(Regarding the security police arresting and detaining my daughter, Tran Thi Thuy, and harassing my family)
Dear :
- Members of media outlets internationally and in Vietnam,
- Human rights organizations,
- Vietnamese people all around the world,
My name is Bui Thi Nu, I am the mother of victimized Tran Thi Thuy, at Long Thai Ward, Long Khanh B Commune, Hong Ngu District, Dong Thap Province. I am sending you this letter to inform you of the situation and circumstances of my daughter being arrested by the police. Our family has been constantly harassed, assaulted and terrorized for many months now.
From 1992 until now, my family has been trying to reclaim the land that the authorities of Tam Nong ward stole from us. We live in poor and impoverished conditions, with not enough means to live on therefore it is vital to us that we are given back our land so that we may cultivate it in hopes of nurturing our entire family. Many times my daughter, Tran Thi Thuy, has travelled all the way to the Hanoi to submit our application papers, and on the 26/7/2005, Mr Nong Duc Manh (General Secretary) received our application and promised that Mr Nguyen Tan Dung (Prime Minister) would consider it, however, since then there has been no word nor answer for my family.
Not only that, my family are followers of the Hoa Hao Buddhist church, and even the simple act of congregating in groups for our religious activities has long been made difficult by the government. From March 2010, we have been met with even more unjust treatment with the police constantly causing difficulties for my family such as interrogation, threats to our financial wellbeing, physical assault, to the point that my son, Tran Thanh Binh, when taken to the hospital while sick during the fifth month of the lunar calendar, died under very suspicious circumstances.
On the 10th of August 2010, at 18:30 hours, a group of police forced their way into my house and handcuffed my children. My son, Tran Thanh Tuan was beaten and sustained severe head injuries. After that, they took my daughter, Tran Thi Thuy away, giving us no information of her whereabouts. Not until the 20th August 2010 did we receive a letter from the security office of Ben Tre province, signed 16th August, informing us that my daughter was being held at the Detention Center B34 Ministry of Public Security, on the grounds that she violated Article 79 of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s Criminal Law.
Since my daughter’s arrest, my family continues to be the victim of terrorising, oppression, threats to our livelihood and we still have not received any further information on my daughter or been granted permission to visit her. Twice we have written letters detailing the situation to the Office of Government Investigation and Security; however we have not yet had any official response or reaction from the government.
Today, I am writing this letter to inform and alert you of the dire situation of my family, we sincerely ask for your concern and help so that we, victims of injustice may soon be allowed a peaceful life, and especially, so my daughter, Tran Thi Thuy, will quickly be returned her freedom.
Please allow me to attach the letters I have written as mentioned above as well as the papers from the security police detailing my daughter’s detention so that you may clearly see our hardships and the conditions of oppression under which my family has been subjected to for so many years.
I sincerely thank you for your consideration and concern.
Dong Thap, Viet Nam
September 13, 2010
Bui Thi Nu
