Danlambao - In 2014, Vietnam officially became a member of the UN Committee on Human Rights (UNCHR). This is also the year of change for the democracy movement in Vietnam when many civil-society organizations (CSO) joined together to operate openly.
Regarding the promises made by Vietnamese government to the international community to improve human right situation in Vietnam, not much has changed since 2013. The peak of its violations was the jailing of many more bloggers near the end of that year which showed a wide gap between its promises and its actions since it joined the UNCHR.
I. A new direction - diplomacy, international lobbying
December 2013: following Declaration 0258 with the signatures of more than 100 bloggers that was sent to embassies, international NGOs and the UN High Commission, the Vietnam Bloggers Network was formed to fight for the freedom of speech using diplomacy – its members took initiatives to meet with international observers and human rights workers to brief them about the situation in Vietnam.
January 2014: accepting an invitation from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and other international organizations, a Vietnamese independent civil delegation (VICD - representing VOICE, Vietnam Bloggers Network, Dân Làm Báo, Con Đường Việt Nam, Phật Giáo Hòa Hảo Truyền thống, No-U Việt Nam, Political Prisoners Friendship Association and Vietnamese Religions) has met with several organisations in Washington DC and New York.
The VICD conducted briefings about human right violations by authorities in Vietnam, in particular oppression of religious freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of Internet access, using draconian decrees like 72, 258, etc.
The VICD also explained the change in government’s tactics – heavy fines instead of jail terms; using thugs to beat up people (with supplied proofs).
February 2014: The VICD also conducted a briefing in Brussels on similar topics with the addition of the development of civil society, the growth of independent media and even more active human right activism in Vietnam. After this briefing, the VICD answered about 30 questions from members representing 10 member countries.
On February 5th, the VICD took part in the UPR hearing in Geneva.
In Vietnam, the independent CSOs like Vietnam Bloggers Network (VBN), Con Đường Vietnam, Chúa Cứu Thế Media held open seminars attended by representatives from embassies and international journalists to discuss authorities’ measures like banning overseas travelling, deaths in police detention and ways to use the UPR mechanism to improve human rights in Vietnam. Invitations to these seminars were also sent to Vietnamese government’s officials but they chose to send plain-clothed security agents to obstruct and sabotage instead.
May 29, 2014: Blogger Phạm Thanh Nghiên briefed Canadian Parliament on serious human right violations against in Vietnam’s prisoners of conscience.
June 2014: the VICD attended UPR hearing with Dr. Nguyễn Quang A, lawyer Trịnh Hữu Long, blogger Phạm Lê Vương Các, and lawyer Nguyễn Thị Vy Hạnh to urge for improvement of human rights in Vietnam.
In 2014, representatives of Vietnam’s CSOs like Dân Làm Báo, Con Đường Việt Nam, Vietnamese Women for Human Rights, Vietnam Bloggers Network held many meetings to discuss human right violations in Vietnam with embassy officials and representatives of international organisations in Hanoi and Saigon.
November 21, 2014: a group of human right activists (blogger Huỳnh Thục Vy, Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu, Phạm Bá Hải, Nguyễn Trí Dũng (son of Điếu Cày Nguyễn Văn Hải), Lê Quốc Quyết (Lê Quốc Quân’s brother) và blogger Mẹ Nấm (Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh) met with German Vice Chancellor Mr. Sigmar Gabriel (also leader of SPD, one of the two main political parties in Germany) who was attending the 14th Asia-Pacific-Germany Business Forum in Saigon. Apart from the promotion of business relations with Vietnam, Western diplomats also want to be informed about violations of human rights in Vietnam in order to force Vietnam to carry out its promises when it joined the UNCHR.
II. Violations of freedom of travel - arbitrary overseas travel ban
Several members of the Vietnam Bloggers Network were not allowed to travel out of the country and had their passports confiscated so that they could not attend the ‘258 Campaign’ and the UPR hearing in December 2013. Those who had attended the UPR review previously were also banned for travelling overseas (Bùi Tuấn Lâm, Nguyễn Đình Hà, Lê Thanh Tùng...)
Citing ‘national security reasons’ to ban travels and to deny passport applications by many others (Lưu Văn Minh, Nguyễn Văn Thạnh, Dương Đại Triều Lâm, Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Hoàng Văn Dũng, Nguyễn Nữ Phương Dung, Lê Đức Triết, Nguyễn Công Thủ, Nguyễn Thanh Thủy...)
Using the same excuse, Vietnamese police tried to stop activists from attending meetings and seminars conducted by CSOs and embassies.
In Saigon, security agents kept constant watch outside private residence of Dr. Nguyễn Đan Quế, writer Phạm Đình Trọng and journalist Phạm Chí Dũng.
In Nha Trang, blogger Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh was often interrogated and her personal belongings confiscated by police. She was detained while on her way to the airport to go to the meetings held by Australian and Canadian embassies in July and November 2014.
In Hanoi, similar thing happened to bloggers Đặng Phương Bích, Trịnh Kim Tiến, Nguyễn Chí Tuyến, Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Lê Dũng, Lã Việt Dũng, Huỳnh Phương Ngọc, Huỳnh Thục Vy, Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu, Nguyễn Ngọc Lụa… when they tried to attend seminars or other events.
Blogger Thuý Nga was detained in a hotel and was seriously injured after being beaten by security agents pretending to be thugs.
III. Harassments against dissidents
January 2, 2014: police using the excuse of residency check to detained two former prisoners of conscience Huỳnh Anh Tú and Huỳnh Anh Trí. On 31st January 2014, these men werr threatened when they visited Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hằng in Vũng Tàu.
January 15, 2014: in Thọ Sơn (Bù Đăng, Bình Phước province) at Trúc Lâm Phật Thông pagoda, police harrassed and broke up a group of charity workers who were distributing Tet presents to poor folks. The reason the police gave was that people did not apply for the proper permit.
January 20, 2014: Can Tho Court sentenced Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ánh Nguyệt, a land-grab victim, to a 30-month imprisonment for ‘disturbing public peace’ according to Article 245 of the Criminal Code.
January 24, 2014: two land-grab victims Mr. Trần Văn Sang and Mr. Trần Văn Miên were charged simlarly by Hanoi police. They gave Miên 22 months and Sang 20 months of imprisonment.
On the same day, at the funeral for the well-known lawyer Lê Hiếu Đằng, “thugs” violently disrupted the service in Xá Lợi pagoda and ripped off banners on funereal wreaths.
February 2014: 4 Falun gong followers (Nguyễn Doãn Kiên, Vũ Hồng Tố, Nguyễn Văn Kiểm and Trịnh Kim Khánh) were charged with Article 245. They received jail terms raging from 4 to 6 years without any legal defense. They were caught while ‘attacking’ Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum although they had publicly announced their action.
February 9, 2014: in Đồng Tháp, hundreds of police surrounded and terrorized Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển and his family. Having cut the phone line and electricity, the police attacked his home, smashed furniture and detained Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển, his fiancé Ms. Bùi Thị Kim Phượng and her sister Ms. Bùi Kim Cang.
February 11, 2014: police and local militia attacked Thai Ha church (Hanoi) using ‘administrative check’ as an excuse. They made many impossible demands on the present parishioners to harass them.
