Advocating for my daughter Nguyen Dang Minh Man

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on email
Share on print
Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on email
Share on print

Remarks before the Vietnam Congressional Caucus
Nguyen Van Loi
US Capitol Building
June 11, 2015
 

 

My name is Nguyen Van Loi and I am the husband of former political prisoner Dang Ngoc Minh and I am the father of former political prisoner Nguyen Dang Vinh Phuc as well as political prisoner Nguyen Dang Minh Man.

My wife and my son have been released from prison my currently, my daughter Nguyen Dang Minh Man is still serving an 8 year sentence in a prison in Thanh Hoa.

My daughter is 30 years old this year. She began her activism at the age of 24. Man does not speak much, but she possesses a spirit of resilience and determination. Social injustice has pushed her to speak out.

Man has a deep love of photography and because of her concerns for social injustice, she began photographing police brutality. Man is a young woman who refuses to accept Chinese encroachment on Vietnamese sovereignty, and because of this has participated in peaceful protests to speak up on this issue. She has also written “The Paracel and Spratly Islands belong to Vietnam” on walls on the streets of Vietnam to raise her concerns. She is a member of Viet Tan.

And for these reasons, they sentenced my daughter to 8 years in prison, under the crime of “plotting to overthrow the government.”

As a voice of conscience who never accepts guilt, the authorities have been particularly brutal and inhumane toward her. They feed her rice with salt, only give her 1 liter of drinking water a day, not allowing her any water for hygienic reasons, and do not give her a sleeping net. She is only given only one change of clothing for about 15 to 20 days in a month.

Minh Man is currently in solitary confinement and not allowed to interact with anyone, as she is a political prisoner. There are only 3 people left in the block, and the are Nguyen Dang Minh Man, Ta Phong Tan, and Can Thi Theu; however each person is in a separate cell and cannot see each other, trapped between 4 walls of the prison cell. In order to protest her imprisonment, Minh Man started a hunger strike along with Ta Phong Tan and Can Thi Theu. They have finished two hunger strikes, each time lasting 15 days: once in December 2014 and once in March 2015. And at this moment, voice of conscience Ta Phong Tan is on a hunger strike.

In order to isolate Minh Man from her family, the authorities have moved her to a prison in Thanh Hoa, very far from her house. In order to visit her, I have to change my motorbike 4 times, each time traveling 40 hours to see my daughter.

My daughter and family have to endure this for another 4 years.

I plead with members of the US government from the bottom of my heart to please step in for my daughter and demand the Government of Vietnam to release Nguyen Dang Minh Man immediately, as well as all voices of conscience.

Please receive words of sincere gratefulness from my family and loved ones for your support.

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp
Share on email
Share on print

LATEST ARTICLES

2023 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award Presented to HRD Truong Van Dung

Viet Tan is proud to announce that the 2023 Le Dinh Luong Human Rights Award goes to Human Rights Defender Truong Van Dung. The theme of this year’s award is: “75 Years of International Human Rights — Freedom, Equality & Justice for Vietnam.”

Established in 2018, this annual human rights award is named after activist Le Dinh Luong, who made significant efforts to fight for the rights of the people and the sovereignty of the country. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Vietnamese government in August 2018.

Vietnam and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Discussed on Parliament Hill

On October 30th, the Honorable Judy Sgro in cooperation with Viet Tan hosted a luncheon “Vietnam and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy” in the Wellington Building in Ottawa attended by parliamentarians and their teams. The event focused on how Canada can engage Vietnam to advance human rights and security in the Indo-Pacific. From addressing climate change to transnational repression to military capacity building. 

How Canada can engage Vietnam while furthering its democratic values

As Canada pursues this long-term, multi-faceted strategy, it will undoubtedly prioritize certain relationships. Japan, South Korea and Australia certainly. These are all democracies and important economies. But perhaps Vietnam will be considered a strategic partner as well. The question is how Canada can engage Vietnam while furthering its democratic values?

Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience – 2023 Report

On January 1, 2023, Vietnam joined the United Nations Human Rights Council after an intense lobbying effort within the international community. Some hoped that this would lead to greater respect for human rights by the Vietnamese government, while others raised alarm about the contradicting nature of the situation. In particular, a country notorious for human rights violations is now tasked in the UN with promoting these rights internationally.