Australian Member of Parliament Bernie Ripoll wrote a letter to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop raises concern of three detained activists in Vietnam to be brought up during the next Australian-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue.
The Hon Julie Bishop MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
7 August 2015
Dear Minister,
I write to you in relation to Ho Duc Hoa, Dang Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Dang Minh Man whom have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in Vietnam for allegedky ‘Carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the People’s Government’ under Article 79 of the Penal Code.
They were arrested on 30 July 2011, together with 12 others from the Catholic Church, for their involvement in mobilizing support and education for children living in poverty. The group were detained for close to two years under unspecified charges before being officially sentenced.
This case has received great international attention with the United Nations Human Rights Office also expressing serious concerns over their vague convictions and outrageously lengthy sentences.
As Australians, we believe in the protection and promotion of individual human rights which is vital to global efforts to achieve lasting peace, security, freedom and dignity for all. We are committed to human rights as a reflection of our national values whereby a person’s liberty and freedoms are respected.
Given Australia’s role as a principal advocate for human rights, it would be greatly appreciated if you could ensure these individual cases are raised when we next partipate in the Australian-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue.
I would also ask that you contact the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and request that he honour the commitments to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Vietnam is a signatory, and release Ho Duc Hoa, Dang Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Dang Minh Man.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Bernie Ripoll MP
Federal Member for Oxley
Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation
Shadow Minister for Sport
Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Small Business