On the same day in Dong Thap, Ms. Bui Hang and many Hoa Hao Buddhists were beaten and detained by police when they visited the family of Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển’s wife. About 22 people were beaten with batons by police – five lost consciousness. Police then tied them up and took them to Lap Vo police station. While en route, police stole their victims’ belongings. After that, Ms. Hằng, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thúy Quỳnh and Mr. Nguyễn Văn Minh were sentenced from 2 to 3 year imprisonment for “disrupting public peace”
In Tam Kỳ Quảng Nam, police threw stones at blogger Huỳnh Ngọc Tuấn’s home.
January 14, 2014: In Danang, two policemen using he excuse of checking temporary residents to beat up blogger Nguyễn Văn Thạnh and caused him to be hospitalised. Mr. Thanh, a member of ‘Con đường Việt Nam’ movement has often been assaulted by police, including being locked inside his home.
February 16, 2014: police of Nghe An province forced people to sign a pledge not to attend the trial of lawyer Lê Quốc Quân.
February 18th 2014: The trial of Mr. Lê Quốc Quân who was accused of ‘tax evasion’ opened in Hanoi. He is regarded as an activist fighting for freedom and democracy in Vietnam. He received a 30-month imprisonment sentence and was fined over 1 billion VND.
Police disguised as thugs threw dirty liquids and bricks at Mr. Huỳnh Ngọc Tuấn in Quảng Nam province.
February 25, 2014: Ms. Nguyễn Thị Tâm and her husband, victims of land-grab, were sentenced a total of 11 years imprisonment for ‘deliberately causing injuries” (Article 114 Criminal Code)
February 28, 2014: at the funeral of Ms. Nguyễn Thị Lợi (the mother of the prisoner of conscience Phạm Thanh Nghiên, a large contingent of police was deployed to ruin the occasion. Many were prevented from attending the funeral. Several attending guests were beaten at the event. When the funeral procession reached Đằng Lâm Cemetary, the manager said he could not allow Ms. Nguyễn Thị LợI’s ash to be interred there for “political reasons”. But eventually he yielded to the family’s legitimate reasons and insistence.
March 3, 2014: blogger Trương Duy Nhất was tried in Danang (accused according to Article 258 of the Criminal Code). He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment in a close court after more than 5 months in detention.
March 12, 2014: former prisoner of conscience Mr. Chu Mạnh Sơn (released on February 3rd, 2014), one of the 14 Catholic and Baptist youths in Nghe An province, was threatened and beaten by local police.
March 13, 2014: a large contingent of police in Hải Dương province travelling in 4 cars entered Mr. Nguyễn Bá Đăng’s home. He is a former prisoner of conscience (released in 2013). The police took him away without giving a reason or showing any document. At the police station, he was interrogated for two days and nights and was released in the afternoon of March15th. Mr. Đăng revealed that the police had printed out dozens of his articles posted on Facebook calling people to demonstrate on March 14th to accuse him of “organising demonstration” and forced him to sign the confession. He refused and was released in the end.
April 13, 2014: reporter Anna Huyền Trang of Chúa Cứu Thế Việt Nam Media was prevented from travelling overseas. She was attacked by 3 security agents and roughly dragged outside.
April 4, 2014: in Saigon, police tried to ruin the funeral of the former teacher Mr. Đinh Đăng Định. His family had to take his coffin to the Church of Dòng Chúa Cứu Thế Sài Gòn to conduct the rite.
May 5, 2014: in Hanoi, police detained and charged blogger Anh Ba Sàm (Nguyễn Hữu Vinh) and his collaborator Ms. Nguyễn Thị Minh Thuý (under Article 258).
May 15, 2014: Ms. Lê Thị Phương Anh and her two friends Trung Nghĩa and Phạm Minh Vũ were detained in Đồng Nai while they were on a fact-finding trip after the ‘workers’ riot’ here.
May 18, 2014: police attacked and detained anti-China demonstrators from civil society organisations in Hanoi and Saigon.
May 29, 2014: Ms. Lê Thị Tuyết Mai, a member of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (Giáo Hội Phật Giáo Việt Nam Thống Nhất) self-immolated as a protest against China and for the defense of Buddhism. Police harassed people at her funeral and stopped them from using cameras. They also snatched banners on wreaths.
July 7, 2014: Gò Vấp district police constantly harassed the families of Ms. Lư Thị Thu Thủy and Ms. Lư Thị Thu Vân (elder sisters of Ms. Lư Thị Thu Trang, member of Khối 8406). On the same day, police in plain clothes robbed and beat land-grab victim Ms. Trần Thị Ngọc Anh near the Eastern-bound bus station (Saigon)
July 8, 2014: three land-grab victims - Nguyễn Thị Trí (Bình Dương), Ngô Thị Minh Ước (Bình Phước) and Nguyễn Thị Bé Hai (Đồng Tháp) were detained for ‘anti-government propaganda’.
July 10, 2014: Ms. Grace Bùi, a US citizen visiting Hanoi staying in 55 Hàng Bè Hotel was detained by police. She had arrived several days earlier to see the city and to visit some of her Facebook friends. On this day she was visiting Ms. Phùng Thị Trâm who was an in-patient at the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Hanoi. The police must have tracked her movements via her Facebook exchanges with her friends before arresting her.
Police stopped Hoa Hao Buddhist delegation from visiting Ms. Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh, a prisoner of conscience.
July 29, 2014: blogger Mẹ Nấm (Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh) was arrested by police when she was on her way to go to Hanoi to attend the seminar ‘Non-state media in Vietnam today’ held by the Australian Embassy. She was illegally detained for 9 hrs.
August 26, 2014: In Đồng Tháp province, police violently suppressed and detained more than 60 people from all over the country coming to attend the trial of Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hằng, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thúy Quỳnh and Mr. Nguyễn Văn Minh. Many were assaulted while being in police custody and had to be hospitalised.
At the trial for ‘disturbing the public peace’, blogger Bùi Thị Minh Hằng got 3 years imprisonment, Nguyễn Thị Thúy Quỳnh two years and Nguyễn Văn Minh 2 years and 6 months.
August 28, 2014: VN Ministry of Public Security formed Bureau of Internet Security under its direct control to increase its power to suppress bloggers and social network users who dare to express dissenting political views.
September 22nd 2014: Blogger Bà Đầm Xoè (writer Phạm Thành) was interrogated by police.
October 23, 2014: blogger Phạm Thanh Nghiên, one of the initiators of the campaign ‘I Want to Know’ was harassed by local police. They locked her inside her home during the night.
October 24, 2014: Using the excuse of checking personal papers police harassed writer Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa while he was under medical treatment in Hanoi. They took him to police station for possession of “illegal license and membership card”
October 29, 2014: reporter Hoàng Văn Đức (Đại Đoàn Kết newspaper) was assaulted by traffic police near Mai Dịch bridge ramp in Hanoi.
November 5, 2014: police assaulted the new French consular Emmanuel Ly-Batallan when he directly intervene on behalf of Mr. Phạm Minh Hoàng and Mr. Nguyễn Bắc Truyển.
November 6, 2014: having confiscated her personal belongings, Nha Trang city security agents interrogated blogger Mẹ Nấm (Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh) about her Facebook postings for many days.
November 15, 2014: twelve people including Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Gang, lawyer Lee The Cong Nan’s family members, Mr. Trương Văn Dũng, Ms. Song Qu, writer Nguyễn Xuân Ngai’s wife… were on their way to attend the funeral of lawyer Trần Lâm when they were attacked by thugs who also broke their car windscreen. The thugs also stole wreaths and threatened guests at the funeral.
