We, bloggers in Vietnam, submit to Mr. Le Hong Anh, Minister of Public Security and Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Socialist of Vietnam, our collective requests as follows:
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, 59 years of age, commonly known as blogger Dieu Cay, and who is most concerned for among all bloggers in Vietnam, and whom was sentenced to 30 months of prison by the Ho Chi Minh court because of a trumped-up charge of “tax invasion” against him. On October 19, 2010, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai had served full term this arbitrary sentence, and he was supposed to be released immediately.
On the contrary, blogger Dieu Cay was not freed even for a brief moment. On the day when he finished his prison term, he was transferred to another holding location. His family only learned later that he had been placed under “temporary detention” for investigation of a new charge, “propaganda against the State”, section 88 of the Criminal Code. From October 19, 2010 until now, almost 7 months have gone by, blogger Dieu Cay’s family tried in vain a total of 13 times to visit him in jail, and to bring him extra clothings, and foods. Not once was he allowed to receive any. His family has not even been informed where he is being held, how his health is, whether he is alive or dead. All the aforementioned is testimony to the fact that the laws in Vietnam are seriously violated; especially when Vietnam always boasts its slogan: “live and work according to the Constitution and Rules of Law”.
Thus, we believe that the charges and imprisonment of blogger Dieu Cay- Nguyen Van Hai for the past 3 years are indeed politically motivated. We have witnessed the courageous actions of blogger Dieu Cay when he voiced his concerns and protested against China’s statement of sovereignty over Vietnam’s Stratly and Paracel islands. We have read with respect his blog and his writings defending the rights of the poor, and justice for the marginalized. We admired him as a courageous man with a truthful soul and a deep love for his nation.
We, therefore, call upon the authorities:
- to immediately and unconditionally free blogger Dieu Cay- Nguyen Van Hai. If he is indeed capable of committing any crimes as alleged, we request that the authorities make clear any indictment against him, and proceed with a trial fairly and in accordance with existing laws.
- to allow him access to his defence lawyer, to be visited by his family and to be cared for by a doctor, as prescribed by law.
- to adhere to international laws and respect human rights, as Vietnam has agreed to as a signatory member of the United Nations, and to not torture or subject Dieu Cay to maltreatment during detention nor for investigation purposes.
We, hereby, submit to both Minister of Public Security and Minister of Foreign Affairs, our calling for the immediate release of blogger Dieu Cay
We look forward to receiving a prompt and positive response from both Ministries as well as from those responsible for the legal proceedings against blogger Dieu Cay, Nguyen Van Hai.
At the same time, we would like to respectfully send our calling for support to all governments of free nations, all international human rights organizations, all intergovernmental mechanisms, all foreign media abroad and in Vietnam, and all those who cherish freedom and justice, to help us advocate for Dieu Cay’s release with the Vietnamese government.
