On May 5, 2014, the Security Investigation Office of the Ministry of
Public Security carried out a search warrant and arrested two bloggers
Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy. Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh is a
well-known blogger known under the name Anh Ba Sam. His basam.info website has greatly contributed information promoting Freedom of Speech in Vietnam.
Reacting to these arbitrary arrests based on Article 258, the Network of
Vietnamese Bloggers has made the following comments and requests.
1. If Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy are
arrested on the grounds of “posting articles on the Internet that carry
bad contents and false information to degrade reputation and trust of
State agencies, social organizations and citizens” then:
a. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to specify and prove
which of the articles posted by these two bloggers have "bad contents"
and provide the legal grounds for the conclusions.
b. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to provide proofs of
the "State agencies and social organizations" whose reputation has been
degraded by the articles posted by these two bloggers.
c. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to provide proofs of
the "State agencies and social organizations" whose public trust has
been negatively affected by the articles posted by these two bloggers.
2. The Court is the final institution, based on laws and justice,
to make judgment and to confirm that whether or not the State or any
civil organizations has indeed been reduced prestige and lost trust in
people because of the writings of Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh
Thuy.
3. The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers absolutely believes that
Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy only pratice the
citizens’ right of freedom of speech that is regulated by the
Constitution of Vietnam, recognized by the International Conventions in
which Vietnam has signed and by the universal values that Vietnam, as a
member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, undertakes to
respect and enforce. Following bloggers Pham Viet Dao, Truong Duy Nhat,
and Dinh Nhat Uy, Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy have
become the two latest victims of Article 258 and the arbitrary
application of this article by the Ministry of Public Security.
4. The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers is concerned that with the
ongoing arbitrary arrest and detention, any citizen of Vietnam who is
practicing his/her right of freedom of expression in Vietnam can also be
"urgently arrested" because of the abuse of power at the discretion of
the Ministry of Public Security.
Therefore, The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers calls upon its members and all other bloggers:
1. Let us consider the urgent arrest and detention of bloggers
Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy are the offensive actions
against the freedom of speech of all of us. Those are also imminent
threats to each individual blogger and all bloggers in Vietnam. Each of
us can become a prisoner like Pham Viet Dao, Truong Duy Nhat, Nguyen Huu
Vinh or Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy anytime.
2. Together, let us fight for the freedom of bloggers Nguyen Huu
Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy as if fighting for our own freedom. We
cannot accept the fate of "a prisoner waiting for an urgent arrest to
happen" at any time.
3. Hand in hand, let us coordinate with and mobilize the public
to fight for the freedom of the detained bloggers by making large online
campaigns, conducting international lobbies, especially filing
petitions with the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. Let the
nation and the whole world see that the Ministry of Public Security is
using Article 258 to suppress freedom of speech and that the Vietnamese
bloggers do not accept, and will fight against, wrong doings, injustice,
violation of the Constitution, and abusing of the law.
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