July 2017. The joint letter wrote: Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển was last seen on July 30, 2017 while he was waiting for his wife near his workplace at the Redemptorist Church in Ho Chi Minh City. Later that day, the website of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced that he had been arrested... Read more »
In the largest crackdown against dissidents in recent years in Vietnam, renowned jurist Nguyen Bac Truyen was abducted nearby his work place at the Catholic Redemptorist Church in Ho Chi Minh City on July 30, 2017. Later in the day a website of the state security announced that he was arrested along with three other activists on charges of “acting to overthrow the people’s government” under Art. 79 of the Vietnamese Penal Code (VPC). They are allegedly connected to lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant, who have already been detained without trial since December 2015 and are now accused of the same charge.[i] If convicted the six persons could... Read more »
On the occasion of the G20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany) 40 human rights and civil society organizations in Europe, USA and Asia call the Vietnamese Prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to immediately and unconditionally release three prominent human rights defenders from three different religious communities and all other prisoners of conscience detained in Vietnam. The Most Venerable Thích Quảng Độ, Mr. Nguyễn Văn Đài and Ms. Đỗ Thị Hồng have been arbitrarily detained, without the due process protections afforded to them under international law, the open letter states. Thích Quảng Độ, an 89 year-old Buddhist monk and leader of the independent Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), is Vietnam’s longest-detained... Read more »
Nguyen Van Dai faces up to 20 years imprisonment – Joint action with MP Marie-Luise Dött and missio Aachen (Bad Nauheim, March 1, 2017) – In a joint online-petition started today VETO! Human Rights Defenders’ Network, German MP Marie-Luise Dött (CDU) and the International Catholic Missionary Work Missio Aachen call for the release of the imprisoned Vietnamese human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai and his assistant Le Thu Ha. They are detained since December 16, 2015, without being granted access to their attorneys. “VETO! welcomes the joint campaign for the release of the two Vietnamese human rights defenders wrongly imprisoned. Many people will assist them because of their non-violent defense... Read more »
Nguyen Van Dai drohen 20 Jahre Haft – Gemeinsame Aktion mit der Bundestagsabgeordneten Marie-Luise Dött und missio Aachen (Bad Nauheim, 1. März 2017) – Freiheit für den inhaftierten vietnamesischen Menschenrechtsanwalt Nguyen Van Dai und seine Assistentin Le Thu Ha fordert eine gemeinsame Online-Petition der Menschenrechtsorganisation VETO! Human Rights Defenders‘ Network, der Bundestagsabgeordneten Marie-Luise Dött (CDU) und des Internationalen Katholischen Missionswerkes missio Aachen. Beide Menschenrechtsverteidiger sind seit dem 16. Dezember 2015 im Gefängnis und seitdem sind ihre Anwälte nicht zugelassen. “VETO! begrüßt die gemeinsame Initiative zur Freilassung der beiden vietnamesischen Menschenrechtsverteidiger. Viele Menschen werden ihnen beistehen, weil sie wegen ihres gewaltlosen Einsatzes für die Rechte anderer zu Unrecht inhaftiert sind.”, so... Read more »
Vietnamese lawyer Nguyen Van Dai (Photo) and his assistant Le Thu Ha are detained since December 16, 2015. The official accusation is “conducting propaganda against the Socialist State of Vietnam”. If convicted they face a up to 20 years in prison. The real reason for the arrest is: Nguyen Van Dai advocated for the respect of human rights in Vietnam and provided legal assistance to Christians and members of other religious minorities in Vietnam. Nguyen Van Dai had been imprisoned between 2007 and 2011, and then under house arrest until March 2015. Since his actual arrest, he is held in incommunicado detention. Please sign this VETO!-Petition to show your support:... Read more »
Buddhist Monks blocked the raid of public security agents during the visit of the EU-Delegation at Phuoc Hue Pagoda, Lam Dong Province, on 9 Dec 2009 Joint Statement of Concern on Vietnam’s Draft Law on Religion We, the undersigned civil society organizations are concerned that Vietnam’s draft Law on Belief and Religion[i] is inconsistent with the right to freedom of religion or belief. We call upon the Government to comprehensively revise the draft Law to conform with Vietnam’s obligations under international human rights law in the course of an inclusive consultation process with recognized and independent religion or belief communities within Vietnam and human rights law experts, including the UN... Read more »
Update for reporting period from May 2014 to May 2015 (Prepared by VETO! Human Rights Defenders’ Network on May 30, 2015) SSFO-Shed in Lè Hamlet, Tuyen Quang Province, Vietnam before and after the destruction on May 26, 2015 The Duong Van Minh belief is a new variant of Christian religion for Hmong ethnics in the four Northeastern provinces of Vietnam: Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen since 1989. The most known characteristic of this belief is the simplified funeral ceremony. The believers use symbolic items made of wood such as a crucifix, a swallow, a toad and a cicada during the funeral ceremony. The villagers share... Read more »
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Prof. Dr. Heiner Bielefeldt, was invited by the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to a country visit from 21 to 31 July 2014. After visiting some religious groups in Hanoi, Tuyen Quang Province, Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Long the Special Rapporteur interrupted his travel on July 28, 2014, due to reason “that some individuals whom I wanted to meet with had been either under heavy surveillance, warned, intimidated, harassed or prevented from travelling by the police. Even those who successfully met with me were not free from a certain degree of police surveillance or... Read more »
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