May 26, 2011
His Excellency
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
c/o Embassy of Vietnam
1233 20th Street, NW #400
Washington, DC 20036
Dear Prime Minister Dung:
We write to express our deep concern over the treatment and upcoming trial of seven peaceful Vietnamese activists:
- Pastor Duong Kim Khai
- Ms. Tran Thi Thuy
- Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam
- Mr. Pham Van Thong
- Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh
- Ms. Pham Ngoc Hoa
- Mr. Cao Van Tinh
We understand that they have been held for months without any access to legal counsel and have been denied family visits. We are deeply concerned that these seven peaceful activists are being charged with subversion under Article 79 of the penal code based on their involvement with a Christian house church and a pro-democracy party.
According to human rights organizations, Pastor Khai is a long time political prisoner and religious activist. In 2004, security police seized his home, which was being used as an “unsanctioned” place of worship and was jailed for two years.
The persecution of Pastor Khai and his fellow Mennonites is a stain on your government’s increasingly troublesome religious freedom record. It further indicates that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam warrants designation as a “Country of Particular Concern,” based on the continuing violations of religious freedom.
We remind you that your government is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of association. That the individuals above may have been involved with Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform Party) is their basic right.
We urge you to cease arresting and detaining citizens for peaceful organization, whether it be for religious or political purposes. We hope you will dismiss the subversion charges against these seven peaceful activists.
Sincerely,
Edward Royce
Dana Rohrabacher
Loretta Sanchez
Frank R. Wolf
Zoe Lofgren