Vietnamese Dissident on Trial for Subversion

[CardSharp]

Vietnamese Dissident on Trial for Subversion


Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

A French-Vietnamese activist is on trial in Vietnam on charges of subversion.

Pham Minh Hoang is accused of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration.” Authorities say he posted several anti-government articles on the Internet, as well as having ties to Viet Tan, a pro-democracy group that is banned in Vietnam.

Hoang's wife says she believes her husband is being held due to his opposition to a Chinese-run bauxite mine in the Central Highlands, which activists say has caused environmental degradation in the area.
Hoang is a Vietnamese-born math professor who lived for several years in France, and holds French citizenship.

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-n...ident-is-jailed-for-3-years-for-subversion-2/

 

[CardSharp]

Vietnam jails dissident blogger Pham Minh Hoang

A French-Vietnamese dissident blogger has been jailed in Vietnam for three years for attempted subversion.

Pham Minh Hoang had written articles that "blackened the image of the country", according to the judge at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hoang, 56, admitted having joined an opposition group but said his writings were not aimed at overthrowing anyone.

Human rights activists say dozens of government critics in Vietnam have been given long jail terms in recent years.

France's foreign ministry had earlier voiced "serious concern" about Hoang's case.

His family has said he will appeal against the sentence.

His wife, Le Thi Kieu Oanh, said she was "utterly shocked" by the court's decision.

"I am losing hope... but as a wife, I will fight until the very end," she told the BBC's Newshour programme.

Appeal
Hoang, who was said to have written 33 articles under the pen name Phan Kien Quoc, asked for leniency, saying he did not know he was breaking the law.

"My writings were not aimed at overthrowing anyone," he told the court. "I only pointed out the negative things in society, and I think the country needs to be more democratic."

His lawyer said Hoang was only exercising his right to free speech, and drew from his experience in France "where there is a civilised education environment".

Subversion has become an increasingly common charge brought against democracy activists in Vietnam - resulting in sentences of up to 15 years in prison, says Nga Pham of the BBC's Vietnamese service.

But Hoang received the more lenient jail term of three years for a number of reasons; he is a French citizen, and although he confessed to belonging to the banned opposition group Viet Tan, he said he was not acting under its instruction.

Viet Tan is a California-based pro-democracy group that Vietnam considers a terrorist organisation. The US has said there is no evidence to suggest that Viet Tan is a terrorist group.

BBC News - Vietnam jails dissident blogger Pham Minh Hoang
http://www.chinesedefence.com/forums/f19/vietnamese-dissident-trial-subversion-821/

 

[LetsGetRowdy]

What a bad boy.

 

[KKNDmx]

What a bad boy.

"bad boy?" according to whom? the Vietnamese government?

 

[Cambodia Spirit]

While the World situation becoming worst, plus the U.S. is struggling with its national crisis, the Vietnam is more freely to suppress its people without any attention.

Vietnamese anti-communists living outside Vietnam had been put in the corners by the West because of useless value at this time. The democracy lickers in Vietnam are not better, those stupid have been provoked by the West hoping to bring an "orange revolution" to Vietnam. Both are used as chests for the West interests!

From that we can see, biting China bring to Vietnam a double edge results!?

 

[S10]

Alot of recent nationalists sentiments in Vietnam are actually fuelled by oversea "pro-democracy" groups. While the Vietnamese government does want to publicize the issue of South China Sea to cover up domestic issue, I think they're getting burned by their own fire. Once you stir up nationalists temper, it's not easy keeping a lid on it. It limits your policy choices to hard line, something which Vietnam cannot afford to do against China.

 

[Robert Lindsay]

How ironic,little commie backstabbing big commies.

 

[NiceGuy]

"bad boy?" according to whom? the Vietnamese government?

Viet Tan is terrorist group, if he has a ties to Viet Tan, so he must be in jail , bro

 

[CardSharp]

How ironic,little commie backstabbing big commies.

Robert Lindsay do you run a blog?

 

[rcrmj]

Viet Tan is terrorist group, if he has a ties to Viet Tan, so he must be in jail , bro

thats your vietcon propaganda```

 

[CardSharp]

thats your vietcon propaganda```

Yep a lot of countries harbouring anti-Viet terrorists. Good thing they listed all of their address, so the mighty Vietnamese armed forces can go in and grab them!


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[NiceGuy]

thats your vietcon propaganda```

Yep a lot of countries harbouring anti-Viet terrorists. Good thing they listed all of their address, so the mighty Vietnamese armed forces can go in and grab them!

hehe, it's our own matter, and you're Not USA, if USA say Nothing about human right in VN, so VietTan is terrorist group.

If you wanna blame our Democracy version, go and blame US first.But I think you can not blame anything, coz you're still in US's black list of Human rights

 

[CardSharp]

if USA say Nothing about human right in VN, so VietTan is terrorist group.

lol is that what Cong propaganda tells you?

 

[NiceGuy]

lol is that what Cong propaganda tells you?

This is US's propaganda. Keep silent means agreement

 

[Peter]

"bad boy?" according to whom? the Vietnamese government?

Who's else! Of course, according to the Vietnamese government...