Menschenrechte / Human Rights (2017/2)

Au Vietnam, 10.000 cyber-inspecteurs chargés de traquer les « opinions dissidentes »

29.12.2017 (Metro) - Le déploiement de 10.000 cyber-inspecteurs pour combattre la dissidence en ligne au Vietnam ajoute une « nouvelle dimension » choquante aux contrôles de la liberté d’expression dans le pays communiste, estime Human Rights Watch.

Cette nouvelle brigade, baptisée « Force 47 » sera chargée de traquer les « opinions dissidentes », a expliqué un général vietnamien cité par les médias officiels. Mais peu de détails ont été donnés sur ces nouveaux inspecteurs et le gouvernement vietnamien, contacté par l’AFP, a décliné tout commentaire.

Pour Phil Robertson de Human Rights Watch Asie, cette annonce ajoute « nouvelle dimension choquante de la répression de la dissidence au Vietnam ». [en savoir plus]

Nine jailed in Vietnam for 'attempt to overthrow state'

29.12.2017 (Times of India) - HANOI: A Vietnamese court has jailed nine people for "attempting to overthrow the state", official media reported Friday, the latest heavy sentence doled out in a harsh crackdown this year against activists in the one-party state.

Communist Vietnam routinely jails its critics, but 2017 has been particularly grim for dissidents, with at least 15 arrested and several others sentenced to lengthy prison terms. [read more]

Neuf Vietnamiens condamnés pour avoir «tenté de renverser l’État»

29.12.2017 (Le Journal de Montréal) - Hanoï | Neuf Vietnamiens ont été condamnés jeudi à de lourdes peines de prison pour avoir «tenté de renverser l’État», a rapporté vendredi un média officiel de ce pays gouverné par un parti unique, où la répression s’abat depuis le début de l’année sur les voix dissonantes.

Ils ont été jugés dans la province de Binh Dinh (centre) pour tentative de coup d’État et propagande antiétatique, des chefs d’accusation que des organisations de défense des droits de l’Homme ont dénoncés comme vagues et destinés à écraser la dissidence. [en savoir plus]

Conviction for Catholic activist Maria Trần Thị Nga confirmed on appeal

28.12.2017 Paul H. Quoc (AsiaNews) - Hanoi - The appeal trial of Maria Trần Thị Nga (photo), a well-known Catholic human rights activist, ended with a sentence of nine years in prison and five years of house arrest. On December 22nd, the Supreme Court of Hanoi opened the proceedings at the People's Court in the province of Hà Nam, after which the judges confirmed the sentence commuted in July at the first instance for the activist, arrested on January 25, 2017 and found guilty of "propaganda against the state". This is a provision that the Vietnamese authorities frequently use to silence bloggers and other dissident activists. [read more]

Vietnam jails 2 dozen on charges of terrorism, subversion

28.12.2017 (The Asahi Shimbun) - HANOI -- A court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted 14 people on a charge of terrorism aimed at opposing the people's administration for a petrol bomb attack at the city's international airport in April and sentenced them to between five and 16 years in prison.

Dang Hoang Thien, who was accused of making two petrol bombs, only one of which exploded, was given 16 years while 13 others received from five to 14 years in prison at the end of the two-day trial Wednesday, state-run Thanh Nien newspaper said. [read more]

Confirman la condena de la activista católica Maria Trần Thị Nga

28.12.2017 Paul H. Quoc (AsiaNews) - Hanói - Se concluyó con una condena a 9 años de prisión y 5 bajo arresto domiciliario, el proceso de apelación de Maria Trần Thị Nga (foto), la conocida activista católica por los derechos humanos. El pasado 22 de diciembre, la Corte suprema de Hanói inauguró el procedimiento en el Tribunal del pueblo de la provincia de Há Nam, al final del cual los jueces han confirmado la pena conmutada en julio en primera instancia,  contra la activista arrestada el 25 de enero de 2017 y considerada culpable de “propaganda contra el Estado”. Esta es una disposición a la cual las autoridades vietnamitas recurren frecuentemente para acallar a blogueros y a otros activistas disidentes. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam unleashes 10,000 cyber troopers to combat ‘wrong views’

27.12.2017 (Asian Correspondent)  - A NEW, 10,000-strong military cyber warfare unit in Vietnam will be countering “wrong” views on the Internet amid a widening crackdown on critics of the one-party state.

The cyber unit, named Force 47, is already in operation in several sectors, Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, deputy head of the military’s political department, as saying at a conference of the Central Propaganda Department on Monday in the commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

“In every hour, minute, and second we must be ready to fight proactively against the wrong views,” the paper quoted the general as saying. [read more]

Vietnam emplea a 10.000 «cibersoldados» contra las «opiniones malas» de internet

27.12.2017 (ABC) - El Gobierno de Vietnam ha creado una unidad especial cibernética, de 10.000 «cibersoldados» y llamada Force 47, para combatir la creciente amenaza de «opiniones erróneas» que proliferan en internet, tal y como afirman medios locales, que citan a Nguyen Trong Nghia, subdirector del departamento de política general del Ejército Popular de Vietnam. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnamese court upholds jail term for prominent activist - lawyer

22.12.2017 (Reuters) - HANOI - A court in Vietnam on Friday upheld a nine-year jail sentence for a prominent activist convicted of spreading propaganda against the state, her lawyer said.

Blogger Tran Thi Nga, 40, was initially found guilty at a trial in July, six months after she was arrested in a widening crackdown on critics of the Communist government. [read more]

Vietnam Court Sentences Five People For Spreading ‘Propaganda Against The State’

21.12.2017 (RFA) - A court in Vietnam sentenced five people on Thursday to a total of 19 years in prison on charges of spreading “propaganda against the state” under Article 88 of the country’s Penal Code.

The members of the group hung 26 flags emblazoned with three red stripes — the symbol of the Republic of Vietnam, also known as South Vietnam before 1975 — around the town of Chau Doc in southern Vietnam’s An Giang province on April 25. [read more]

Vietnam: Drop Charges Against Activist Tran Thi Nga - Government Tightens Chokehold on Voices of Dissent

20.12.2017 (HRW) - (New York) – Vietnam should immediately release rights activist Tran Thi Nga and the appeals court should drop charges against her when it reviews her case on December 22, 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. Tran Thi Nga, also known as Thuy Nga, was sentenced in July to nine years in prison followed by five years of house arrest for “conducting propaganda against the state.”

“Tran Thi Nga is one of the latest targets of Vietnam’s escalating crackdown on activists and critics,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “Instead of engaging in discussions with critics, the government is increasingly using harsh sentences and abusive treatment to stifle dissent.” [read more]

Vietnamese ‘Red Flags’ Thugs Attack Catholic Parishioners in Nghe An

18.12.2017 (RFA) - State-linked thugs wearing national flags attacked a group of Vietnamese Catholics digging a ditch on land claimed both by their church and by local authorities on Sunday, beating parishioners in full view of police who refused to intervene, sources said.

The Dec. 17 attack in north-central Vietnam’s Nghe An province followed an early morning attempt by church members to dig a ditch on farmland subject to floods, Ke Gai parish priest Nguyen Duc Nhan told RFA’s Vietnamese Service on Monday. [read more]

Vietnamese Dissident in Failing Health in Prison

18.12.2017 (RFA) - Democracy advocate and former Vietnamese army officer Tran Anh Kim is in failing health in prison, with his jailers refusing medical treatment for his condition pending the approval of higher authorities, according to his wife.

Kim, 69, is suffering from prostatitis and is now “very thin and weak,” his wife Nguyen Thi Thom told RFA’s Vietnamese Service on Monday after visiting Kim in prison.

“His condition is so severe that it can’t be treated effectively in prison, and he has asked to be sent to a higher-level hospital where he can receive better medical care,” Thom told RFA. [read more]

Kirchen beklagen zunehmende Unterdrückung von Christen

15.12.2017 (SZ) - Berlin (dpa) - Die katholische und die evangelische Kirche beklagen eine wachsende Einschränkung der Religionsfreiheit und die Unterdrückung von Christen in vielen Teilen der Welt.

