Nguyễn Trung Tôn/Translated by Jasmine Tran (Danlambao) - Born 1983 in Binh Dinh, young engineer Nguyen Van Thanh had enough health and intellectual maturity to allow him to follow his conscience with wise decisions. Unfortunately, he grew up in the darkest times of the so-called: “socialist transition” period in Vietnam.
Thanh is a well educated person of integrity. He was highly disturbed at the many irresponsible orders from authorities; releasing water from the hydropower dams to the villages below resulted in the deaths of many civilians. In past months, Thanh keenly encouraged Vietnamese youth to collaborate with him in seeking to sue the dam’s authorities for causing great damage to livelihoods and the environment. His campaign has been supported by many people.
Thanh’s only purpose in raising the issue was to stop the disaster from happening again. He was resolute in preventing this. But just as he has begun, he has been continuously attacked and harassed by people working on behalf of the government. The most recent example of such harassment occurred on 16 February 2014. Upon visiting his brother’s family at Hoa Phuoc commune in Hoa Vang district, Danang, Thanh was brutally beaten by the local police.
On 27 February, from her country home, Thanh’s mother ventured out to the police station at Hoa Phuoc commune in Hoa Vang district, Danang.
She told Thanh she only wanted an explanation from police regarding the beating that took place when Thanh visited his brother. But in fact, the meeting between Thanh’s mother and the police authorities was to make an “agreement”: the police had repeatedly come to Thanh’s family, menacing his parents and forcing their direct involvement. They were to put pressure on Thanh and demand him to totally cease his mission.
Thanh’s family members believed if Thanh continued to fight for the interests of others, it was certain the whole family would be terrorized, Thanh arrested, and his parents and relatives put through much suffering. Through the phone Thanh’s mother and sister in-law cried and emotionally pleaded with him to think about his family, and to make the right choice between family and other people of the country. They advised Thanh: “Stop your care for victims of the regime, think of your family and yourself - otherwise you will die!”
Here are the recorded conversations:
https://soundcloud.com/nguy-n-v-n-th-nh-4/me-toi-goi-lai-toi-sau-do
https://soundcloud.com/nguy-n-v-n-th-nh-4/em-dau-goi
https://soundcloud.com/nguy-n-v-n-th-nh-4/em-dau-goi-2
Nobody in Thanh’s situation could overlook the suffering of his family. The thing is, Thanh’s family do not recognise that they themselves are also victims of the regime. However, many other Vietnamese in this country share this same way of thinking.
From the day the Communists gained power, they have applied cruel methods in ruling the country. In fear of such methods, the majority of citizens have learnt to protect themselves by keeping their silence when facing an injustice, for their own safety. I do not have a right answer for Thanh. Can I advise him to listen to his mother, and give up his battle? I cannot, for if that is the way we all think, how can we save our people? As for suggesting for him to ignore his family’s suffering and continue his way, I cannot, as this would be a cruel thing to do to his loved ones. Thanh is torn between two directions, what will our advice be?
