Vietnam confirms arrests of US, French, Thai activists
Agence France-Presse
HANOI – Communist Vietnam on Thursday confirmed the arrests last weekend of three Vietnamese born pro-democracy activists from the United States, France and Thailand for “violating Vietnamese law.”
The US-based dissident group Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform Party), banned in Vietnam, earlier said six activists were detained in Ho Chi Minh City last Saturday, including another US citizen and two Vietnamese nationals.
Foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung told a media briefing: “On November 17 Vietnamese police urgently arrested and temporarily detained one French, one American and one Thai citizen for their behavior of violating Vietnamese law.
“Relevant authorities in Vietnam are investigating to clarify the case.”
The US embassy in Hanoi said Thursday it had been informed by Vietnamese authorities of the arrest of one US citizen and was seeking consular access, but it did not reveal the identity, citing State Department privacy rules.
“We first heard about it over the weekend,” said an embassy spokeswoman. “The Vietnamese government has confirmed that one US citizen is in custody. We have asked for consular access but have not received it yet.”
Viet Tan earlier said the group had “participated in discussions with other democracy activists on promoting peaceful democratic change.”
Among those the group reported arrested were three Viet Tan members — US citizens Nguyen Quoc Quan, a mathematics researcher, and Truong Van Ba, a Hawaii restaurant owner; and Frenchwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, a contributor to Viet Tan’s outlawed Radio Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon).
Police had also arrested three other political activists — Thai citizen Somsak Khunmi and two Vietnamese nationals, Nguyen The Vu, a trader, and his brother Nguyen The Khiem — Viet Tan said in a statement.
Vietnam has come under international pressure this year for arresting and jailing a number of prominent political activists, and US and Australian legislators have protested at the latest arrests.
“It is disappointing to see that Vietnam as a United Nation member state persistently restricts its citizens from practicing their human rights,” Australian parliamentarian Bernie Ripoll wrote to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
“As a UN member Vietnam is obliged to abide by international human rights conventions and as such should exercise their obligations under these international legal frameworks.”
Spokesman Dung also confirmed that a Hanoi court would next Tuesday hear appeals by jailed human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, who was sentenced to five years’ prison in May, and Le Thi Cong Nhan, who was jailed for four years.
They were convicted of “spreading propaganda” against the state.
Dung did not say whether foreign media would be allowed to attend the hearing, as they were in May, telling reporters: “As last time, we will send the request by foreign media agencies to the court, and the court will handle.”