In den westlichen säkularisierten Gesellschaften können man es sich kaum vorstellen, was es bedeute, wenn Menschen etwa gehindert würden, mit anderen die Bibel zu lesen oder einen Gottesdienst zu besuchen.

Einige autoritär regierte Staaten wie China, Vietnam und einstige Sowjetrepubliken wollten zudem religiöse Aktivitäten der staatlichen Herrschaft unterstellen und genau überwachen. [Weiterlesen]

MEPs call for release of all citizen-journalists held in Vietnam

14.12.2017 (Reporters Without Borders) - In an emergency resolution approved today, the European Parliament has condemned the Vietnamese government's unprecedented crackdown on the freedom to inform and, inter alia, has called for the immediate release of a young blogger who was sentenced to seven years in prison last month.

The resolution urges Vietnam to amend articles 88 and 79 of its penal code on "anti-state propaganda" and "activities aimed at overthrowing the administration," and to ensure that national security is not used as a pretext for violating human rights. [read more]

Vietnam : le Parlement européen demande la libération de tous les journalistes-citoyens

14.12.2017 (Reporters sans Frontières) - Dans une résolution d’urgence votée aujourd’hui, les eurodéputés interpellent les autorités vietnamiennes sur leur répression de la liberté d’informer. Ils appellent notamment à la libération immédiate et inconditionnelle du blogueur de 22 ans Nguyen Van Hoa, récemment condamné à sept ans de prison.

La résolution exige aussi l’amendement des articles 88 et 79 du code pénal portant sur la “propagande anti-étatique” et les “activités visant à renverser le gouvernement”. Elle souligne la nécessité de veiller à ce que la sécurité nationale ne serve pas de prétexte pour réprimer les droits humains. [en savoir plus]

Nivel récord de periodistas encarcelados en el mundo durante este 2017

13.12.2017 (Aristegui Noticias) - “Ningún periodista jamás debe ser encarcelado por su trabajo ni por ejercer la crítica periodística, pero 262 periodistas están pagando ese precio”, declaró Joel Simon, director ejecutivo del CPJ.

La cifra de periodistas encarcelados en el mundo ascendió a 262 en 2017, el máximo nivel en la historia por segundo año consecutivo, según el informe anual difundido este miércoles por el Comité para la Protección de Periodistas (CPJ).

The worst jailers of journalists in 2017:  Turkey 73, China 41, Egypt 20, Eritrea 15, Vietnam 10 ... [seguir leyendo]

Vietnamese Bloggers, Activists Honored on International Human Rights Day

11.12.2017 (RFA) - Writers and democracy advocates jailed in Vietnam for the peaceful expression of their opinions were honored in absentia by an exile group in a ceremony held in California on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.

Recipients of the award, the Vietnam Human Rights Award, included the well-known blogger Mother Mushroom, blogger Anh Ba Sam, Protestant pastor Y Yich, and the online Brotherhood For Democracy advocacy group. [read more]

Blogger sentence shows Vietnam fed up with criticism

06.12.2017 Ralph Jennings (The Myanmar Times) - Vietnam's 10-year sentence for a blogger who questioned her government’s response to a toxic chemical flap joins a pack of actions that point to growing official impatience with online criticism of graft and perceived inefficiency.

A Vietnamese appellate court on Thursday upheld the sentence for blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, who wrote under the name “Mother Mushroom.” Quynh had written 18 Facebook posts that constituted propagandising against the state, the lower court found during a one-day trial in June.

“I think the sentence serves as intimidation for other bloggers,” said Trung Nguyen, international relations dean at Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities. “I think that the government wants to scare other bloggers. If they continue blogging against the government, they have to pay a very heavy price.”

Corruption and perception of government inefficiency have become widespread concerns among common Vietnamese, according to a business consultant in Ho Chi Minh City. Land contracts and procurement deals as well as routine traffic stops invite graft. [read more]

Bei Besuch im Gefängnis selbst verhaftet

VIETNAM - Bloggerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh nach Einsatz für Menschenrechte der "Propaganda" gegen Staat schuldig gesprochen

02.12.2017 Von Lena Frewer (Kreis-Anzeiger) - GIESSEN - Auf die Bedrohung und Verfolgung von Schriftstellern und Journalisten wollen Studierende der Justus-Liebig-Universität (JLU) aufmerksam machen. Deshalb haben die jungen Leute im Jahr 2008 die Initiative "Gefangenes Wort" gegründet, die sich längst zu einem Verein weiterentwickelt hat. Um noch intensiver auf Einzelschicksale hinzuweisen, kooperiert der Anzeiger seit Langem mit dem Verein und stellt jeweils zu Beginn des Monats einen Fall auf der Hochschulseite vor. Diesmal geht es um die vietnamesische Bloggerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh.

Quynhs Arbeit zeichnet sich durch ihre Kritik an der Regierung der kommunistischen Partei im Schreiben einerseits, andererseits durch die Vernetzung mit anderen kritischen Journalisten in Vietnam aus. Vor ihrer zweiten Haft besuchte sie regelmäßig inhaftierte Kollegen und unterstützte deren Familien. So auch am 10. Oktober 2016, als sie den Aktivisten Nguyen Huu Quoc Duy im Gefängnis besuchte. Es folgten neun Monate Haft unter fragwürdigen Bedingungen...

In Vietnam sind derzeit über 30 Blogger und Journalisten inhaftiert, ihnen wird überwiegend "Umsturz des Staates" oder "Anti-Regierungs-Propaganda" vorgeworfen. Vietnamesische Medien werden vom Staat flächendeckend überwacht. Das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung wird dort nur dann respektiert, wenn Themen wie Religionsfreiheit, Landbesitz oder demokratische Reformen nicht berührt werden. [Weiterlesen]

Citizen journalist jailed 7 years for reporting environmental disaster in Vietnam

01.12.2017 by Michael Tatarski (Mongabay) - A Vietnamese court has sentenced 22-year-old Nguyen Van Hoa, an independent journalist and blogger, to seven years in prison on November 27. His imprisonment will be followed by three years of house arrest for his coverage of a major environmental disaster last year.

The sentence is the latest in an ongoing crackdown on alleged dissent following the notorious 2016 Formosa chemical spill, which devastated several of Vietnam’s north-central coastal provinces in the spring of that year. Formosa Plastics Group, a massive Taiwanese conglomerate, illegally discharged huge amounts of chemical waste into the sea from a multi-billion dollar steel plant it is building in Ha Tinh Province. [read more]

Vietnams Regierung duldet keine Kritik

01.12.2017 (Katholisches) - Zehn Jahre Gefängnis für katholische Dissidentin - Gestern bestätigte der vietnamesische Volksgerichtshof als Berufungsinstanz die Verurteilung der katholischen Dissidentin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh zu zehn Jahren Gefängnis wegen „staatsfeindlicher Propaganda“.

Die 37jährige Dissidentin wurde als „Mother Mushroom“ (vietnamesisch Mẹ Nấm) bekannt. So nennt sich der Blog, den Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh 2006 nach einem Krankenhausbesuch startete. Damals sah sie die Verzweiflung von armen Patienten, die mit völliger Gleichgültigkeit behandelt wurden. So wurde die Katholikin zur Menschenrechtsaktivistin und landete 2009 erstmals im Gefängnis. Sie hatte sich gegen chinesische Bauxitminen in Nordvietnam, deren Umweltzerstörung und schlechte Behandlung der Einheimischen gewandt. Seither wurde sie mit mehreren Menschenrechtspreisen ausgezeichnet.

Am vergangenen 29. Juni wurde sie von einem Gericht ihrer Heimatprovinz Khanh Hoa zu zehn Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt. Dieses Urteil wurde gestern von Volksgerichtshof der Provinz Ha Tinh bestätigt.