October 23, 2014: members of the Buddhist Unification Church gathering at Phước Buy pagoda (Bà Riau, Vũng Tàu) were taking photos of a building project on the site that was formerly the pagoda entrance when they were attacked by police and local cadres. Police took the camera from a monk and savagely beat up Venerable Thích Thiên Tâm on the street.
November 27, 2014: in Hanoi, police forced their way into the home of facebookers Lý Trí Thành, Lý Quang Sơn, Xe Máy và Quyết Phạm, beat them up, searched their home and took them to police station. They protested hard and were released during the night.
November 19, 2014: Ms. Loan (whose son Hồ Duy Hải was sentenced to death) took a banner and an appeal application to the Supreme Court in Hanoi to save her son. One of her supporters Mr. Trương Văn Dũng was there to take photos and video when he was confronted by Mr. Đỗ Anh Minh (Secretary of HCM City Communist Youth). Minh tried to provoke Mr. Dũng with swear words and aggressive gestures. Failing that, Minh snatched Mr. Dũng’s camera, hit him in the head and tried to run his bike into Mr. Dũng.
November 29, 2014: blogger Người Lót Gạch (Mr. Hồng Lê Thọ) was urgently arrested (Article 258 Criminal Code).
December 6, 2014: in Saigon, blogger Bọ Lập Quê Choa (writer Nguyễn Quang Lập) was urgently arrested and charged according to Article 88 Criminal Code.
December 15, 2104: in Saigon, police, security agents and local guards held a meeting to accuse blogger Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu and those sharing house with him of “disturbing the public peace” and “anti-party and anti-State activities”.
December 27, 2014: in Saigon, Mr. Nguyễn Đình Ngọc (presumably blogger Nguyễn Ngọc Già) was urgently arrested.
December 2014: police searched the house belonging to Facebooker Lan Lê (Ms. Lê Thị Phương Lan). They interrogated here for many hours at the police station. They fined here 17 millions VND for possessing banned books (‘Đèn Cù’ by Trần Đĩnh and ‘Chuyện kể năm 2000’ by Bùi Ngọc Tấn). Ms. Lan Le is prominent in Hanoi for her charity and human right works.
In its annual report, CPJ (Committee for the Protection of Journalists) says Vietnam ranks 5th among the 10 countries that arrest more journalists and bloggers than the rest of the world.
During 2014, plain-clothed police increased oppressive pressure by overt means like checking ID papers, temporary residential permits of anyone coming to Saigon and Hanoi from other provinces. They fined blogger Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu and a close relative Ms. Huỳnh Phương Ngọc).
Police also have a squad of plain-clothed agents specialised in disrupting and ruining funerals of dissidents or their relatives by snatching funereal wreath banners. This occurred at the funerals for lawyer Lê Hiếu Đằng, teacher Nguyễn Anh Dũng, writer Bùi Ngọc Tấn…
February 26, 2014: at the funeral of Ms. Nguyễn Thị Lợi (blogger Phạm Thanh Nghiên’s mother), Hai Phong city police set up checkpoints to screen guests to allow only family members through. Others were harassed and their wreaths destroyed.
IV. Significant increase in oppression and violence by plain-clothed police
In 2014, incidents of violence by police and by members of communist party-sponsored organisations against human right workers, bloggers and dissidents increased markedly.
January 2, 1014: Mr. Lê Quốc Quyết (younger brother of lawyer Lê Quốc Quân) was assaulted by armed security agents in front of Mỹ Kim residential complex (Hiệp Bình Chánh, Thủ Đức)
January 11, 2014: activist Ms. Bùi Thị Minh Hằng and 21 people were ambushed and beaten by secutirty agents and then detained illegally in Long Hưng (Lấp Vò, Đồng Tháp). Ms. Hằng and two others (Nguyễn Thị Thúy Quỳnh and Nguyễn Văn Minh) were detained ands sentenced from 2 to 3 years for “disturbing public order”. On the same day, rocks were thrown at blogger Huỳnh Ngọc Tuấn’s house in Tam Kỳ, Quảng Nam.
February 14, 2014: two policemen using the excuse of checking temporary resident status to beat up Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thạnh (of Hòa Phước, Hòa Vang, Đà Nẵng) causing injuries that required hospitalisation.
February 17, 2014: in Tam Kỳ, blogger Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu and writer Huỳnh Ngọc Tuấn were assaulted by 10 masked men as they arrived from a taxi.
March 20, 2014: after attending a seminar on “Freedom of Movement” Blogger Trịnh Anh Tuấn (Facebooker Gió Lang Thang) was followed by 3 men. They then kicked Tuấn’s bike causing him to crash onto the road. They punched him and broke his mobile phone.
March 22, 2014: human right activist Mr. Trương Văn Dũng was riding a bike near the service station on Nam Đồng - Hà Nội road when he was attacked by 5 men wielding iron bars. They broke his leg and kicked his face causing severe injuries that required hospitalisation.
April 12, 2014: a plain-clothed security agent riding a bike (registration 54-T5 4753) slapped blogger Nguyễn Hoàng Vi in the face when she and her son went to see a football match played by No-U SG.
April 16th 2014: Bùi Tuấn Lâm (member of Con Đường Việt Nam) was beaten in Tam Kỳ by Quảng Nam police.
April 19, 2014: members of Blogger Network Việt Nam: Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, Trịnh Kim Tiến, Nguyễn Hồ Nhật Thành and Nguyễn Văn Hải were beaten and detained for holding the 3rd seminar on human rights in Nha Trang with the topic ‘Anti-Torture Conventions & deaths in police custody’. Blogger Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh was karate-chopped in the back of the neck. Police also grabbed Ms. Trịnh Kim Tiến who just had a baby by the neck, yanked her hair and slapped in the face.
April 21, 2014: women’s right activists Trần Thị Hài và Nguyễn Ngọc Lụa was beaten by police after attending the trial of two victims of land-grab in Cần Thơ.
May 8, 2014: lawyer Nguyễn Văn Đài was having a coffee with 4 friends when he was attacked by 5 men who had been following him. They smashed glasses on his head causing a gash that requires 4 stitches.
May 17, 2014: music teacher Nguyễn Năng Tĩnh was attacked by thugs in Vinh while dozens of police looked on.
May 25, 2014: the Venerable Thích Vĩnh Phước taking a group from Bà Rịa to attend the funeral of Ms. Lê Thị Tuyết Mai (who self-immolate in front of Dinh Độc Lập to protest against China) was attacked by “thugs” at the ramp of the Sài Gòn Bridge.
September 5, 2014: police and security agents disguised as thugs attacked the rented house in Tân Bình, Sài Gòn where bloggers Huỳnh Trọng Hiếu, Huỳnh Phương Ngọc, Bùi Thị Nhung lived. After that police detained them for many hours to stop them from attending the monthly UPR seminar run by civil society groups at the church of Dòng Chúa Cứu Thế - Kỳ Đồng.
Later, at night on October 10th “thugs” twice smashed through entrance door and destroyed properties inside the guest room endangering people , including a 9-month baby, living in the house.
September 30, 2014: Sesurity agent used a brick to hit on the head of ex-prisoner of conscience Dương Âu inside his own house caused bleeding.
October 15, 2014: A large contigent of male and female security agents swarmed and viciously attacked and arrested Trần Thị Hoàng and eleven others of the Land-grab Victims Movement when she and members from various Southern provinces traveled to Saigon to support the We Want To Know movement through submitting their petition to declassify the Chengdu conference agreements to the Southern office of the National Congress.
