02/02/2013
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
2 Hoang Van Thu
Hanoi, Vietnam.
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing this letter to express my grave concern and disappointment at the recent conviction of 14 human rights activists of harsh sentences for “subversion” charges and yet all they did were blogging articles expressing their views; advocating social justice through the Catholic Redemptorist News; and attending workshops on nonviolent struggle and internet security.
These activists are: Ho Duc Hoa, Dang Xuan Dieu, Paulus Le Son, Nguyen Dang Minh Man, Nguyen Van Duyet, Nguyen Xuan Anh, Thai Van Dung, Nong Hung Anh, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Tran Minh Nhat, Ho Van Oanh, Nguyen Van Oai, Dang Ngoc Minh and Nguyen Dang Vinh Phuc.
The imprisonments of these human rights defenders are only a few of the many who have been in similar faith in recent time. The trend of human rights violations in Vietnam has been escalating at an alarming rate. In addition, I have also been informed that human rights lawyer Le Quoc Quan has been detained, since Dec 27 for his peaceful activism. His family has been under constant harrassment as well from the authorities.
Freedom of expression is one of the many basic rights from the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam had ratified. At the same time, citizen-voicing opinion peacefully although maybe critical to the government is not an act of subversion. In fact, criticism is often necessary for positive progress.
I wish to bring these cases to your attention and calling on you to cease all repressive campaign against peaceful voices, as well as releasing all current political prisoners.
Yours sincerely,
LUKE SIMPKINS MP
Federal Member for Cowan