Zwei Tage vor der Berufungsverhandlung wurde einem der Rechtsanwälte von „Mẹ Nấm“ (Mother Mushroom) die Zulassung entzogen. Dabei handelt es sich um einen der bekanntesten Rechtsanwälte Vietnams. Der Eingriff schwächte ihre Verteidigung und zeigt, wie ernst es der Regierung ist, jede Kritik an der chinesischen Wirtschaftspräsenz in Vietnam zu unterdrücken. [Weiterlesen]

The EU and Vietnam hold Human Rights Dialogue

01.12.2017 (European External Action Service) - Hanoi, Vietnam - On 1 December 2017 in Hanoi the European Union and Vietnam held the seventh round of their annual enhanced Human Rights Dialogue, under the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

The EU underlined the deterioration of civil and political rights and discussed freedom of expression, association, assembly, religion and belief and access to information. The EU expressed serious concerns about the extensive application of the national security provisions in Vietnam’s Penal Code and noted the steep rise in the number of detentions, arrests and sentencing of Vietnamese citizens related to the expression of their opinions. The EU indicated a number of individual cases, reiterating its request for all the Vietnamese citizens detained for peacefully exercising their freedom of expression to be released. [read more]

HRW reclama a Vietnam que libere a la bloguera 'Madre Seta', condena a diez años de cárcel

01.12.2017 (europa press) - La organización no gubernamental Human Rights Watch (HRW) ha reclamado este viernes a Vietnam que libere a la famosa bloguera vietnamita Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, conocida como 'Madre Seta' --o 'Nam Me', en vietnamita--, después de que un tribunal haya ratificado su condena a diez años de cárcel por un delito de difusión de propaganda contra el Estado.

"El único crimen de Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh es decir lo que piensa y luchar por los Derechos Humanos. El Gobierno vietnamita debería responder a sus preocupaciones, incluida la libertad de expresión, el medio ambiente y el fin de la brutalidad policial, en lugar de castigarla por intentar mejorar su país", ha dicho el director de HRW para Asia, Brad Adams. [seguir leyendo]

Confirmaron 10 años de prisión para activista católica. Había denunciado el desastre del Formosa Plastic Group

01.12.2017 Thanh Thuy (AsiaNews) - Hanói - Un tribunal vietnamita confirmó ayer en  apelación la condena a 10 años de prisión a la bloguera católica de 41 años, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, más conocida como “Mother Mushroom” [Mẹ Nấm, en vietnamita]. La mujer ya había sido reconocida culpable en primer grado de “propaganda contra el Estado”, en el contexto de una campaña de represión por parte de las autoridades de Hanói contra activistas, disidentes y voces críticas. Interpelado un joven por AsiaNews, detrás de anonimato, subraya que “el gobierno comunista de Vietnam no acepta ninguna decisión contraria al propio punto de vista”. 

Fuentes locales contactadas por AsiaNews afirman que las autoridades “han impedido a la madre” poder asistir a la audiencia y fuera del tribunal la policía golpeó y arrestó a diversas personas, mientras que agentes vestidos de civil han secuestrado teléfonos celulares. [seguir leyendo]

Gericht bestätigt lange Haftstrafe für Bloggerin

01.12.2017 (Der Farang) - HANOI (dpa) - Die vietnamesische Menschenrechtlerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh ist mit ihrem Einspruch gegen ihre Verurteilung zu einer zehnjährigen Haftstrafe gescheitert. Das oberste Volksgericht des kommunistischen Ein-Parteien-Staates bestätigte das Urteil am Donnerstag in Hanoi.

Die 38-Jährige - besser bekannt unter ihrem Pseudonym Me Nam («Mutter Pilz») - war im Juni wegen Propaganda gegen den Staat für zehn Jahre ins Gefängnis geschickt worden. International gab es daran viel Kritik. [Weiterlesen]

Message de l’Ambassadeur Bruno Angelet, chef de la délégation de l’Union européenne au Vietnam sur la condamnation de Mme Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh (Mother Mushroom)

30.11.2017 (European Union in Vietnam) - Hanoi, 30/11/2017 - Aujourd’hui, la Haute Cour populaire de Da Nang a rejeté la demande d’appel de Mme Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh concernant sa condamnation à dix années de réclusion, rendue en juin par un tribunal de la Province de Khanh Hoa. Elle a été condamnée après avoir exprimé son opinion de manière pacifique au sujet de problèmes sociaux et environnementaux de son pays. Une telle sanction entre directement en contradiction avec la Déclaration Universelle des Droits de l’Homme et la Convention Internationale sur les Droits Civils et Politiques dont le Vietnam est membre et qui consacrent les libertés d’opinion et d’expression en tant que droits fondamentaux pour tous les êtres humains, indispensables pour la dignité humaine et l’épanouissement personnel, conformément à l’article 25 de la Constitution vietnamienne. [en savoir plus]

Human Rights Commissioner Bärbel Kofler on the decision to uphold the 10 year prison sentence for Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh

30.11.2017 (Federal Foreign Office) - Press release - Bärbel Kofler, Human Rights Commissioner of the Federal Government, issued the following statement today (30 November) on the appeal court ruling against popular Vietnamese blogger and human rights activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Mother Mushroom):

I am saddened and outraged that the prison sentence against blogger and activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh has been upheld. She is to go to prison for ten years because she exercised her right of freedom of opinion - a right guaranteed by the Vietnamese constitution. This ruling contravenes international treaties on civil and political rights, which Viet Nam itself has ratified.

Ms Quynh spoke out against social injustice and corruption. As a journalist, she raised awareness about the large number of unexplained deaths in prison or police custody. She also worked tirelessly in support of the fishermen and their families affected by an environmental disaster in central Viet Nam. [read more]

Menschenrechtsbeauftragte Bärbel Kofler zur Bestätigung der Verurteilung der vietnamesischen Bloggerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh zu 10 Jahren Haft

30.11.2017 (Auswärtiges Amt) - Pressemitteilung - Zum Berufungsurteil gegen die bekannte vietnamesische Bloggerin und Menschenrechtsaktivistin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh („Mother Mushroom“) sagte die Menschenrechtsbeauftragte der Bundesregierung, Bärbel Kofler, heute (30.11.):

Ich bin traurig und empört über die Bestätigung des Hafturteils gegen die Bloggerin und Aktivistin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh. Für die Ausübung ihrer von der vietnamesischen Verfassung geschützten Meinungsfreiheit soll sie 10 Jahren ins Gefängnis. Das Urteil verstößt gegen internationale Verträge zu bürgerlichen und politischen Rechten, denen Vietnam sich selbst verpflichtet hat. [Weiterlesen]

Sofortige Freilassung der vietnamesischen Bloggerin gefordert

30.11.2017 (Die SPD-Bundestagsfraktion) - Frank Schwabe, Sprecher für Menschenrechte und humanitäre Hilfe:

In Vietnam werden Regierungskritiker systematisch bedroht, schikaniert und verhaftet. Menschenrechtsverteidiger und Blogger sind besonders gefährdet. Jüngstes Beispiel ist die Bloggerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh alias Mother Mushroom, in deren Revisionsprozess die zehnjährige Haftstrafe gestern bestätigt wurde. Die SPD-Bundestagsfraktion fordert ihre sofortige Freilassung.

„Mother Mushroom hat den Vorwurf der staatsfeindlichen Propaganda stets zurückgewiesen. Ihre Blogs über Menschenrechte und die Umweltkatastrophe vor der vietnamesischen Küste werden von der Regierung jedoch als staatsfeindliche Propaganda interpretiert.

Die SPD-Bundestagsfraktion fordert die sofortige und bedingungslose Freilassung von Mother Mushroom und der anderen friedlichen Regierungskritiker.  [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam: Drop Charges Against ‘Mother Mushroom’

Hold Security Forces Behind Assaults on Family, Friends to Account

30.11.2017 (HRW) - (New York) – The Vietnamese government should immediately release and drop all charges against the blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, popularly known as “Mother Mushroom,” Human Rights Watch said today. On November 30, 2017, an appeals court rejected her appeal of a 10-year prison sentence for “conducting propaganda against the state.”

“Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh’s only crime is to speak her mind and fight for human rights,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The Vietnamese government should address her concerns, including freedom of speech, a clean environment, and the end of police brutality, instead of punishing her for trying to improve her country.” [read more]

Agissons pour une défenseure des droits de l’homme

30.11.2017 (ACAT) - Une Cour d’appel a rejeté le 30 novembre 2017 l’appel déposé par la célèbre blogueuse Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh alias Mẹ Nấm (Mère Champignon) confirmant ainsi sa peine à 10 ans d’emprisonnement.

