His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung
Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Embassy of Vietnam
6 Timbarra Cres
O’MALLEY ACT 2606
Dear Prime Minister,
It has come to my attention that Vietnamese authorities have recently arrested individuals for advocating democracy. I understand that Professor Pham Minh Hoang, Pastor Duong Kim Khai, Ms Tran Thi Thuy, Mr Nguyen Thanh Tam and Mrs Hong Vo have been detained for peaceful activism as members of the pro-democracy organization Viet Tan.
The reasons for their detention are unacceptable and unjust.
As a Signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conduct of the Vietnamese government is unacceptable. The criminalisation of freedoms so fundamental as speech, expression, assembly and religion is an act intolerable to the values I believe in so strongly and to which Vietnam has apparently subscribed.
I believe Vietnam damages its standing as an effective member of the international community when it engages in acts of repression and harassment towards its citizens in response to these expressions of universal freedoms.
I urge the government of Vietnam to immediately stop the harassment of individuals who advocate democracy and release political prisoners who are currently being detained for dissent against government decisions.
Yours sincerely,
Gary Humphries
Senator for the ACT
12.-0ctober 2010
