In its latest attempt to intimidate and terrorize the whole population, police have secretly kidnapped dozens of Catholics and Protestants, accused them of working to overthrow the regime. Some of them will be tried soon.
Almost a month after secretly kidnapping young Catholics of the diocese of Vinh, Vietnamese police finally made known last week that the detainees have been jailed in Hanoi’s temporary internment camp 14 B, and that five of them would soon to be charged of "working to overthrow the people's administration" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 79 of Viet Nam's Penal Code.
Peter Ho Duc Hoa (37), Jean Baptiste Nguyen Van Oai (31), Francis Dang Xuan Dieu (32), Peter Nguyen Xuan Anh (29), and Joseph Nguyen Van Duyet (31) were accused of “joining the Viet Nam Reform Party (Viet Tan – based in the United States)”, and “working to overthrow the people's administration through a method of ‘non-violence’”.
However, promptly responding to the accusation of Vietnamese police, the general secretary of the Viet Tan party, Mr. Ly Thai Hung, said in a statement on BBC that young Catholics arrested since the end of July had never had any relationship with his party.
The process of chain actions including arresting, jailing, employing state media to falsely accuse "mortal and deadly sins", and then issuing heavy verdicts is a tactic that has been employed quite successfully by the Vietnam government to stifle dissident call for reform. But, Redemptorist priest Le Ngoc Thanh, spokesperson of Vietnamese Redemptorists vowed to keep bravely denouncing the arbitrary kidnapping the young Catholics, asking for their unconditional releases.
“We are not so fearful of any pressure to the point of not being able to see the Resurrected Christ who is present somehow in the detainees. We keep raising our voice against the fact that police are violating the laws regulating the process of arresting and jailing citizens. They are turning a peaceful country into a place where kidnapping and terrorism happen everywhere,” he said.
Since Aug. 23, families of Catholic detainees have been able to go to the internment camp to provide food parcels and clothing to the prisoners. But they could not send through prayer books. Young detained Catholics reportedly keep high morale despite of being interrogated for long hours daily, often late into night.
Catholic journalist Paulus Le Son, who was arrested on Aug. 3, is believed to be held at the same internment camp 14 B. On Aug. 11, Police made known that he was arrested for "joinning the reactionary Party Viet Tan".
Three other Catholic university students Peter Nguyen Huu Duc, Anthony Dau Van Duong and Anthony Chu Manh Son are believed to be jailed at Nghi Kim in the province of Nghe An.
On Aug. 18, two other Protestant students Do Thi Luong and Anh Hung were also arrested. Police have not admitted of kidnapping the two. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Several candle vigils have been held throughout Vietnam by different religious communities to pray for their safety and release.
Almost a month after secretly kidnapping young Catholics of the diocese of Vinh, Vietnamese police finally made known last week that the detainees have been jailed in Hanoi’s temporary internment camp 14 B, and that five of them would soon to be charged of "working to overthrow the people's administration" pursuant to Clause 2, Article 79 of Viet Nam's Penal Code.
Peter Ho Duc Hoa (37), Jean Baptiste Nguyen Van Oai (31), Francis Dang Xuan Dieu (32), Peter Nguyen Xuan Anh (29), and Joseph Nguyen Van Duyet (31) were accused of “joining the Viet Nam Reform Party (Viet Tan – based in the United States)”, and “working to overthrow the people's administration through a method of ‘non-violence’”.
However, promptly responding to the accusation of Vietnamese police, the general secretary of the Viet Tan party, Mr. Ly Thai Hung, said in a statement on BBC that young Catholics arrested since the end of July had never had any relationship with his party.
The process of chain actions including arresting, jailing, employing state media to falsely accuse "mortal and deadly sins", and then issuing heavy verdicts is a tactic that has been employed quite successfully by the Vietnam government to stifle dissident call for reform. But, Redemptorist priest Le Ngoc Thanh, spokesperson of Vietnamese Redemptorists vowed to keep bravely denouncing the arbitrary kidnapping the young Catholics, asking for their unconditional releases.
“We are not so fearful of any pressure to the point of not being able to see the Resurrected Christ who is present somehow in the detainees. We keep raising our voice against the fact that police are violating the laws regulating the process of arresting and jailing citizens. They are turning a peaceful country into a place where kidnapping and terrorism happen everywhere,” he said.
Since Aug. 23, families of Catholic detainees have been able to go to the internment camp to provide food parcels and clothing to the prisoners. But they could not send through prayer books. Young detained Catholics reportedly keep high morale despite of being interrogated for long hours daily, often late into night.
Catholic journalist Paulus Le Son, who was arrested on Aug. 3, is believed to be held at the same internment camp 14 B. On Aug. 11, Police made known that he was arrested for "joinning the reactionary Party Viet Tan".
Three other Catholic university students Peter Nguyen Huu Duc, Anthony Dau Van Duong and Anthony Chu Manh Son are believed to be jailed at Nghi Kim in the province of Nghe An.
On Aug. 18, two other Protestant students Do Thi Luong and Anh Hung were also arrested. Police have not admitted of kidnapping the two. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Several candle vigils have been held throughout Vietnam by different religious communities to pray for their safety and release.