Lors de l’audience tenue à huis clos, le tribunal était lourdement gardé par des hommes en armes et tous les médias étrangers ont été maintenus à distance.

Cette décision intervient quelques jours après que son avocat, Von An Don, a été radié du barreau, décision qui a déclenché une protestation mondiale. Il est accusé d’avoir diffusé de fausses informations à des médias étrangers et de la propagande anti-étatique. Il défendait plusieurs prisonniers de conscience comme Me Nam et des affaires de défense des droits fondamentaux. [en savoir plus]

Vietnam court upholds blogger’s 10-year jail term, lawyer says

30.11.2017 (The Asahi Shimbun) - REUTERS - A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), who gained prominence for blogging about environment issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports.

A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh's sentence, one of her lawyers said.

On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the south-central province of Phu Yen had revoked his license to practice law just days before Quynh's appeal hearing. [read more]

Vietnams Kommunistische Partei gegen die Pressefreiheit

30.11.2017 Rodion Ebbighausen (DW) - Im Vorfeld des Menschenrechtsdialogs zwischen der Europäischen Union und Vietnam geht die Kommunistische Partei gegen Blogger vor. Sie setzt damit ihre Politik der letzten Jahre fort.

Am Montag dieser Woche wurde der Umweltaktivist Nguyen Van Hoa in einem Schnellverfahren in der Provinz Ha Tinh zu sieben Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt. Am Mittwoch lehnte das Gericht das Berufungsverfahren der Bloggerin Me Nam ab. Wenige Tage zuvor war ihr Anwalt von den Verfahren ausgeschlossen worden. Me Nam war im Juni 2017 zu zehn Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt worden. Beide Blogger hatten unter anderem über eine durch ein taiwanesisches Stahlwerk verursachte Umweltkatastrophe gebloggt.

Um abweichende Meinungen im Internet zu unterbinden, nutzt die vietnamesische Regierung verschiedene Artikel des Strafgesetzbuchs: Artikel 88 stellt Propaganda gegen die Regierung unter Strafe stellt, Artikel 79 verbietet umstürzlerische Aktivitäten und Artikel 258 den Missbrauch demokratischer Freiheiten, um die Interessen des Staates zu unterminieren. "Die vietnamesische Regierung nutzt eine Vielzahl vage formulierter Gesetze und Regelungen, um die Inhalte im Internet zu kontrollieren." [Weiterlesen]

HRW condena la situación de los derechos humanos en Vietnam

30.11.2017 Por: Gabriel Venzor Fabián (Tiempo) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) condenó la situación de los derechos humanos en Vietnam y la inacción de la comunidad internacional, después de que tribunal confirmase la pena de 10 años de cárcel impuesta a activista.

El subdirector para Asia de HRW, Phil Robertson, en declaraciones a la prensa, calificó de "broma" la vista que celebraron en la ciudad de Danang (centro) en la que rechazó el recurso que presentó la vietnamita Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh contra su condena de diez años. [seguir leyendo]

Mother of jailed Vietnamese activist appeals for EU help

29.11.2017 (Vanguard) - The mother of an imprisoned Vietnamese rights activist on Wednesday appealed to the EU to attend her daughter’s appeal hearing.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan’s daughter Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, also known by her pen name Mother Mushroom was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in June on anti-state charges.

Quynh’s appeal would be heard in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on Thursday. “I believe that attending the trial will provide you a good opportunity to have an insight into the trial proceedings and human rights situation in Vietnam,’’ wrote Lan in a letter to the EU delegation in Vietnam. [read more]

Vietnam should respect the right of freedom of expression, says DROI Chair

28.11.2017 (European Parliament) - In reaction to the sentencing to 7 years imprisonment of Nguyen Van Hoa, Vietnamese activist, Mr. Panzeri, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights stated:

"I have learnt with dismay of the 7 year sentence against Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa for expressing his views on this environmental disaster, which caused a very serious problem for the livelihood of fishermen in the Ha Tinh province. Last February I led a DROI mission to Vietnam and I raised the issue of the environmental contamination caused by the toxic discharge from the Taiwanese-owned steel plant (Formosa) with the authorities and I asked the government to respond to the concerns of its people. The DROI delegation also expressed its serious concern regarding the restriction on freedom of expression, arbitrary arrests, and heavy prison sentences of bloggers, dissidents, civil society actors, human rights and environmental rights defenders. We stressed that the violation of human rights goes against the international human rights conventions to which Vietnam is a party and we called upon the Vietnamese authorities to guarantee human rights and freedom of expression.” [read more]

HRW Submission to EU on Bilateral Dialogue with Vietnam

28.11.2017 (HRW) - Human Rights Watch appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing preparations for the forthcoming EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue, scheduled to be held in Hanoi in December 2017.

Vietnam’s human rights situation deteriorated significantly in 2017. The Communist Party of Vietnam continues to monopolize power and punish anyone who challenges its authority. All political rights including freedom of opinion, assembly, association and movement are restricted. Religious groups can only operate under government’s management.

Human Rights Watch recommends that the EU focuses on political prisoners and detainees and examines three key priority areas regarding the human rights situation in Vietnam: repression of freedom of speech, association, assembly and movement; repression of the right to freely practice religion; and police brutality. [read more]

Vietnamese blogger jailed for posting about toxic spill on central coastline

28.11.2017 Richard C. Paddock (independent) - 22 year old Nguyen Van Hoa sentenced to seven years for for producing videos and sharing information about protests against the environmental disaster.

A chemical spill that devastated the coast of central Vietnam last year claimed another casualty when a 22-year-old blogger was sentenced to seven years in prison for posting reports on the disaster.

After a brief, closed trial in Ha Tinh province, Nguyen Van Hoa was found guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda for producing videos and writing about protests over the toxic spill, news agencies reported. [read more]

Vietnam condena a siete años de cárcel a un bloguero que denunció un vertido tóxico

28.11.2017 (La Vanguardia) - El vertido, calificado por las autoridades locales como el peor desastre medioambiental del país, provocó la intoxicación de cientos de personas e indignó al país.

Un tribunal de Vietnam condenó a siete años de cárcel a un activista que denunció en su blog un vertido tóxico en el centro del país que provocó manifestaciones de protesta contra la empresa responsable, informó hoy la prensa local.

Nguyen Van Hoa, de 22 años, fue acusado por la corte provincial de Ha Tinh de difundir propaganda contra el Estado entre 2013 y 2017 a través de artículos, vídeos y fotografías publicados en su blog, según el portal VNExpress. [seguir leyendo]

Urteil in Vietnam - Sieben Jahre Haft für Umweltaktivisten

27.11.2017 (tagesschau) - Nguyen Van Hoa hat auf eine der größten Umweltkatastrophen Vietnams aufmerksam gemacht und zum Protest aufgerufen. Weil er die Regierung in Hanoi angegriffen habe, verurteilte ein Gericht den Aktivisten wegen antistaatlicher Propaganda.

Wegen Verbreitung von antistaatlicher Propaganda hat ein Volksgericht in Vietnam einen Umweltaktivisten und Blogger zu sieben Jahren Haft verurteilt. Wie die staatliche Online-Zeitung "Ha Tinh" berichtet, wird dem 22-jährigen Nguyen Van Hoa vorgeworfen, mit Videos und Interviews Proteste gegen die Regierung angestachelt und auf sozialen Medien wie Facebook Dokumente verbreitet zu haben, um die Regierung zu diffamieren.

Auch andere Kritiker des Formosa-Vorfalls standen bereits wegen antistaatlicher Propaganda vor Gericht. So wurde die als "Mother Mushroom" bekannte Umweltschützerin Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh zu zehn Jahren Haft verurteilt. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Van Hoa gets seven years in prison

27.11.2017 (RSF) - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announces its intention to continue with its #StopTheCrackdownVN campaign about events in Vietnam after a 22-year-old blogger and citizen-journalist was given a long jail sentence in a summary trial this morning in the central city of Ha Tinh.