October 21, 2014: Lê Thanh Hải, a victim of police brutality, accused to the press tha police used baton striking his face while he was riding in Saigon and caused blindness of his eyes.
October 29, 2014: Phạm Bá Hải and Lê Văn Sóc visited ex-prisoner of conscience Dương Âu and after leaving they were attacked by security agents.
December 12, 2014: Trương Minh Hưởng executive board member of Hà Nam Land-grab Victims Association, an activist for human rights and anti-corruption were surrounded, harrased, and attacked by 5-6 security agents of Hà Nam Province who crashed into his motorbike. On the morning of December 9th he went to Bắc Lý, Lý Nhân district, Hà Nam Province to attend the engagement bunch of a niece. By 4pm of December 4th after completing business in his home town of Ba Sao, Kim Bảng district, Ha Nam. When he left the village on motorcycle about1km then three young plainclothes on two motorcycles without plate number overtook him. They jumped down and punched him repeatly on his face and stomach causing many bruises. When he shouted for help and alerted people nearby then they fled away. On 11/12/2014, security agents continued surround his house and make threats. When he took video recording of their threatening actions they instigated fighting.
December 12, 2014: Nguyen Hoang Vi, a Blogger Network member was attacked by a squad of security forces, ward civil defense and women association members. They staged and beaten her her neighborhood (intersection of Phan Văn Năm and Lê Cao Lãng, Phú Thạnh Ward, Tân Phú District). The attack only stopped when she collapsed and family members and nearby concerned citizens intervened and rescued her. Then plainclothes security police cited and ordered the cab driver not to transport her to the hospital and later mobilized more personnels to keep her under house arrest until the end of the day 12/12/2014. According to many witnesses of the incident, the person who directed the staging of the cheater cat fight is actually Phạm Thị Tuyết Hạnh – Vice President of the Women Association of Phú Thạnh Ward, Tân Phú District, Saigon.
December 31, 2014: blogger Nguyen Van Thanh were followed by three plainclothes security for several days before they suddenly thrown the stinking shrimp paste over his body. This was in retaliation to the blogger approach and report on the “suicide” hanging of a person in police custody recently happened in Đại Lộc, Quảng Nam.
Human rights activist Nguyễn Bắc Truyển had been attacked many times by security agents:
February 9, 2014: At Hung Nhon hamlet, Long Hưng B, Lấp Vò district, Đồng Tháp province police attacked, broke in and destroyed properties inside his own home. They arrested him without warrant in front of his family and Hoà Hảo Buddhist fellows.
- February 24, 2014: In Hanoi, Nguyễn Bắc Truyển and his wife went to the Australian embassy to report human rights violation where Đồng Tháp province police had attacked, destroyed properties and arrested without cause happened on June 9/2 / 2014. Plainclothes security agents commandeered and brutally assaulted both Truyển, his wife and the cab driver. Only when concerned citizens nearby intervened by surrounding them then they stopped and left. On this incident the police breaked his nose and caused many facial injuries.
- August 28, 2014: While Nguyễn Bắc Truyển and his wife Phượng was walking home from the bus stop, two plainclothes security agents on motorcycle deliberately ran over them to cause injuries. This vicious attack caused head trauma and he had to be hospitalized for treatment. Fortunately Bùi Thị Kim Phượng was not injured by the perpetrators targeted her husband.
Trần Thị Nga, a Executive Board member of the Vietnam Human Rights Women Association was repeatedly attacked by security agents, “thugs” (disguised police):
- March 23, 2014: In Hanoi, Trần Thị Nga and many others were beaten when they showed banners demanding the release of activist Bùi Thị Minh Hằng. She was also sexually abused while in the police station.
- May 25, 2014: After leaving the house of blogger Nguyễn Tường Thụy in Hanoi, Trần Thị Nga and two small children was riding on motorbike on their way home then a group of five young thugs attacked them with iron rods. Both her right knee and left arm were broken. She also suffered many injuries all over her body.
Journalist Trương Minh Đức, spokesman of Vietnam Labor Association was repeatedly harassed and assaulted brutally:
- September 8, 2014: While campaigned for human rights activities in Hanoi, journalists Truong Minh Duc was dragged out of the taxi and brutally beaten.
- November 2, 2014: Trương Minh Đức was stopped at the intersection Suối Giữa (Highway 13, Bình Dương) and brutally attacked by a group of security agents. They took away all his belongings including 1 laptop, 1 iPad tablet, a mobile phone and all the money over ten million (about $500 US). He was severely wounded and had to be hospitalized for days.
V. Religious Oppression:
In 2014, the UN sent a special envoy on freedom of religion - Mr. Heiner Bielefedt to Vietnam. Upon returning he was interviewed by Radio Deutsche Welle (DW, Germany); he said that the investigative trip was "hindered". In fact, many religious organizations were oppressed in 2014.
- January 8, 2014: More than 100 police and plainclothes security agents participated in the harassment and intimidation of monks and buddhist followers at Long Quang pagoda (Hue) in order to prevent the United Founders Memorial ceremony. At 6 pm on the same day, the temple's internet connection was cut.
- February 11, 2014: police and ward civil defense forces convened and attacked the Thái Hà Church (Đống Đa district, Hanoi). The church rung bells and beat drums to alarm church members. Citing “administrative checks”, the police initially shouted brazen demands aimed to harass and threaten the laity present at the church.
Also in February, the police constantly use excuses to harass the families of prisoners of conscience in Nghệ An, typical for family of prisoner of conscience, student Tran Huu Duc. Plainclothes police seized and forced Tran Duc Truong (father of Germany) into the communal office to sign a pledge not to attend the trial of lawyer Lê Quốc Quân in Hanoi. He was detained from 9 am to 1 pm on February 16, 2014.
The regime of communist Vietnam put on trial many Hmong who followed religious practice proferred by Dương Văn Mình. Mr. Dương Văn Mình was known as a man who called for a new way of life in funeral practice that many Hmong believe and follow. According to observers, the arrest and conviction of those involved in religious belief under article 258 of the Penal Code shows the Hmong people follow Dương Văn Mình, reform customs and practices without subject of the direction of the government system, is considered as the adversary of the State.
Memnonite Protestant Church of Bình Dương was repeatedly under stones attacks, arrests, and beatings:
- July 9, 2014: Memnonite Protestant Church of Bình Dương was under attack by stone throwing and beating by a combination of 113 police, security agents, and civil defense forces. Not only the pastor and leaders were beaten but women and children were also being slapped on face. Many young adults praying were directed to shut up and whoever not complied were beaten.
- November 2, 2014: hundreds of thugs swarmed the residential area where the Mennonite Church of Mỹ Phước 1, Bến Cát District, Bình Dương Province is located. They smashed, stoned and shot bullets into the chapel where the faithful were worshiping Jesus. Hundreds of young thugs with tattoos on large engined motorcycles attacked the church. Attackers were directed by masked and well groomed persons.
- November 9, 2014: One paster was beaten on the same day with the stone throwing of Memnonite Protestant Church of Bình Dương
- November 16, 2014: thugs continued to smashed Protestant Church Memnonite Phuoc Binh Duong province. A gang of 20 people standing near the front gate of the church to prevent the faithful to church to worship God. By 9:00 am in the church praying the thugs smashed into church work. They used to throw stones into the church and then they broke apart the main entrance doors, windows, glass doors, water pump, the window blinds, blinds before the prayer room.
