Bangkok (29 August 2014)
- The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) is concerned
that a court in Viet Nam has convicted and imprisoned three human rights
defenders for their peaceful human rights work. On 26 August 2014, the
Dong Thap Provincial People’s Court sentenced Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hang, Ms.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh, and Mr. Nguyen Van Minh to between two and three
years in prison on charges of “disturbing public order” under Article
245 of the Penal Code.
The regular arrests and harsh convictions of human rights defenders,
bloggers and journalists is in contravention of Viet Nam’s international
obligations to uphold freedom of expression, assembly and association
under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. OHCHR
has on many past occasions raised concerns with the Government
regarding this disturbing trend. In February 2014 the Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights defenders also raised such concerns,
describing “a pattern of targeting, intimidating and silencing peaceful
pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders who exercise their
right to freedom of opinion and expression and their right to freedom of
association in the country.”
On 11 February 2014, the three human rights defenders were arrested
after they organized a group to visit the home of human rights lawyer
and former political prisoner Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen who had been
reportedly beaten by police and briefly detained at Chi Hoa Prison. The
group was arrested. After two days, 18 of them were released, while the
three human rights defenders were held in detention until their
conviction this Tuesday. According to information received, the trial
was not open and a number of relatives and activists who tried to attend
the trial were prevented by police from doing so. Some were put under
informal house arrest, while others were intercepted by police while
travelling to the court house. There was reportedly a large police
presence restricting entry to the court.
Ms. Bui Thi Minh Hang has focused her human rights work on protecting
the rights of farmers, particularly in land confiscation cases. Ms.
Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh, and Mr. Nguyen Van Minh are Hoa Hao Buddhist
practitioners who campaign on religious freedom issues.
OHCHR urges the Government of Viet Nam, a member of the Human Rights
Council, to review the use of the Criminal Code to target human rights
defenders and to fully respect rights to freedom of expression, opinion
and association in the country.
ENDS
The Regional Office for South-East Asia in Bangkok represents the High
Commissioner for Human Rights within South East Asia. The High
Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal human rights official of
the United Nations. She heads the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, which spearheads the United Nations'
human rights efforts.
OHCHR website: http://www.ohchr.org
OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia website: http://bangkok.ohchr.org
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