Statement Demanding the Release of Vietnam’s Prisoners of Conscience

December 03, 2015

On December 10 in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a framework of human rights for all people and nations to strive towards. More than 65 years later, the Declaration continues to be the standard that all United Nations member states must aim to uphold.

As a member state of the United Nations and as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Vietnam is supposed to be leading efforts in protecting the rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Vietnam should also be complying with the international human rights conventions it is a signatory to, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

However, the current situation in Vietnam reveals the complete opposite of the government’s international commitments. The rights of the people continue to be violated, citizens are arbitrarily detained and severe mistreatment in prison still occur. More dire is that in the prisons there are people arbitrarily detained with long prison sentences just because they were peacefully advocating for freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of speech, or freedom of assembly and association. The detention of these prisoners of conscience is a blatant violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we urgently call on the United Nations Human Rights Council, international human rights organisations, and democratic countries in the world to pressure the Vietnamese government to unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, especially those who have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, which are as follow:

Dang Xuan Dieu: 13 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Do Thi Hong: 13 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Doan Dinh Nam: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Doan Van Cu: 14 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Ho Duc Hoa: 13 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Le Duy Loc: 17 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Le Duc Dong: 12 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Le Phuc: 15 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Le Trong Cu: 12 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Luong Nhat Quang: 12 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Ngo Hao: 15 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh: 11 years prison term

Nguyen Dinh: 14 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Nguyen Dang Minh Man: 8 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung: 9 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Nguyen Ky Lac: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Nguyen Thai Binh: 12 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Father Nguyen Van Ly: 8 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Pham Thi Phuong: 11 years prison term

Phan Thanh Tuong: 10 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Phan Thanh Y: 14 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Phan Van Thu: life imprisonment

Ta Khu: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Tran Huynh Duy Thuc: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Tran Phi Dung: 13 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Tran Quan: 12 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Tran Thi Thuy: 8 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Tu Thien Luong: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Vo Ngoc Cu: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Vo Thanh Le: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Vo Tiet: 16 years prison term, 5 years house arrest

Signatories:

1. Bach Dang Giang Foundation, represented by Pham Ba Hai
2. Former Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience, represented by Dr. Nguyen Dan Que
3. Vietnam Path Movement, represented by Hoang Van Dung
4. Civil Society Forum, represented by Nguyen Quang A
5. Viet Tan, represented by Pham Minh Hoang
6. Vietnam-US Lutheran Alliance Church, represented by Pastor Nguyen Hoang Hoa
7. Hoang Sa Football Club, represented by Tu Anh Tu
8. Vietnamese Political & Religious Prisoners Friendship Association, represented by Nguyen Bac Truyen
9. Brotherhood for Democracy, represented by Pham Van Troi
10. Association to Protect Freedom of Religion, represented by Ha Thi Van
11. Association of Bau Bi Tuong Than, represented by Nguyen Le Hung
12. No-U Saigon, represented by Hoang Vi
13. Vietnamese Women for Human Rights, represented by Tran Thi Nga and Huynh Thuc Vy
14. Vietnamese Labour, represented by Do Thi Minh Hanh
15. National Congress of Vietnamese Americans, represented by Nguyen Ngoc Bich
16. The Hanoi Rescue Land Petitioners, represented by Mai Xuan Dung
17. Nguyen Kim Dien Priests group, represented by Rev. Phan Van Loi
18. Justice and Peace Office in Saigon, represented by Rev. Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai
19. Defend the Defenders, represented by Vu Quoc Ngu
20. The Vietnam Centre for Human Rights, represented by Lawyer Nguyen Van Dai
21. Vietnam Unity Party, represented by Le Thanh Tung