Attacks on Hoà Hảo Buddhist followers:
- March 21, 2014: Private residence of PGHH follower Nguyễn Văn Vinh was under attack. Mrs. Nguyễn Ngọc Hà, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Lan and dozens of worshipers were beaten with many felt unconscious.
- March 24, 2014: Police stormed the house of PGHH follower Nguyễn Hoàng Nam in Vĩnh Châu, Châu Đốc city, An Giang province and smashed properties while he was conducting a ceremony.
Plainclothes security agents riding large cylinder motocycles, similar to ones used by traffic police, with no license plates overtook motocycle of PGHH follower Bùi Văn Luốc and Lê Văn Sóc and struck their legs with sticks in the leg.
VI. Status of people dying while in police station, wrongful conviction and suppression of lawyers:
2014, the situation of citizens died in police station shows no sign of abating and the trend of “commit suicide in police station and detention center” increases.
- January 3, 2014: Nguyễn Văn Pha (60 years old) in Phú Yên province supposedly died from a heart attack in the police detention center.
- January 20, 2014: Nguyễn Văn Hải (born 1970 in Thanh Xuân, Thanh Hà district) committed “suicide” at the police station Thanh Hà district, Hải Dương province after three days in police custody. Mr. Hai was said to have jumped from the second floor of the district police headquarters and died of injuries. The family did not agree with this conclusion because the victim has bruises on the nose, lung and fingers.
- February 7, 2014: Trịnh Hoàng Dương (23 years old, resident of Đà Bắc, Hòa Bình province) was found dead in hanging position with a blanket while in police custody in Hoà Bình city after almost one month in detention.
- February13, 2014: Huỳnh Nghĩa (39 years old, resident of Quảng An village, Đạo Nghĩa commune) died after being summoned to police headquarters related to prior blacker pepper theft. According to the indictment by the authorities presented: Trần Văn Công – Police Chief of Đạo Nghĩa commune, Dak Lap district, Dak Nong province along with two police Lê Văn Tâm và Nguyễn Hữu Tuyến slapped and beaten with rubber sticks. Mr. Nghĩa died from multiple injuries, respiratory failure and circulatory failure.
- March 11, 2014: Huỳnh Nhất Trung (20 years old, resident of Trần Quang Diệu Ward, Quy Nhơn City, Bình Định) was found dead in hanging position in the police jail of Vân Canh district after 2 months in detention.
- March 17, 2014: family of victim Lê Đức Thành (implied Gia Lao village, Suoi Cao, Xuan Loc, Dong Nai province) denounced in the newspapers that police had pepper sprayed into the victim's face while he was riding which caused their son lost control of steering, crashed and died of injuries.
- March 19, 2014: Bùi Thị Hương (42 years old, resident of Dương Kinh, Hải Phòng) was discovered dead in hanging position with a windbreaker in administrative detention under police custody at Tân Đồng Ward, Đồng Xoài city, Bình Phước province.
- March 20, 2014: Lý Vị Hùng (born 1985, resident of Second ward, District 11, Saigon) died from head injuries after being detained more than 1 month in the police custody of District 11. Police reported that Hung felt down by himself.
- April 14, 2014: Đỗ Văn Bình (resident of Đại Hiệp, Đại Lộc, Quảng Nam) was discovered dead in hanging position with a green mosquito net fabric at the police detention center of Hoà Vang, Đà Nẵng. His back and arms showed purple bruises. He was in police detention 4 days until death.
- May 12, 2014: Nguyễn Đăng Cự (born 1972, residing in the Nam Hương village, Thanh Ninh commune, huyện Phú Bình district, tỉnh Thái Nguyên province) was found dead in hanging position in room 2 of the police detention center of Hiệp Hoà district, Bắc Giang province.
- June 17, 2014: Nguyễn Thị Gái (30 years old, temporary resident in Bình Thạnh District) died with unkown cause while in police custody at Ward 10, District 10, Saigon.
- June 25, 2014: Nguyễn Văn Chín (44 years old, resident of Gò Vấp District) died after an argument with Traffic Police of Tân Bình District on handling of violations related to the alcohol levels. Mr. Chín was beaten by “thugs” called upon by Police causing intestine laceration leading to death.
- August 4, 2014: Phạm Duy Quý (born 1993, resident of Ngoại Đàm village, Phượng Hoàng commune, Thanh Hà district, Hải Dương province) was found dead in hanging position with mosquito net strips while in police custody at Hải Dương Province police detention center.
- August 5, 2014: Trần Giang Nam (born 1971, resident of the Quyết Tiến village, Hồng An, Hưng Hà, Thái Bình province) was found hanged by cloth torn from the blanket in the detention center of Hưng Hà district police after 10 hours in holding.
- October 17, 2014: Nguyễn Văn Sửu (born 1973, resident of Bình Ngọc Ward, Móng Cái, Quảng Ninh) was found dead in hanging position with pant clothes torn at the wire connections at the police custody Mong Cai city after three days in detention .
- October 28, 2014: Nguyễn Văn Hà (47 years old, resident of Block 2, Tân An Ward, La Gi town) was found dead in hanging position with shoelaces in police headquarters of Tân An Ward, Binh Thuan province after being summoned for investigation the day before.
- December 29, 2014: Trần Văn Tùng (born 1982, residing in Phú Sơn Nam village of Phu Son Nam, Hòa Khương, Hòa Vang District, Đà Nẵng) was found dead in a sitting position with two hands lean on the ground, a rope made of elastic pants around the neck and tied to the window bars less than 2 feet (60 cm) above the groundaround. He was in the detention center under police custody for 3 days.
Also in 2014, many wrongfully conviction cases were exposed to the public. Typical is the case of Nguyen Thanh Chan (Bắc Giang), wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison for 10 years, endured coerced confessions and tortures until the real perpetrator of the murder surrendered and confessed. From this case, people discovered many other cases of wrongfully conviction such as Huỳnh Văn Nén (Bình Thuận), and two other death sentences was being publicly appealed are cases of Hồ Duy Hải (Long An) và Nguyễn Văn Chưởng (Hải Phòng).
2014 is also the year that lawyers were unreasonably censured by the court, harassed by the authorities while performing the duties of seeking justice for their clients:
April 2014: Lawyer Hà Huy Sơn, Lawyer Trần Thu Nam encountered difficulties when requesting client representation permit to defend their clients the activist Bùi Thị Minh Hằng in the legal proceedings of the court in Đồng Tháp.
Mrs. Bùi Thị Minh Hằng was arrested with two others, Nguyễn Thị Thuý Quỳnh và Nguyễn Văn Minh, and were convicted under “disturbing public order”. The insidious regulations of temporary custody and detention made it difficult for lawyers and relatives to meet and discuss their cases.
November 2014: Lawyer Hà Huy Sơn accused B14 Detention Center - Ministry of Public Security did not comply with the law regulations, denied the rights to meet his representing lawyer of Nguyen Huu Vinh (blogger Anh Ba Sàm).
The intersectoral of the Police, Procuratorate and the Court of Tuy Hoa city (Phú Yên province) had submitted report to the Department of Justice and the Bar Association of Phú Yên proposing revoke of law practice license of Lawyer Võ An Đôn - the defense lawyer for the family of victim Ngô Thanh Kiều - who was beaten to death by Tuy Hoa city police while being unlegally detained in 2012.
Also in December 2014, the lawyers representing Nguyễn Đức Kiên was isolated and detained with all electronic devices such as mobile phone, iPad, laptop impounded before entering the courtroom. Other lawyers were hampered in their defense when have no access to their arguments stored in their private equipment being impounded during the proceedings.