A Ha Tinh court added Nguyen Van Hoa’s name to the long list of persecuted bloggers at the end a trial lasting just two and a half hours, sentencing him to seven years in prison followed by three years of house arrest on a charge of “disseminating propaganda against the state” under article 88 of Vietnam’s penal code. [read more]

Vietnamesischer Umweltaktivist zu sieben Jahren Haft verurteilt

27.11.2017 (DW) - In Vietnam leitet ein Stahlkonzern giftiges Abwasser ins Meer, ein Umweltaktivist will darauf aufmerksam machen. Am Ende wird der Konzern zu einer Geldstrafe verurteilt. Der Aktivist muss ins Gefängnis.

In Vietnam ist ein junger Umweltaktivist wegen angeblicher staatsfeindlicher Propaganda zu sieben Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt worden. Das Urteil gegen den 22-jährigen Blogger Nguyen Van Hoa erging in einem Schnellverfahren in der Provinz Ha Tinh, wie staatliche Medien berichteten.

Hoa wurde vorgeworfen, auf Facebook zu Protesten gegen die Behörden aufgerufen zu haben. Auslöser für die Proteste war die Umweltverseuchung durch den taiwanischen Formosa-Konzern, dessen Stahlfabrik Giftmüll an den Küsten Vietnams entsorgte. Dies führte dazu, dass die Fischbestände dezimiert wurden und die örtlichen Fischer ihre Lebensgrundlage verloren. [Weiterlesen]

Le blogueur vietnamien Nguyen Van Hoa condamné à sept ans de prison

27.11.2017 (RSF) - A l’issue d’un procès éclair, les autorités vietnamiennes ont condamné un journaliste citoyen de 22 ans à sept années de prison. En réponse, RSF poursuit l’opération #StopTheCrackdownVN pour interpeller opinions publiques et communauté internationale sur ce qu’il se passe au Vietnam.

Son nom vient s’ajouter à une funeste liste qui ne cesse de s’allonger. Nguyen Van Hoa a été condamné ce matin à une peine de sept ans de prison suivis de trois ans d’assignation à résidence. A l’issue d’un procès qui n’a duré que deux heures et demi, le blogueur de 22 ans a été jugé coupable par le tribunal de Ha Tinh, au centre du pays de “diffusion de propagande contre l'Etat”, en vertu de l’article 88 du code pénal vietnamien. [en savoir plus]

Vietnam’s religion policy and practice – contradictions continue

23.11.2017 (World Watch Monitor) - Optimists are hard to find ahead of Vietnam’s impending introduction of its new Law on Belief and Religion, scheduled to come into effect on 1 January, 2018.

Vietnam’s Catholic and Evangelical leaders, as well as Buddhists and Caodaists, say the main benefit of the law, two years in the making, will not be to religious freedom but rather to the government’s control of religion.

So, in fact, the government’s promise of institutionalising “religious freedom” differs little from the long series of directives, decrees, decisions, special instructions and ordinances that have been promulgated to govern religion since 1945. [read more]

Three human rights defenders arrested after meeting the EU Delegation in Hanoi

17.11.2017 (Frontline Defenders) - On 16 November 2017, human rights defenders Pham Doan Trang, Bui Thi Minh Hang, Nguyen Quang A and Chi Tuyen met with the EU Delegation in Hanoi ahead of the EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue. They discussed the current human rights situation in Vietnam, including the Formosa spill, along with freedom of religion in the country. Following a two hour meeting, at around 11:30 am, the four human rights defenders exited the EU building. Bui Thi Minh Hang and Pham Doan Trang left together, while Nguyen Quang A and Chi Tuyen left separately in a different direction.

Shortly after leaving, Bui Thi Minh Hang and Pham Doan Trang were arrested together by roughly 10 policemen and were brought to separate police stations. Pham Doan Trang’s phone was confiscated along with her laptop. Nguyen Quang A was arrested separately on his way home. Around midnight, police escorted Pham Doan Trang back to her home in Hanoi, however she has not been able to make contact with anyone as neither her phone, nor her laptop were returned to her. Nguyen Quang A and Bui Thi Minh Hang were both released after a few hours. All three human rights defenders were interrogated during their detention. [read more]

#StopTheCrackdownVN: RSF joins counter-offensive against Vietnam’s persecution of bloggers

17.11.2017 (Reporters without borders) - ... The United Nations issued a firm condemnation of Vietnam three months ago for failing to respect fundamental rights, including the right to inform. Eyes will turn back to Vietnam when the central city of Danang hosts an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.

According to RSF’s tally, around 25 bloggers and citizen-journalists are currently detained. This unprecedented crackdown on news and information providers began a year ago with the arrest on 10 October of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a woman who blogged under the name of Me Nam (Mother Mushroom). [read more]

Vietnam : la justice s’acharne contre les blogueurs, RSF s’associe à une contre-offensive

17.11.2017 (Reporters sans frontières) - ... Il y a trois mois, les Nations-Unies ont fermement condamné le pays pour son non respect des droits fondamentaux, dont celui d’informer. Alors que la ville de Danang, au centre du pays, doit recevoir le sommet de Coopération Economique Asie-Pacifique (APEC) en novembre prochain, les regards vont se tourner vers le Vietnam. C’est pourquoi RSF s’est joint à une coalition de dix organisations vietnamiennes et internationales pour lancer, cette semaine, la campagne #StopTheCrackdownVN, afin que cesse l’acharnement des autorités contre les défenseurs de l’information.

RSF dénombre près de 25 blogueurs et citoyens journalistes emprisonnés en ce moment. La vague de répression inédite que connaissent les acteurs de l’information a débuté il y a un an avec l’arrestation, le 10 octobre 2016, de Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, qui écrit sous le nom de Me Nam (“Mother Mushroom”, en anglais). [en savoir plus]

Take Action for Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh

Day of the Imprisoned Writer - Socialist Republic of Viet Nam  - Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Me Nâm) – Blogger

15.11.2017 (PEN International) - On 29 June 2017, blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, popularly known by her pen name Me Nâm (Mother Mushroom), was convicted of “conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam” under Article 88 of the Penal Code and sentenced to 10 years in prison. PEN International believes that Me Nâm is being targeted for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression. PEN International calls on the Vietnamese authorities to quash Me Nâm’s conviction and release her immediately and unconditionally, in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Viet Nam is a state party. Take Action – Share on Twitter, Facebook and other social media [read more]

Tag des inhaftierten Schriftstellers 15. November 2017

15.11.2017 (PEN International, PEN Zentrum Deutschland) - Jährlich wird am 15. November der „Tag des inhaftierten Schriftstellers“ („Writers in Prison Day“ oder „Day of the Imprisoned Writer“) begangen, um auf das Schicksal von zu Unrecht inhaftierten und verfolgten Schriftstellern, Journalisten, Verlegern und Bloggern auf der ganzen Welt hinzuweisen und um an diejenigen zu erinnern, die getötet wurden, weil sie ihr Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung wahrgenommen haben.

Jedes Jahr stellt der internationale PEN ausgewählte Fälle in den Fokus, die beispielhaft für die Repressionen stehen, denen Kollegen weltweit täglich ausgesetzt sind. Im Jahr 2017 sollen die Schicksale von Zehra Doğan (Türkei), Ramón Esono Ebalé (Äquatorialguinea), Cesario Alejandro Félix Padilla Figueroa (Honduras), Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Vietnam) und Razan Zaitouneh (Syrien) besonders ins Licht der Öffentlichkeit gerückt werden. [Weiterlesen]

Day of the Imprisoned Writer – Madeleine Thien writes to Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh

15.11.2017 (PEN International) - As part of PEN International’s annual Day of the Imprisoned Writer, Madeleine Thien writes to imprisoned blogger Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh.

