July 8th, 2009
According to local media, Vietnam state police has detained two more democracy activists, Nguyen Tien Trung and Tran Anh Kim, under article 88 of the criminal law. Both were taken into custody at their home, Trung in Saigon and Kim in Thai Binh.
Trung, 26, has a master degree in information science. While studying in France, he established the Association of Democratic Youths then returned to Vietnam in 2007. Nguyen Tien Trung was also active in publicizing Vietnam Democratic Party, a party formed by Hoang Minh Chinh. He wrote numerous articles and held interviews critical of government policies.
Nguyen Tien Trung was drafted into the Army in March 2008 but was discharged on July 6 for «disobeying his superiors, not reciting the 10 pledges of Vietnam People Army, disclosing Army secrets ». He was arrested only one day after being discharged. The party-controlled VN media said that Nguyen Tien Trung had joined the People Democratic Party in 2006, a party led by Nguyen Si Binh and Nguyen Xuan Ngai they considered as « exiled reactionaries ».
The police accused Nguyen Tien Trung for inciting the students’ protests against China establishing the Tam Sa district encompassing the Paracels and Spratlys islands that Vietnam considered its territories. He’s also accused of inciting the demonstrations against the carrying of the Beijing Olympics torch in Saigon in April 2008.
Army veteran Tran Anh Kim was also accused of joining the People Democratic Party and of being chosen by Nguyen Si Binh as vice general secretary for that party in March 2009. According to VN official press agency, Mr Tran Anh Kim also joined force with exiled organizations in America against the state of Vietnam, especially with Viet Tan, a political organization considered by Hanoi as terrorists. This accusation against Viet Tan were dismissed by the US goverment on numerous occasions. Kim is also member of the Vietnam Democratic Party, and one of the founders of the democratic movement called Block 8406 as well as its leader in the North.
Tran Anh Kim, born in 1949, attained the rank of lieutenant colonel, army political commissar, and second in command of Thai Binh military commission.
He is a disabled veteran and has received numerous medals. The newspaper People’s Police wrote that Mr Tran Anh Kim published on the internet 85 articles critical of the State. He’s also accused of inciting large demonstrations in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Saigon and of communicating with « reactionary elements » overseas.
The Association of Democratic Youths has demanded immediate and unconditional release for Nguyen Tien Trung and affirmed that the recent arrests of lieutenant colonel Tran Anh Kim, attorney Le Cong Dinh, OCI president Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and others were simply the ruse by Vietnam communist leaders to divert public opinion from hot issues such as Bauxite mining in the highlands, territorial protection in the South China sea, and numerous others social issues facing the people.