The People's Democratic Party
For Immediate Release
On May 10th, 2007 members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) were illegally tried and sentenced to imprisonment for the fabricated and arbitrary charges of so-called "'dissemination of propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under Article 88 of Vietnam's Criminal Code."
Dr. Le Nguyen Sang, pen name Nguyen Hoang Long, 48 years old and founder of the PDP, was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment. Other PDP's leader members, Journalist Huynh Nguyen Dao, pen name Huynh Viet Lang 39 years old and Lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen, pen name Minh Chinh, 39 years old, were sentenced 3 and 4 years in jail respectively.
Dr. Le Nguyen Sang, Journalist Huynh Nguyen Đao and Lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen
These individuals have committed no crimes; to advocate freedom of expression, to exercise freedom of association and to seek or exchange information by peaceful means are legal acts. The Vietnam Communist Party has ignored these basic human rights; they continue to crack down on Vietnamese Dissidents by using harsh sentences to silence them.
Vietnam is a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in which the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 19, clearly states protection of the right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, or through any other media of his choice". In addition, according to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 9, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile" and The Socialist Republic of Vietnam's Constitution itself declares the " right of freedom expression, right of freedom press, right of freedom exchange information and right to form an association and right to demonstration" in article 69.
However, the authorities have ignored the truth and the principles of their own legal system and have violated Vietnam 's constitution and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The convictions handed out by the Vietnam Communist Party to Dr. Le Nguyen Sang, Journalist Huynh Nguyen Dao and Lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen are illegal. Similar to Father Nguyen Van Ly and The Vietnam Progression Party's trial, these typical arbitrary trials should be considered as a crime against mankind.
The People’s Democratic Party strongly condemns the crime committed by the Vietnam Communist Party. The PDP, urgently calls upon our members and the Vietnamese people at home and abroad to continue fighting for Human rights, Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam . As President Bush's speech is still echoed somewhere "All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know the United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you". We call on the Bush government to stop selling and supplying military aid to this dictatorship and cancel the upcoming meeting between the President of United States and Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Regards,
Do Thanh Cong