March 25, 2014
His Excellency Le Sy Vuong Ha
Ambassador of Vietnam to Canada
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Canada
55 Mackay Street
Ottawa, ON K1M 2B2
Your Excellency:
I write to you today as the Official Opposition of Canada’s Critic for Human Rights, about a matter of great concern to my office. According to Amnesty International and others, Huynh Ngoc Tuan, a non-violent activist and former prisoner, and his family have been repeatedly harassed, followed, and assaulted by official police since his release in 2002.
Huynh Ngoc Tuan has reported that on December 31st he was detained and severely beaten at the Truong Tin District Police station, where supposedly he suffered a broken rib. He has also reported that his house was stoned on February 11th. On February 20th he says that he and his son were assault by Vietnamese police officers resulting in both of them requiring hospital treatment.
I respectfully ask that your government conduct unbiased investigations into these very serious allegations. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. As a signatory to this covenant, it is in your government’s interests to respect and champion human rights and freedoms.
With a rapidly increasing netizen population both inside and outside Vietnam, human rights violations no longer go unnoticed by the larger world. We trust that you will respect our request and hope that your government follows through with swift action.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Wayne Marston, Member of Parliament
NDP Critic for Human Rights and Consular Affairs
Deputy Labour Critic