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Ho Chi Minh City, 30th November, 2013
Urgent plea for help
(From teacher Dinh Dang Dinh’s family)
To:
- All Vietnamese, both national and abroad
- Leaders of the Party and Government with a conscience
- Intellectuals, religious people and those that value Truth – Justice – and Peace
- National and International Organizations
- All Vietnamese, both national and abroad
- Leaders of the Party and Government with a conscience
- Intellectuals, religious people and those that value Truth – Justice – and Peace
- National and International Organizations
I, Dang Thi Dinh, of 214, block 4, Kien Duc Town, Dak’R Lap District, Dak Nong Province together with my children Dinh Phuong Thao, Dinh Thuy An and Dinh Thuy Nga would like to send to you all this urgent plea as follows:
My husband, Dinh Dang Dinh, formerly a High School Chemistry teacher, was accused of “conducting propaganda against The Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 88 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code. As a result he received a pre-determined six year imprisonment sentence. He is now serving his sentence in Binh Duong Province An Phuoc Prison. My husband is a prisoner of conscience who bravely raised the grave issues within the nation. Detaining him in prison indicates that the Vietnamese Government has seriously violated human rights principles.
He is now suffering from the last stages of stomach cancer, as the illness was not discovered early on enough in its progression for him to receive effective medical treatment.
Dear Sirs and Madams, Brothers and Sisters,
Even though his health is in serious danger, my husband Dinh Dang Dinh has not been given proper treatment for his fatal cancer. For example, after stomach surgery, my husband was supposed to undergo eight continuous chemotherapy treatments, with each treatment lasting 22 days. On 4/11/2013, Dinh had his first chemo treatment, his health was deteriorating, and also he suffered some side effects. Despite all of these health problems, Dinh was not well looked after and was abruptly transferred back to the prison without any instructions from doctors. Once again, the Vietnamese Government showed no concern for the human rights of their people.
For his second chemo treatment, the prison authorities transferred Dinh to the hospital on 25/11/2013. However, by only 8 o’clock of the morning of 28/11/2013, the hospital and prison authorities moved Dinh back to the prison, despite the state of Dinh’s health after the chemotherapy. During the treatment process the doctor had paid no attention to the health status of Dinh, his patient.
Mr Dinh Dang Dinh has been treated twice with chemotherapy, but those two sessions were not followed up by the proper medical treatment process. My family are very outraged with the medical team’s ruthless attitude and the systematically cruel behaviour of the government. Through what has happened to us, one can see that the government has punished its prisoners of conscience - like my husband, by only allowing him incomplete access to medical treatment.
My family is certain that the prison facilities have never been appropriate for looking after seriously ill people, especially a cancer patient like my husband. In addition, the prison authorities have even cut off all treatment medicines and dietary supplements for my husband. Once again, my family is horrified at the cruel attitude of the Vietnamese Government towards its prisoners of conscience - in this case, my husband.
My family has applied to the Government to call off my husband’s imprisonment as he is suffering serious illnesses, according to Article 57 Section 1 of the Criminal Code. The prison authorities have refused our plea. On 13/11/2013, our family continued to make a new application asking for a postponement of the sentence because of my husband’s fatal illness, according to Article 61 and 62 of the Criminal Code, but until today we received no reply.
Dear Sirs and Madams, Brothers and Sisters,
My family is urgently sending this letter to individuals and organizations worldwide, pleading for your help on behalf of peace, justice, and human compassion. Let us ask the Vietnamese Government to release Dinh Dang Dinh, the prisoner of conscience, to give him a chance to survive.
Thank you with all my heart,
Sincerely Yours
Đặng Thị Dinh