VII. Harsh and degrading prison conditions and the resistance of the prisoners:
In 2014, with the release of political prisoners such as teacher Đinh Đăng Định, Huỳnh Anh Trí, blogger Điếu Cày... many people from outside received more information about the brutal prison conditions and treatments in Vietnam: political prisoners are locked up with criminals, beaten, abused and discriminated against.
- January 2014: Hồ Thị Bích Khương was locked up with the drug addict prisoners and was beaten. She was also put in solitary confinement.
Many political prisoners in isolate confinement in camps 2 (Z30A - Xuân Lộc) was in hunger strike for a week to protest the harsh treatments by prison guards. An additional area was built in camp 2 - Z30A Xuan Loc to further hold political prisoners and isolate to prevent disimination of information. This new holding area has sophisticate structures to impose harsher conditions, each cell hold only up to 3 prisoners. The prison conditions are very harsh, extremely hot, lack of air, diminutive water provision with high alkaline...
- February 2, 2014: Lawyer Lê Quốc Quân began a hunger strike to make demands and protest against harsh prison conditions imposed by communist regime.
- February 14, 2014: family of blogger Tạ Phong Tần informed that she was treated discriminately in prison No. 5, Yên Định district, Thanh Hoá under harsh weather conditions and horrendous meal provisions.
- March 8, 2014: the dissident Ngô Hào was forced labor in prison Xuân Phước, Phú Yên province while under poor health conditions.
- March 14, 2014: blogger Tạ Phong Tần was assaulted in prison cell.
- April 9, 2014: prisoner of conscience Đặng Xuân Diệu had been on several periods of hunger strike, some up to 16 days, to protest the discrimination and disregard of the complaint requests in prison No. 5, Yên Định, Thanh Hoá.
- April 24, 2014: Đinh Nguyên Kha was on hunger strike to protest the harsh prison conditions at K3 prison, Xuyên Mộc by not allowing prisoners receiving family photos, reading newspapers.
- April 25, 2014: prisoner of conscience Đậu Văn Dương (Camp 5, Lam Sơn, Thanh Hoá), Trần Hữu Đức, Trần Minh Nhật (Camp K3 – Phú Sơn 4, Thái Nguyên) were simultaneously on a hunger strike to protest the unruly behaviors in the seizure of books, letters and unlawful discriminative actions against prisoners of conscience by prison officials.
- May 23, 2014: prisoner of conscience Võ Thu Thủy (born in 1963, was hold at K4, Camp 5, Yên Định, Thanh Hóa) made formal accusations of some prison officials at Camp 5 Thanh Hóa tolerated drug trafficking and discriminated against Hồ Thị Bích Khương in prison.
- June 13, 2014: Police secretly moved the lawyer Lê Quốc Quân out of An Điềm prison, Đại Lộc District, Quảng Nam Province.
- September 24, 2014: Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh was in extreme isolation in prison An Phước (Bình Dương) by reducing the rights of prisoners such as assignment for planting, no phone call to home. He was harrashed and terrorized by the prison staff using other criminal prisoners to instigate, fights, to insult and to threaten his life.
- December 17, 2014: blogger Tạ Phong Tần, prisoners of conscience Nguyễn Thị Lộc, Hồ Thị Bích Khương, Nguyễn Đặng Minh Mẫn were in solitary confinement in the Camp 5, Thanh Hoá. Tạ Phong Tần and Minh Mẫn were on 15-day hunger strike to protest against being treated discriminately.
VIII. Movements and activities to advocate human rights:
2014 is the year when many Cicil Society Organizations (CSO) in Vietnam blossomed with concrete activities.
After many public relations efforts inside and outside the country the CSOs had held several conferences to openly discuss the situation of human rights violations as well as organized additional courses to enhance knowledge and to bolster security capabilities for safeguard information and identities of activists.
- January19, 2014: In Hanoi, bloggers have organized the commemoration of 40th anniversary (1974-2014) of the loss of Paracel Islands to China on the square of Lý Thái Tổ statue - Hoàn Kiếm lake. The ceremony was disrupted when authorities staged construction works of cutting stones on location to create loud noises and blinding dust.
- February 17, 2014: No-U Hanoi group and bloggers organized the 35th memorial of the Vietnam-China border war (1979-2014) on the square of Lý Thái Tổ statue. The memorial ceremony was disrupted by youth volunteer, civil defense, public security forces by staging dance sessions with extreme loud music on site.
- February 2014: Vietnamese Bloggers’ Network (VBN) held the 1st Human Rights Roundtable in Saigon with the theme “Freedom of Movement rights”. This open public discussion has participation of many interested people and international reporters. It was held after many bloggers and activists were arbitrarily banned from travel abroad.
- March 14, 2014: For the first time civil society organizations met in Saigon and attempted to maintain a shared meeting to be held alternately.
- March 20, 2014: VBN held the 2nd Roundtable in Hanoi with the theme “Citizens travel visa banned for security reasons – viewpoints from international perspectives”. The session went well with the participation of many interested people, embassies representatives and representative of the group against the Declaration 258.
- April 2014: The 3rd Human Rights Roundtable entitled "Convention against Torture and the problem of citizens died in the police station" by MLBVN was planned to hold in Nha Trang but was violently suppressed when plainclothes security forces with the arrest of bloggers SeaFree (Nguyễn Văn Hải), Nguyễn Hồ Nhật Thành, Trịnh Kim Tiến, Mẹ Nấm (Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh) just right before the opening.
- May 2014: For the first time more than 20 independent civil society organizations in Vietnam issued a statement calling for protests against acts of aggression on the East Sea by China in deploying HD-981 rig. The demonstration on 05/11/2014 took place successfully in Saigon and Hanoi. It was also the first time right in Saigon, people hoisted banners demanding freedom for the patriots Trần Huỳnh Duy Thức, Anh Ba Sàm, Bùi Thị Minh Hằng … The message of the people to the government was clearly and explicitly expressed: “There must be changes for a prosperous nation”, “Be worthy as the nation leaders”, “Freedom, democracy for Vietnam”...
- June 2014: The movement “Motherland is not for sale” spread across Vietnam. It started when a man carrying water as a street vendor on 06/08/2014 in Saigon with banners “Not selling the Motherland” and “Lost of Motherland is Death”. Activities supporting the “Motherland is not for sale” idea was quickly supported and replicated spreading to Nha Trang, Hải Phòng, Hà Nội.
- July 2014: Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN) launched.
- August 26, 2014: many activists and those who care about human rights situation in Vietnam gathered in Đồng Tháp to attend a preliminary trial of human rights activists, blogger Bùi Thị Minh Hằng, Nguyễn Thị Thuý Quỳnh and Nguyễn Văn Minh. All observers were arrested and could not attend the hearing despite the fact that it was officially announced as open for public.
- September 2014: Vietnamese Bloggers’ Network (VBN) launched a campaign “We Want To Know” with the goal of demanding Vietnamese government to publish (declassify) information that were considered threatening to the survival of the Vietnam. Most importantly it intends to nudge people to step out of the shadow of their own fear excercising their rights.
- October 2014: In the heart of Hanoi, land grab victims and petitioners from North - Central - South simultaneously demonstrated for human rights and return of their land. The banners were raised in front of the offices of Government Inspector, President, and Prime Minister's: “Congress is for the Vietnam's Communist Party, not of the people”, "Disolution of the Congress”, “Puppet Congress”.
