Mr Pascal Lamy
Director General
World Trade Organization
Rue de Lausanne 153
1202 GENEVE
May 7, 2007
Re: Vietnamese political dissidents to be tried in Hanoi on May 11
Dear Sir,
I am taking the liberty of writing to you following our meeting with the Suisse-Vietnam Committee. On May 11, the Vietnamese judiciary authorities will put on trial two young lawyers in Hanoi for “abusing democratic freedoms (sic!) and propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.”
Since joining the World Trade Organization, Hanoi regime has showed an alarming increase in intensive crackdown against political activists. This is evidenced by the case of Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly who was muzzled during his trial on March 30. The images of this lame trial have been witnessed all over the world. Between November 2006 and end of April 2007, we have been informed of at least 22 arrests of political activists in Vietnam.
We have alerted the Swiss authorities who, we hope, will make sure that international observers will be allowed to attend all the trials of these Vietnamese political dissidents. We have also alerted the Human Rights Council about the numerous violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Vietnam was a signatory since 1982.
Considering that Vietnam recently joined WTO, we will continue to inform you of all the cases that we are aware. Certainly liberalization of commercial trade will eventually come with an increased democratization; however we would like to take action so that the transition will occur with as few human victims as possible.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely yours,
Cc:
Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland
Mrs Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation
Mrs Micheline Calmy-Rey
Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs
Palais Fédéral Ouest
3003 BERNE
May 7, 2007
Re: Vietnamese political dissidents to be tried in Hanoi on May 11
Dear Mrs. President,
I am taking the liberty of writing to you following our meeting with the Suisse-Vietnam Committee. On May 11, the Vietnamese judiciary authorities will put on trial two young lawyers in Hanoi for “abusing democratic freedoms (sic!) and propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.”
One of them is Ms Le Thi Cong Nhan, 29, a human rights lawyer and spokesperson of the Vietnam Progression Party. Since last fall, Ms Le Thi Cong Nhan has been repeatedly abused both physically and psychologically. At the end of October 2006, the authorities barred her from boarding her flight to Warsaw where she was invited as a guest speaker at the International Conference on Vietnamese Workers Rights, sponsored by the syndicate Solidarnosc.
Over the last few months, the Hanoi regime has showed an alarming increase in intensive crackdown against political activists. This is evidenced by the case of Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly who was muzzled during his trial on March 30. The images of this lame trial have been witnessed all over the world. Between November 2006 and the end of April 2007, we have been informed of at least 22 arrests of political activists in Vietnam.
Therefore, we urge you to send a Swiss observer to attend the trial of Ms Le Thi Cong Nhan, in making sure that her fundamental rights are respected and to be able, if necessary, to report any breaches. We have also alerted the Human Rights Council about the numerous violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Vietnam was signatory since 1982.
We acknowledge that Switzerland is trying to help Vietnam in its learning of a hypothetical democratization process, particularly after the visit of a Vietnamese delegation to Switzerland on a project of creating a bill on referendum. We salute these efforts and are certain that liberalization of commercial trade will eventually come with an increased democratization. However, we would like to take action so that the transition will occur with as few human victims as possible.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely yours,
Enclosed: Copy of our letter to Mr Pascal Lamy, General Director of the WTO
Cc: Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland
