In Vietnam, arguing that people deserve an alternative to the Communist Party is considered terrorism. Three men, including a U.S. citizen, go on trial for this “crime” today in Ho Chi Minh City.
The case dates back to November 17, when police broke up a small, peaceful meeting of democracy activists. Among those arrested were Nguyen Quoc Quan, a U.S. citizen; Somsak Khunmi, a resident of Thailand; and Nguyen The Vu, a Vietnamese citizen. State media reported they had planned to distribute 7,000 pro-democracy leaflets. They had also smuggled in a Vietnamese translation of “From Dictatorship to Democracy,” a book about nonviolent resistance. While it appears that several of those arrested may have entered Vietnam on false papers, that’s an immigration violation, not a terrorist offense.
The men are almost certain to be convicted. Mr. Nguyen is likely to be sentenced to time served and then deported. Hanoi has already quietly disposed of the cases of the other three men arrested that evening by releasing them without trial and deporting the two foreigners among them – U.S. citizen Leon Truong and French citizen Nguyen Thi Thanh Van. Lest anyone think Hanoi has gone soft, remember that more than 400 people remain in jail for peaceful religious practice or political activism.
Observers remark on the unusual haste of these proceedings – the “investigation” concluded only in March and it usually takes longer to bring cases to trial. Hanoi likely wants to settle the matter ahead of the next U.S.-Vietnam human rights dialogue, which may come later this month. That itself is a sign that despite the Communist Party’s desire to hold on to power at home, the regime is susceptible to international pressure. All the more reason to keep up that pressure even after these particular cases are resolved.