Stop Violations of Human Rights in Vietnam

While the Government of Canada has spent $12 million over the last 6 years to train Vietnamese lawyers and judges, judges in Vietnam continue to hand out outrageous sentences to political dissidents who call for freedom and democracy.

This is due to the continued use of two vaguely defined articles, Articles 79 and 88 of the penal code, and the adoption or revision of various decrees to increasingly stifle freedom of expression. The broad and obscure provisions contained within these decrees are exploited by authorities in order to arbitrarily restrict legitimate speech of journalists and bloggers, and detain those that advocate for human rights through the usage of the internet, newspapers, radio, etc;

Vietnamese authorities have consistently and blatantly violated the freedoms of religion, expression, and assembly of its citizens, contrary to Article 18, 19, and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

In 2010, the Vietnamese government re-arrested Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly despite his worsening health conditions;

The Vietnamese government continues to put under house arrest the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, the 84 year old Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, and Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a prominent political dissident, simply because they called for democracy and freedom in Vietnam. Both of them are Nobel Peace Prize nominees;

In 2011 alone, the government prosecuted at least 33 peaceful activists and sentenced them to a total of 185 years in prison, to be followed by a total of 75 years on probation on vague charges of “attempting to overthrow the government” or “spreading anti-government propaganda”. Well-known cases of people imprisoned / arrested in 2010 and 2011 include, among others:

Bui Thi Minh Hang, Cao Van Tinh, Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, Doan Huy Chuong, Do Thi Minh Hanh, Duong Au, Duong Kim Khai, Ho Thi Bich Khuong, Le Cong Dinh, Le Thang Long, Lu Van Bay, Nguyen Ba Dang, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, Nguyen Ngoc Cuong, Nguyen Tien Trung, Nguyen Van Canh, Nguyen Van Hai, (Dieu Cay), Nguyen Van Lia, Nguyen Van Khuong, Pham Thanh Nghien, Pham Thi (Ngoc) Phuong, Pham Van Thong, Phan Thanh Hai (Anh Ba Saigon), Phung Quang Quyen, Phung Lam, Ta Phong Tan, Tran Anh Kim, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Tran Thi Thuy, Vi Duc Hoi

On December 23, 2011, Vietnamese authorities arrested a young, well-known songwriter, Vo Minh Tri (also known as Viet Khang), for writing patriotic songs.