Dear Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh,

... I do not know if you know that, around the world, your trial and sentencing caused outrage and heartache, and your case was seen as an egregious example of the Vietnamese government using imprisonment (and consequent separation of families) to punish civil and peaceful discourse. The trial lasted only a day. It is now 13 months since you were arrested and detained. In these months, whose great sorrow and hardship I can only imagine, people have been thinking of you, speaking out on your behalf, and courageous bloggers in Vietnam call for your release, and continue the work that you inspired. I want you to know that the efforts of all these individuals and organizations, by loved ones and strangers, will not cease until you are free. [read more]

Actúa para Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh

Día del escritor encarcelado - República Socialista de Vietnam - Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh (Me Nâm) – Bloguera

15.11.2017 (PEN International) - El 29 de junio de 2017, la bloguera Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, popularmente conocida por su seudónimo Me Nâm (Madre Seta), fue declarada culpable por “realizar propaganda contra la República Socialista de Vietnam” en base al artículo 88 del Código Penal, y fue sentenciada a 10 años de prisión. PEN Internacional cree que Me Nâm está siendo acusada por su libre ejercicio de la libertad de expresión. PEN Internacional llama a las autoridades vietnamitas a anular la condena de Me Nâm y a liberarla inmediata e incondicionalmente, de acuerdo con el Artículo 19 del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos (ICCPR), del cual Vietnam forma parte.

Toma Acción – Comparte en Twitter, Facebook y otras redes sociales [seguir leyendo]

Madeleine Thien escribe a Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh

15.11.2017 (PEN International) - Estimada Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh,

Han pasado casi cinco meses desde tu juicio, un juicio de un día en el que fuiste sentenciada a diez años de prisión por “realizar propaganda contra el estado” en virtud del Artículo 88 del código penal de Vietnam, una ley que se usa de forma arbitraria y brutal para silenciar la disconformidad.

No sé si sabes que, por todo el mundo, tu juicio y sentencia causaron indignación y dolor, y tu caso fue visto como un ejemplo atroz del gobierno vietnamita usando el encarcelamiento (y como consecuencia separando familias) para castigar el discurso civil y pacífico. El juicio duró sólo un día. Han pasado 13 meses desde que fuiste arrestada y detenida. En estos meses, cuya pena y dificultad sólo puedo imaginar, la gente ha estado pensando en ti, hablando en tu nombre, y valientes blogueros en Vietnam piden tu liberación y continúan con el trabajo que tú inspiraste. Quiero que sepas que los esfuerzos de todos estos individuos y organizaciones, seres queridos y desconocidos, no pararán hasta que seas libre. [seguir leyendo]

Menschenrechte in Vietnam - "Geschlagen, verhaftet, misshandelt"

11.11.2017 Von Holger Senzel, ARD-Studio Singapur, zzt. Da Nang (ARD) - Beim APEC-Gipfel gibt sich Vietnam als aufstrebendes Land mit boomender Wirtschaft. Doch die Menschenrechtslage ist katastrophal. Wer der kommunistischen Führung laut widerspricht, muss mit Folter rechnen.

Vietnam - so ist zu hören und zu lesen - habe den Spagat geschafft zwischen kommunistischer Einparteiendiktatur und rasant boomender Wirtschaft. Eine Erfolgsgeschichte, lobte US-Präsident Donald Trump in seiner Rede vor dem asiatisch-pazifischen APEC-Gipfel.

Die Bloggerin Pham Tanh Nguyen hat eine andere Sicht auf ihre Heimat. "Wir wachen jeden Morgen auf und haben Angst. Wir akzeptieren, dass es die Norm ist, geschlagen, verhaftet und misshandelt zu werden, wenn man nicht schweigt zu der Ungerechtigkeit im Lande. Aber wir haben keine Wahl, wir müssen das aushalten. Der Hunger nach Freiheit, nach einem Leben in Würde - das treibt uns vorwärts." [Weiterlesen]

The plight of Vietnamese dissidents

10.11.2017 (BBC) -  US President Donald Trump is visiting Vietnam as part of his Asian tour but will human rights be on the table? Vietnam routinely sends political dissidents to jail.

One of the country's most famous bloggers, "Mother Mushroom", was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The BBC spoke to her mother and another dissident who is currently in hiding. [watch video]

“America First” means human rights last during Trump’s visit to Asia

08.11.2017 by Sarah Wildman (Vox) - President Trump’s 12-day trip to Asia has him schmoozing with some of the world’s worst human rights abusers. But unlike President Obama, who made a point of using his trips to regions with dodgy rights records to assert America’s moral soft power in the world, Trump has no intention of embarrassing his hosts or other regional leaders by insisting anyone hew to a specific line on human rights. [read more]

Activist who protested sea pollution prosecuted for “abusing democratic freedoms”

03.11.2017 (AsiaNews) - Hanoi – A Vietnamese labour and environmental activist arrested in May after campaigning against Hanoi’s handling of a devastating toxic waste spill, will stand trial in the coming days for “abusing democratic freedoms,” his lawyer told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday after the investigation was completed on Monday.

Hoang Duc Binh, 34, was arrested in central Vietnam’s Nghe An province on 15 May, more than a year after organising protests over the government’s muted response to the April 2016 waste spill by Taiwan-owned Formosa Plastics Group’s steel plant, which killed an estimated 115 tonnes of fish and left hundreds of fishermen jobless in four coastal provinces. [read more]

El activista que denunció la contaminación del mar será procesado: ‘abusó de la libertad’

03.11.2017 (AsiaNews) - Hanói - “Ha abusado de la libertad democrática” de Vietnam: es éste el motivo por el cual el ambientalista y sindicalista  Hoang Duc Binh será procesado en los próximos días. Es lo que ha declarado su abogado, Le Van Luan, tras haber recibido la noticia de que la investigación que concierne a su cliente se dio por concluida el 30 de octubre pasado.

Hoang Duc Binh, de 34 años, fue arrestado el 15 de mayo pasado en Nghe An, en la región central de Vietnam, más de un año después de haber organizado las protestas a causa del desastre ecológico provocado por la empresa productora de plásticos Formosa, y ante la tibia respuesta del gobierno. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam: Release All Political Prisoners - Over 100 Behind Bars with World Leaders to Attend APEC Summit

03.11.2017 (Human Rights Watch) - New York – The Vietnamese government should immediately release everyone it has detained or imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch posted a new web page highlighting the cases of 15 of more than 100 people imprisoned for political or religious reasons.

International leaders and trade partners attending the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Da Nang on November 10, 2017, should call on Vietnamese authorities to end the government’s systematic persecution of peaceful critics and ensure the basic rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religion for its citizens. [read more]

Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam Must End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists

02.11.2017 (Civil Rights Defenders) - The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists should be a wake-up call to end the repression and abuse of independent media workers. With a clampdown on independent journalism throughout the region, Civil Rights Defenders calls on the Governments of Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam to abolish those laws permitting judicial harassment and creating a climate of impunity for attacks against independent media.

... Vietnam is the world’s second largest jailer of citizen journalists,* who in Vietnam’s tightly controlled media landscape are the only source of independent information. From June to September 2017, three citizen journalists were given outrageous prison sentences. [read more]

Vietnam Catholic Priests Harassed, Threatened by 'Red Flag' Group

30.10.2017 (RFA) - Two priests from Vinh diocese in central Vietnam were surrounded and threatened on Monday by a mob of 300 people waving red flags, in what the clergymen and rights group said is part of a broad pattern of government supported abuse in the Southeast Asian country.

Dominic Pham Xuan Ke and Joseph Nguyen Ngoc Ngu were at the Diem My Commune People's Committee office, the local government office, discussing their earlier petition for help against threats from thuggish groups when the crowd appeared, Ke said. [read more]

Vietnam : la fille d'une blogueuse emprisonnée appelle Melania Trump à l'aide

28.10.2017 (Europe1) - La fille de la blogueuse "Mother Mushroom", emprisonnée en juin pour propagande contre l'État, espère que Melania Trump pourra faire libérer sa mère.

La fille de dix ans de "Mother Mushroom" ("Mère champignon"), une blogueuse vietnamienne emprisonnée pour dissidence, a appelé à l'aide Melania Trump, la Première dame des États-Unis, dans un courrier rendu public jeudi sur le compte Facebook de sa grand-mère.