- November 2014: Training on Communication - Privacy - Legality - Human Rights was organized by Way of Vietnam and Communications Savior was successfully held in Hanoi after successful completion in Saigon late May.
- December 2014: CSOs simultaneously celebrated the International Human Rights Day throughout Vietnam.
IX. Activists who were released from prison:
- February 2, 2014: prisoners of conscience Chu Mạnh Sơn was released from prison to retur home after finishing the sentence of 30 months in prison for allegedly “conducting propaganda against the state” under Article 88 of the Penal Code.
- March 22, 2014: Political prisoner Nguyễn Hữu Cầu was released after 37 years in prison being convicted twice for “crimes against the socialist government of Vietnam”.
- April 7, 2014: Political prisoner Cù Huy Hà Vũ was released ahead of schedule and sent to America. Doctor of Law Cù Huy Hà Vũ was sentenced to seven years in prison, three years of probation by Article 88 of the Penal Code in 2010.
- April 12, 2014: Political prisoners Nguyễn Tiến Trung and Vi Đức Hồi were released ahead of schedule. Nguyễn Tiến Trung was sentenced to 7 years in prison and three years of probation by Article 79 of the Penal Code “activities aimed at overthrowing the government”. Activist Vi Duc Hoi was sentenced to 8 years in prison and five years of death by Article 88 of the Penal Code, “conducting propaganda against the socialist government of Vietnam”
- May 13, 2014: Lô Thanh Thảo finished her 2-years prison sentence with conviction of “propaganda against the state”. Thao was arrested while filming land grab victim petitioners in protest.
- June 21, 2014: Labor activist Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh was released ahead of schedule. Minh Hanh was sentenced to 7 years in prison on Article 89 of the Penal Code “disrupting security". After being in prison for more than 4 years Hanh was released due to many efforts by domestic groups and various human rights organizations outside the country.
- July 6, 2014: Land grab victim Lê Thị Kim Thu finished her prison sentence after being convicted of two years in prison for allegedly “disturbing public order” by submitting complaints in public to government offices from the local level to the national demanding final resolve of land issues for her family as well as other victims.
- September 11, 2014: Writer Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa - one of the pioneers in the movement for democracy in Hải Phòng finished his prison sentence. Activist Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa was sentenced to six years in prison by Article 88 of the Penal Code, “conducting propaganda against the Socialist government of Vietnam”.
- September 13, 2014: Writer, journalist, blogger Phạm Viết Đào ao finished his prison sentence after 15 months in prison under Article 258 of the Penal Code for allegedly writing articles “defaming the state and the communist party ... smearing the honor and reputation of party leaders and the Prime Minister”.
- Septembr 25, 2014: Four political prisoners Trần Tư, Nguyễn Tuấn Nam, Nguyễn Long Hội, Trần Hoàng Giang (sentenced on charges of “conspiracy to overthrow the government”) were released. Trần Tư was convicted to life imprisonment but was released early. Nguyễn Long Hội was sentenced to life in prison and was reduced to 20 years, Trần Hoàng Giang was sentenced to 15 years in prison and was released more than five months ahead of schedule.
- October 21, 2014: Blogger Điếu Cày - one of the symbols of the citizen press movement in Vietnam was released and deported to the United States. Blogger Điếu Cày was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Article 88 of the Penal Code.
- October 22, 2014: prisoner of conscience Võ Thu Thuỷ was released five months ahead of schedule. Ms. Thuy was sentenced to 4 years in prison on alleged charges “propaganda against the state”
X. Citizens protest:
In the past year, more serious confrontation between people with the authorities took place, particularly in matters related to land and housing. When the rights to lifehood being deprived, many people cornered to a dead end had resorted to using weapons to defend against the coercive and oppressive forces. Aside, many people also showed courage to stand up against police when they witnessed wrong doings.
- February 10, 2014: large group of farmers in Văn Giang commune, Phụng Công, Văn Giang district, Hưng Yên province organized to defend their land when land investors transported bulldozers to the area for land clearing. Thugs have used guns to shoot at farmers and seriously wounded farmer Nguyễn Văn Nghiêm, 44 years old.
- February 24-25, 2014: Hundreds of land grab victim petitioners of Thu Thiem had surrounded the construction site where the Korean G&S company started; to demand a stop of construction and presentation of investment license and construction permit. The government used the New Urban Area initiative on the Thu Thiem project, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City to appropriate 40,222 m2, sold it to the Korean G&S company in 2007 for $100 million (equivalent to 50 million VND / 1 m2). The development site includes 2,223 m2 belongs toVu Huy Hoang where the compensation was only 200,000 VND / 1 m2, less than 1/500th of the prevailing value).
- February 27, 2014: Land grab victims of Bắc Giang used petrol incendiary devices to defend against coercive land acquisition forces in Lục Ngạn district, Bắc Giang province. In 2007, officials of Lục Ngạn had undertook the land acquisition for a construction project “Intercity Chũ Road, Meteorology station –Luc Ngan Hospital” of 1.7 km. This undertaking was acceptable by residents in the affected area because the road will serve all residents. However, many were later surprised to receive notifications that specified their land which were not on the crosspath of the road would be appropriated for “road construction”. This has led to outrage and people determine to defend and protect their land.
- March 5, 2014: in Central Highlands, land grabs victims petitioned in front of the People’s Committee Building of DakNông province were beaten.
- March 27, 2014: Chairman of Duong Noi Ward, Ha Dong, Hanoi Lã Quang Thức and Police Chief Hà Văn Sơn commanded a combined squad of polices and civil defense forces to illegally forced people off their own land to hand them over to private construction. People were so incensed, opposed to the abuses and unlawful perverse actions by the local authorities. However, the government combined forces dominated, occupied, and erected a brick wall barrier surrounding the people land.
- March 28, 2014: thousands of residents of Ninh Thuan province converged to the center of the town to protest, surrounded Highway 1 (at the Phủ Hà roundabout, Phan Rang - Thap Cham). Protestors demanded authorities to release six people who had been arrested earlier when they protested against the polluting titan mining factory. In response, the government immediately mobilized Ninh Thuan security personnels and riot police to disperse the protest by force. Protestors fought back by throwing stones and objects towards the police force.
- March 29, 2014: people of Vũng Áng - Hà Tĩnh organized and protested en masse against the land grab coercion and clogged the road from Highway 1A to Vũng Áng. Traffic stopped and all transportations ceased at the stretch where protesters had hoisted banners and set up tents to protect their land. All transportations, including taxis were not able to pass through to the port.
- April 3, 2014: at Bình Dương, 2,000 workers of the Wonderful Saigon Electric company were on strike against more overtime work but less wages compensation. On the third day when striking workers insisted on meeting company management for talk, security guards then pepper sprayed them while many uniformed police stood by without action.
- Apri 8, 2014: More than 50 land grab victims from many provinces gathered at #1 Ngô Thời Nhiệm to file complaints about land loss. They were denied meeting with the authorities in charges and while waiting encountered provocations and intimidations from “thugs” and plainclothes securities.
- April 25, 2014: In Dương Nội (Ha Dong District, Hanoi) authorities mobilized forces up to 1,000 troops, continued to raid farmers who defended their land. At least 10 farmers of Dương Nội have been detained by police, including Cấn Thị Thêu and her husband Trình Bá Khiêm.
