International PEN welcomes the release of journalist Nguyen Viet Chien on January 17, 2009, as part of a presidential amnesty to mark the Lunar New Year. Nguyen Viet Chien had served eight months of a two-year prison sentence for reporting on corruption. PEN remains alarmed about freedom of expression in Vietnam, and reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently detained in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.

Background Information

According to PEN’s information, Nguyen Viet Chien, reporter for the Vietnamese language newspaper Thanh Nien, was arrested along with his colleague Nguyen Van Hai, reporter for the newspaper Tuoi Tre, on May 13, 2008. Their detention was linked to their reports on high-level corruption in the so-called “PMU-18” scandal in 2006.  It is said that the scandal provoked the resignation of some senior officials, some of whom who were allegedly linked to development funds that were used to gamble on European football, rather than to build roads and bridges. On October 15, 2008 the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced both journalists under Article 258 of the Vietnamese Penal Code for "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interest of the State the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens." Nguyen Viet Chien was given a two-year prison sentence after pleading his innocence, while Nguyen Van Hai was handed a non-custodial two-year re-education sentence after pleading guilty.

PEN remains alarmed about the situation of freedom of expression in Vietnam. In September there was an apparent crackdown on dissent as a number of writers were arrested for their peaceful dissident activities. The following remain detained in poor condition without charge or trial:

Nguyen Xuan Nghia: poet and writer   
Le Thi Kim Thu (f): online reporter and photographer
Pham Van Troi: dissident writer and activist
Nguyen Van Tuc: farmer, poet and human rights defender
Ngô Quỳnh: student and dissident writer
Pham Thanh Nghien (f): Internet writer and independent journalist

Write A Letter

  • Welcoming the release of journalist Nguyen Viet Chien, but remaining concerned about the continued detention and well-being of Nguyen Xuan Nghia, Le Thi Kim Thu, Pham Van Troi, Nguyen Van Tuc, Ngô Quỳnh, and Pham Thanh Nghien;
  • Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for the peaceful exercise of their right to free expression in Vietnam, in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a signatory.

Send Your Letter To

His Excellency Nguyên Minh Triêt
President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Nguyên Tân Dung
Prime Minister
1 Hoang Hoa Tham Street
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Lê Doan Hop
Minister of Culture and Information
1 Hoang Hoa Tham Street
Hanoi
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Please note that there are no fax numbers available for the Vietnamese authorities, so you may wish to ask the diplomatic representative for Vietnam in your country to forward your appeals. It would also be advantageous to ask your country’s diplomatic representatives in Vietnam to intervene in the case.

Please send appeals immediately. Check with PEN if sending appeals after February 10, 2009: ftw[at]pen.org