Quatrième lettre pour Melania Trump. "S'il-vous-plait, aidez à ce que ma famille soit réunie, parce que je sais que ma maman n'a rien fait de mal", plaide Nguyen Bao Nguyen dans ce courrier manuscrit, en espérant l'intervention de l'épouse du président américain avant la visite de celui-ci au Vietnam en novembre. [en savoir plus]

La hija de la bloguera vietnamita 'Madre Seta' apela a Melania Trump para ayudar en la liberación de su madre

27.10.2017 (Europa Press) - HANÓI (Reuters/EP) - La hija de la bloguera vietnamita 'Madre Seta' apela a Melania Trump para ayudar en la liberación de su madre

La hija de 10 años de la famosa bloguera vietnamita Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, conocida como 'Madre Seta' --o 'Nam Me', en vietnamita--, acusada por un delito de difusión de propaganda contra el Estado y condenada a 10 años de prisión, ha apelado a la primera dama de Estados Unidos, Melania Trump, a ayudar en la liberación de su madre ante la visita al país del sudeste asiático del presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump. La petición, que se ha llevado a cabo mediante una carta por ... [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam Dissident's Daughter Calls on Melania Trump for Help

27.10.2017 (US News & World Report) - Reuters - The 10-year-old daughter of a jailed Vietnamese blogger, "Mother Mushroom", has appealed to U.S. First Lady Melania Trump to help win her mother's release ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Vietnam next month.

The handwritten letter, posted on Facebook on Thursday, drew attention to Vietnam's biggest crackdown on dissidents in years before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), is one of Vietnam's most prominent activists. She was jailed for 10 years in June for publishing anti-state reports, including one about deaths in police custody.

Her daughter Nguyen Bao Nguyen, nicknamed "Mushroom", referred to Trump's upcoming visit to Vietnam and the "International Women of Courage Award" awarded by the First Lady to Quynh in March, which drew an angry response from Hanoi. [read more]

Vietnam: six ans de prison pour un étudiant blogueur critique du régime

26.10.2017 Frédéric Noir (RFI) - Un étudiant vietnamien a été condamné mercredi 25 octobre à six ans de prison et quatre en liberté surveillée pour propagande contre le régime communiste. Le pays est accusé par certaines ONG de vouloir réduire au silence les voix dissidentes à l'approche du sommet de l'Apec (Coopération économique Asie-Pacifique) qui se tiendra au Vietnam du 6 au 11 novembre prochain.

C'est « un procès biaisé », a déclaré l’avocat de l’étudiant Phan Kim Khanh pour qualifier l'affaire de son client. Comme souvent au Vietnam, ce dernier a présenté ses excuses à la cour pour ses activités, jugées illégales par le tribunal. [en savoir plus]

Vietnam student activist jailed for six years

25.10.2017 (Daily Mail) - A Vietnamese student was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison for anti-state propaganda, as the government tightens its grip on critics before an Asia-Pacific summit in the country next month.

Scores of dissidents are already behind bars in the communist state, and rights groups say 2017 has been a particularly harsh year for activists with a spate of arrests and heavy jail sentences.

Phan Kim Khanh, 24, was sentenced for anti-state activities, his lawyer told AFP, blasting the trial as "biased".

"The court decided to put him in jail for six years and another four years on probation afterwards," Ha Huy Son said.

Khanh was arrested in March during his final year of an international studies degree at Thai Nguyen University in northern Vietnam. [read more]

Un tribunal de Vietnam condena a seis años de cárcel a un activista por "difundir propaganda contra el Estado"

25.10.2017 (europapress) - Un tribunal de Vietnam ha decretado este miércoles la entrada en prisión del estudiante activista Phan Kim Khanh, de 24 años, condenado a seis años de cárcel y cuatro de libertad condicional por "difundir propaganda contra el Estado", según ha informado el abogado del joven, Ha Huy Son.

Khanh --que estudia relaciones internacionales y es el mayor de los hijos de una familia católica de las afueras de la capital, Hanoi-- fue detenido a principios de este año por escribir blogs en los que criticaba al Gobierno. [seguir leyendo]

Vietnam: Drop Charge Against Student Activist

24.10.2017 (HRW) - (New York) – Vietnam should drop all charges and immediately release student blogger Phan Kim Khanh, Human Rights Watch said today. Vietnam’s donors and regional leaders should make it clear that they will demand that all political prisoners be released before the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit taking place in Da Nang the week of November 6-11. Phan Kim Khanh is set to face trial on October 25, 2017, at the People’s Court of Thai Nguyen province. He was arrested in March 2017 for posts critical of the government on the internet and charged with “conducting propaganda against the state” under article 88 of the penal code, one of the country’s many national security provisions that has been regularly used to arbitrarily punish critics and stifle dissent. If convicted, he faces up to 12 years of imprisonment. [read more]

HRW reclama a Vietnam que retire los cargos contra un bloguero y le libere "inmediatamente"

24.10.2017 (Cuatro) - La organización no gubernamental Human Rights Watch (HRW) ha reclamado este martes al Gobierno de Vietnam que retire los cargos y libere "inmediatamente" al bloguero Khanh Kim Khanh, detenido en marzo por publicar comentarios contra el Estado.

Khanh hará frente a juicio el miércoles tras ser imputado por "hacer propaganda contra el Estado" bajo el artículo 88 del Código Penal, utilizado por las autoridades para castigar a críticos con las autoridades. El bloguero se expone a una pena de hasta doce años de cárcel.

Khanh, de 24 años, es estudiante en el Departamento de Relaciones Internacionales en la Universidad Thai Nguyen y ha recibido premios de la Asociación de Estudiantes de la universidad y de la Liga de la Juventud Comunista Ho Chi Minh en la provincia de Thai Nhuyen. [seguir leyendo]

Catholic woman arrested for subverting the state in Vietnam

20.10.2017 (UCAnews) - Catholics in a central Vietnamese province have expressed support for a female activist who was arrested for "attempting to overthrow the government."

Teresa Tran Thi Xuan, a member of Cua Soc Parish, was arrested while traveling to work in her home province of Ha Tinh on Oct. 17.

The Ha Tinh Provincial Public Security Department accused Xuan of "acting to overthrow the people's government under Article 79 of the Penal Code."

On Oct. 18, thousands of Catholics attended a candle-lit prayer to pray for Xuan's justice at Cua Sot Church. They also raised banners saying "Tran Thi Xuan innocent! Free her!" [read more] 

Slices of Life Behind Bars: A Memoir By A Female Prisoner of Conscience

18.10.2017 Đào Trường Phúc (Danlambao) - "Slices of Life Behind Bars" - the title chosen by Tiếng Quê Hương Publishing Group for this book by Phạm Thanh Nghiên - could be considered "the first memoir of prison life ever written by a female prisoner of conscience under the communist regime in Vietnam". Would such an introduction be in conflict with the author's personality reflected in her modest self-descriptions throughout her book? We as the publishers had to put it that way though, due to a few things about the contents of this memoir that need to be elaborated. The Vietnamese communist government has never admitted the existence of "prisoners of conscience" or "political prisoners". All those who voice their dissent against the regime's immoral, dishonest and brutal actions or policies are considered "convicts of criminal offenses", since they are unjustly tried as criminals (according to some arbitrary laws that penalize all opposing activities) and thrown to the same prisons with convicts who committed such crimes as murder, drug trafficking, etc. [read more]

Vietnam arrests dissident for attempt to overthrow government

18.10.2017 (Reuters) - HANOI - Vietnamese police have arrested a dissident accused of attempting to overthrow the government, the communist state’s official website said on Wednesday, bringing to at least 17 the number of dissidents arrested this year.

Despite sweeping economic reforms and growing openness to social change, the Communist Party tolerates little criticism. [read more]

China once welcomed refugees, but its policies now make Trump look lenient

18.10.2017 By Jessica Meyers (Los Angeles Times) - Nearly four decades ago, Mo Fengyue leaned over the boat carrying her to China and dumped her Vietnamese identity cards into the river. With a flick of the wrist, Mo sacrificed the land of her birth for an ancestral homeland she’d never known.

“You had to make a choice once you came back, so I became a Chinese citizen,” said Mo, a 12-year-old girl then fleeing discrimination for her heritage.