- May 23, 2014: Le Thi Tuyet Mai, a Buddhist member of the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam self-emolated herself right in front of the Reunification Palace in protest to protect religion and national sovereignty. In her letter left behind, Mai spoke up her mind about the situation of the country: “Over the past ten days, I lived in quiet mediation brimming with patriotism, today I am determined to burn myself up as a torch to enlighten a path for the invaders who have obstinately occupied our waters. I pray to the spirits and souls of the country to let me complete this patriotic act without any interferences, nothing to deter me and do not try to save my life ... In our history, the Trung sisters let husband and brother-in-law Thy Sach died of execution by the enemy to harden the will of soldiers and people to conquer and re-claim Ngoc Hoi, today I vow to will this torch to support and empower marine police together with fishermen to stand up to the invaders at sea”. At Mai’s funeral, security forces pressured her family and harassed participants when they filmed the memorial services.
- June 20, 2014: Mr. Hoang Thu Hung self-emolated in Manatee County, Florida (USA) to protest the Chinese rig. A handwritten letter that Hung left behind notes “Haiyang 981 have to leave the waters of Vietnam” and “Hero died but the hero spirits never die.”
- July 8, 2014: Nguyen Tien Dat (Binh Khanh Ward, District 2) successfully repelled a powerful forces of local corrupted officials in the coerced land grab took place at project for Thu Thiem New Urban Area, District 2, Saigon, with a 5-liter gasoline can ready to claim self-immolation.
- July 29, 2014: Father Truong Van Vut on his way to celebrate mass was surprised by a group of police posing as thugs blocked the road and beat him causing injuries. After the incident, parishioners of Da Nen (Thanh Thanh commune, Tuyen Hoa District, Quang Binh Province) immediately requested local authorities investigated to identify the perpetrators but they did not get any responses.
People in the area were so indignant of the cover-up of crimes by the police so they responded by setting fires in the middle of the road and blocking the convoy of police and local authorities.
- August 30, 2014: Ngo Thi Duc (74 yrs. old) resident of Trịnh Nguyễn block (Từ Sơn, Bắc Ninh)) used a knife to cut off a finger because of police coercion to confess. Đức stated that the act of cutting off a finger to protest because police and local government officials had pushed her family into the dead end corner. Ngo Thi Duc was a communist party member but was expelled because she and other local people opposed to the appropriate of their land to build “wastewater treatment plant Từ Sơn” which caused environmental pollution.
A total of 12 people were arrested by police under “disturbances” charges because they protested and demanded the relocation of the wastewater treatment plant” further, 1 km away, from the residential area.
- December 22, 2014: In Hai Phong, Nguyen Thi Thuy, 37, a mother of eight children and three grandchildren had to soak herself with gasoline holding a lighters stood next to a propane tank ready to die to protect a makeshift tent/hut being imminently attacked and destroyed by government forces. The hut where she were willing to die to protect sheltered accommodation of her 8 children amid a cold winter weather. Her youngest child was just 10 months old.
XI. Pass-away of democracy activists:
Year 2014, the democracy movement in Vietnam witnesses the departure of many who had spent most of their time in sacrifice for the cause of democracy in Vietnam. This year-end summary records the many names who passed away not yet seeing a change in the country:
- January 8, 2014: Blogger Ho Duc Thanh died from grave illness. Ho Duc Thanh is one of the young human rights activists in Hanoi.
- February 22, 2014: Lawyer Le Hieu Dang passed away in Saigon. Le Hieu Dang had served as Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Ho Chi Minh City, and quitted the Communist Party of Vietnam on 04/12/2013.
- April 3, 2014: The teacher Ding Dang Dinh died of stomach cancer. The teacher was temporarily freed after being sentenced to six years in prison by opposition bauxite mining project in the Central Highlands in 2009. In the last shared his life, we see more clearly the harsh regime detention of political prisoners in Vietnam.
- June 22, 2014: Facebooker Quê Thuốc Lào – Vy Nguyen Vu (born 1974) was murdered at his home in Hanoi. Vy was one of the active participants in the activities related to human rights and one of the ardant protesters against Chinese aggression.
- July 5, 2014: Huynh Anh Tri – a political prisoner imprisoned for 14 years of Article 79 of the Penal Code “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government” died of HIV/AIDS. Tri was recently released185 days earlier. In the end of his life he shared that the political prisoners imprisoned in Vietnam usually share room with the criminals, but have no knowledge that criminal prisoners were often infected with HIV / AIDS. This is one method of suppression of political prisoners and dissidents of the communist regime in prison. The worse is that prison superintendent and guards prohibit prisoners owning personal items such as cutlery, razors, shavers and mandate that all prisoners have to share a razor for haircuts. This is why many political prisoners were completely healthy when first arrested, but after a period of imprisonment, the itself and then gradually wasted and died mysteriously in prison. Anh Tri said, time in solitary confinement, shackled and chained together with prisoners with HIV is one of the reasons why the disease spread fast that nobody could imagine.
- July 29, 2014: Teacher Nguyen Anh Dung – a veteran and a fervent activist passed away at the age of 68 in Hanoi after a period of serious illness.. Nguyen Anh Dung was born in 1947, served as lecturer at Hanoi College of Industrial Economics, veterans of the Vietnam People's Army. Since 2000, he began participating in the struggle against oppression and injustices, called for democracy and human rights protection in Vietnam.
- November 13, 2014: Lawyer Tran Lam, one of the pioneers in the Democratic movement of Vietnam passed away at the age of 90 years old in Hanoi. Tran Lam whose real name is Trinh Dinh Trang, born June 10, 1925 in Nho Quan, Ninh Binh.
Lawyer Tran Lam was a veteran Communist Party member and participated in the communist propaganda machine as Provincial Propaganda Committee of the Viet Minh, Lang Son, station chief of information and propaganda of Hai Phong and Hong Quang (1950-1951), professor of politics from 1962.
At the highest position he served as judge in the Supreme People's Court of the Vietnam Communist government. But in later years, he was known as a human rights lawyer, a patriotic intellectual rather than a “communist intellectual”.
- December 6, 2014: A Falun Gong practitioner, Vũ Hồng Tố died in prison while under sentence for five years in prison on charges of “disturbing public order”. Mr. Tố is said to have died on hunger strike in prison. Vũ Hồng Tố and three other Falun Gong practitioners were arrested on May 2, 2014 when they brought hammers to the Ba Dinh mausoleum in Hanoi to break the mausoleum as they had announced earlier.
- December 18, 2014: Writer Bui Ngoc Tan passed away in Hai Phong at the age 81 years old. Bui Ngoc Tan was imprisoned in re-education camp for 5 years (1968-1973) under charges of “revisionist, anti-party” without trial. Writer Bui Ngoc Tan is the author of the novel "Story of 2000" – one of the outstanding works of Vietnam over the last four decades. This is a famous book that received international attention and has been translated into English, German and French. Bui Ngoc Tan tells the story of a prisoner named Tuan, according to the book critics, that through this prisoner one can notice how “Vietnam government crackdowns on intellectuals”. Therefore, the “Story of 2000” was just published in February 2000 but immediately on March 16 the Culture and Information signed Decision No. 395, suspended, withdrawn and destroyed this book published by Thanh Niên publication.
Looking back at 2014 - the year Vietnam joined the United Nations Human Rights Council, the human rights situation did not seem to improve much when the government used sophisticated means of human rights violations by levying monetary fines, as well as employing thugs, and increasing violences against dissidents. In 2015, perhaps activists in Vietnam will face many difficulties to progress and elevate their activities with strength and more publicly.
Our wish is 2015 will be the year that democracy flourishes in Vietnam.
