October 11, 2010
Hanoi – Vietnamese authorities have arrested a member of a banned pro-democracy party for joining a peaceful demonstration against China’s actions over disputed maritime territories, the party said Monday.
About 70 people joined a demonstration organized by Viet Tan, or Vietnam Reform Party, in Hanoi on Saturday, calling on all Vietnamese to ’to assume the responsibility and right to defend the nation’s interests.’
Police arrested Hong Vo, a 53 year-old social worker from Melbourne, Australia, who helped organise the protest, on Sunday at Ho Chi Minh City airport just before she was supposed to fly to Bangkok, a party statement said.
Hong spoke at the demonstration in the capital on Saturday where she called on all Vietnamese to fight against China’s behaviour over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which both countries claim.
The Vietnamese Communist party does not allow other partiesand has come under fire for arresting critics of its handling of the disputed maritime territories question.
Vietnam has jailed dozens of democracy activists and independent bloggers over the past year.
Many of those imprisoned were accused of belonging to Viet Tan, which the government considers a terrorist organization.
Most had also criticized the policy on the bauxite mines, or had advocated stronger opposition to China concerning the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