Her story is a rare reminder of a time when China opened its borders. [read more]

#StopTheCrackdownVN: RSF joins counter-offensive against Vietnam’s persecution of bloggers

17.10.2017 (RSF) - As another citizen-journalist, Phan Kim Khanh, awaits trial on 25 October on a charge with a possible 20-year jail sentence, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) joins nine other human rights groups in launching #StopTheCrackdownVN, a campaign against the current unprecedented crackdown on the freedom to inform in Vietnam. [read more]

Viet Nam: Stop the Crackdown Against Human Rights Defenders and Bloggers | Joint Letter

17.10.2017 (Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada) - A coalition of Vietnamese and international human rights groups are coming together to Stop the Crackdown in Vietnam – Ngưng Ngay Đàn Áp.

Vietnam is in the midst of an unprecedented political crackdown against peaceful expression. So far this year, the Vietnamese authorities have arrested or exiled at least 25 peaceful activists and bloggers. In a series of sham trials, the government has orchestrated the wrongful convictions and sentencing of human rights defenders and bloggers including Tran Thi Nga, Nguyen Van Oai, and Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh to long prison sentences. One of Vietnam’s most renowned human rights lawyers and bloggers, Nguyen Van Dai, has been arbitrarily detained for almost two years without trial. [read more]

Oppositions-Kritik unerwünscht

16.10.2017 Bennett Murray und Bac Pham (Der Farang) - HANOI (dpa) - In Vietnam findet im nächsten Monat ein großer Asien-Pazifik-Gipfel statt. Erwartet wird auch US-Präsident Trump. Zuvor versucht der kommunistische Ein-Parteien-Staat, kritische Stimmen verstummen zu lassen.

Nguyen Viet Hung weiß nicht, wie er seinem Sohn Dung helfen kann. Polizisten haben den 31-Jährigen Ende September in seinem Heimatort im Norden Vietnams festgenommen. Seitdem konnten weder seine Familie noch ein Anwalt zu ihm. Dung bleibt verschwunden. Nur den Vorwurf gegen seinen Sohn kennt der Vater: Propaganda gegen den Staat. Darauf stehen bis zu 20 Jahre Gefängnis.

Dungs Geschichte ist kein Einzelfall. Mindestens zwölf Dissidenten sind seit Juni in Vietnam festgenommen, angeklagt oder verurteilt worden. Allen werden Verbrechen gegen den Staat vorgeworfen. Einem weiteren Regierungskritiker mit französischem und vietnamesischem Pass entzogen die Behörden einfach die Staatsbürgerschaft. Dann wurde er abgeschoben, zurück nach Paris. [Weiterlesen]

Vietnam Blogger Phan Kim Khanh to Face Trial on Oct. 25

13.10.2017 (RFA) - Student activist and blogger Phan Kim Khanh will go on trial later this month on charges of “propaganda against the state,” a controversial article of the country’s penal code used to target dissidents, his lawyer said on Friday.

"Today I’ve received the decision which says Khanh will go on trial on the morning of October 25.  I met him and he seemed to be in good mood but his health is weak," said defense lawyer Ha Huy Son.

Khanh, 24, from Phu Thọ province, was arrested on March 21 and for posting online content that authorities described as fabricated and malicious and aimed at to spreading propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, said Vietnamese state media at the time. Blogger Bui Hieu Vo, 55, of Go Vap district in Ho Chi Minh City was arrested on the same charges on March 17. [read more]

Vietnam accused of denying health care to prisoners

13.10.2017 (Vietnam Right Now) - Concern is growing for the health of some political prisoners in Vietnam amid reports that the government sometimes withholds adequate medical care to try to force confessions.

Most at risk are prisoners with pre-existing conditions, who are held for months and even years before trial, and are denied all access to family members and lawyers.

International rights activists say the policy sometimes amounts to a passive form of torture, and violates Vietnam’s commitments under UNCAT (The UN Convention against Torture), which Vietnam ratified in 2015. [read more]

Vietnam. Cristianos perseguidos por el régimen por defender los derechos humanos

13.10.2017 (Hispanidad) - En Vietnam, el Estado continúa siguiendo de cerca a los miembros del grupo de jóvenes activistas católicos de la diócesis de Vinh arrestados por el régimen en el año 2011. En 2013, el tribunal del pueblo de Nghệ An condenó a 14 cristianos a prisión por un presunto intento derrocar el poder popular. Algunos de ellos ya fueron liberados, pero su libertad duró poco tiempo, informa Asia News.

En 2011, el gobierno del Premier Nguyen Tan Dung lanzó una campaña para detener a blogueros e individuos que difundían noticias y críticas sobre la corrupción de los miembros del partido y del gobierno. Desde entonces muchos blogueros e internautas fueron presa de las fuerzas de seguridad por sus actividades en favor de la democracia y la defensa de los derechos humanos en Vietnam. Dung había ordenado a la policía “prevenir la formación de cualquier grupo de oposición política”. [seguir leyendo]

Nghe An, Catholic activists still victims of regime’s "judicial persecution"

12.10.2017 (AsiaNews) - Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews / EdA) - Public security continues to closely follow the members of the group of young Catholic activists in the Vinh diocese who were arrested by the regime in 2011.

In 2013, Nghệ An tribunal condemned the 14 Christians to jail for a supposed attempt to "subvert state power". Some of them have already been released, but the newly discovered freedom has lasted little.

Three of the activists are targeted by police in particular. They are Nguyen Van Oai, Thai Van Dung and Trân Minh Nhât. [read more]

Rights Group Demands Release of Vietnam’s Mother Mushroom on Anniversary of Arrest

12.10.2017 (RFA) - Vietnam should “immediately and unconditionally” free a blogger sentenced to prison for “disseminating anti-state propaganda” and end the persecution of other activists targeted under the vaguely-worded criminal act, a rights group said on the one-year anniversary of her jailing.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh—also known by her blogger handle Me Nam, or Mother Mushroom—was arrested on Oct. 10, 2016 while on her way to visit a fellow rights campaigner in prison and sentenced to 10 years in jail on June 29 under Article 88 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

In marking the year since she was taken into custody by police, Sweden-based Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) called 38-year-old Quynh’s sentence “politically motivated” and “nothing more than persecution against her courageous defence of human rights,” demanding that Vietnam’s government drop her conviction. [read more]

Jailed Vietnamese Activist in Failing Health, Denied Family Phone Calls

10.10.2017 (RFA) - A Vietnamese land rights activist sentenced to an eight-year prison term on charges of attempting to overthrow the government is in failing health and has not been allowed to speak to her family by phone since being jailed, her brother says.

Tran Thi Thuy, 45, was arrested in 2010 for petitioning for redress for land confiscated by authorities, and was sentenced next year under Article 79 of Vietnam’s Penal Code for “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.”

Her health has steadily declined in prison, her brother Tran Thanh Tuan told RFA’s Vietnamese Service on Oct. 10 after visiting her in the An Phuoc Detention Center in southern Vietnam’s Binh Duong province. [read more]

SWR2 Tandem - Tagebuch einer Ausreise. Das Verhör

10.10.2017 Von Bùi Thanh Hiếu - Gelesen von Simon Mazouri - (SWR) - In den nächsten Monaten stellen wir in unseren Klappstuhllesungen Geschichten von Autorinnen und Autoren vor, die in ihren Heimatländern verfolgt werden. Den Anfang macht eine Erzählung von Bùi Thanh Hiếu, der 1972 in Hanoi/Vietnam geboren wurde. In seinem Blog berichtete er über die politischen Entwicklungen in Vietnam und dokumentierte dortige Menschenrechtsverletzungen. [Weiterlesen und Hören]

One Year After Arrest, Demand for Release of Vietnamese Human Rights Defender Me Nam

10.10.2017 (Civil Rights Defenders) - Public Statement - On 10 October 2016, Vietnamese authorities arrested blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known by her pen name Me Nam (Mother Mushroom), on charges of spreading propaganda against the State. On 29 June, Me Nam was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Known since 2006 for her active social media advocacy against the Vietnamese government’s rampant corruption, human rights abuses, and foreign policy, her arrest and later sentence should be seen as politically motivated. Civil Rights Defenders calls on the government of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh and to end its wider persecution of bloggers and journalists under Article 88 of the Penal Code. [read more]