May 2, 2012
A Vietnamese-American pro-democracy activist has been arrested in Ho Chi Minh City on charges of terrorism.
Dr Phong Nguyen’s interview by ABC Radio Australia.
Vietnamese state media say Nguyen Quoc Quan is being held for trying to instigate a demonstration and sabotage celebrations commemorating the end of the Vietnam War.
Nguyen is a member of the outlawed Viet Tan, a US-based organisation which says it’s “committed to peaceful, non-violent struggle” to defend human rights and promote democracy in Vietnam.
The group says the charges against Quan are completely fabricated and it’s the latest example of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s ongoing crackdown on human rights defenders.
Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Phong Nguyen, Viet Tan’s Australian spokesman
Source: ABC Radio Australia