Lawyers of Tinh That Bong Lai Temple Request the Suspension of ‘Fraud’ Investigation of Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen

Key events:

Lawyers of Tinh That Bong Lai Practitioner Request the Suspension of ‘Fraud’ Investigation
Thai Court Postpones Extradition Hearing of Montagnard Activist Y Quynh Bdap
Social Media User Sentenced to 7 Years for Defamation of Revolutionary Leader

Lawyers of Tinh That Bong Lai Practitioner Request the Suspension of ‘Fraud’ Investigation

On July 9, the Long An Provincial Police announced that they had officially prosecuted Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, 34, a practitioner at the Buddhist temple Thiền am bên bờ vũ trụ (A Zen Temple on the Edge of the Universe), also known as Tịnh Thất Bồng Lai, on charges of “committing fraud to appropriate assets.”

Four days later, on July 13, three defense lawyers of the temple, attorneys Dang Dinh Manh, Nguyen Van Mieng, and Dao Kim Lan, wrote a joint letter, which they published on social media, calling on the Long An Provincial Police Department and other relevant authorities to cease the criminal prosecution of Nhat Nguyen on “fraud” charges.

These lawyers fled to the United States in June 2023. They sought political asylum and resided there after the Long An Provincial Police Department filed a search warrant against them due to their “potential violation of Article 331,” which criminalizes “abusing democratic freedoms.”

The lawyers believed the investigation bureau had falsified evidence and set up a trap to accuse the Buddhist practitioner of his alleged wrongdoing. They said the indictment also exposed “a series of serious violations of criminal proceedings by the Security Investigation Agency of Long An during the investigation.”

In July 2022, the Duc Hoa District Court imprisoned Nhat Nguyen and five other practitioners at the Buddhist temple, including its 93-year-old head monk, Le Tung Van, on charges of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 331 of the Penal Code. The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, in a press release in November 2023, expressed concerns over the imprisonment of Tinh That Bong Lai monks and nuns and called for their immediate release. The announcement also condemned Vietnam’s persecution of people due to their religious beliefs.

The police indicted them on another allegation of “committing fraud” but later suspended the investigation due to a lack of evidence. According to state media, the Long An Provincial authorities resumed the indictment on July 2, claiming that they had collected enough evidence to prove that the practitioners at Tịnh Thất Bồng Lai were pretending to be Buddhist monks to raise illicit donations from the general public.

However, the lawyers for the Buddhist practitioners rejected all police accusations. They said in the letter that these people were independent religious followers and didn’t need to be recognized by the state-controlled Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to become genuine Buddhist monks. The joint letter also urged the Vietnamese authorities to suspend all investigations against the religious adherents at Tịnh Thất Bồng Lai and restore their legitimate and legal rights.

Thai Court Postpones Extradition Hearing of Montagnard Activist Y Quynh Bdap

The Bangkok Criminal Court on July 15 postponed the extradition hearing of Montagnard religious freedom activist Y Quynh Bdap to August 1 and 19 due to a shortage of preparation time for the court inquiry. Bdap’s defense lawyer, Nadthasiri Bergman, also cited the limited visitation times with her client, which are only 20 minutes a day, making it difficult for them to prepare for the inquiry properly. He requested that the court provide case documents in a language he understands. The court approved the request of Bdap’s lawyer.

Y Quynh Bdap, 32, co-founded Montagnards Stand for Justice, a religious freedom advocacy group for Indigenous populations in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. The organization has provided training on international law and human rights to ethnic minority communities that face government persecution. It has also documented and prepared reports of the Vietnamese government’s religious persecution and presented them to the United Nations special rapporteurs.

As a result of his activism, Bdap fled to Thailand in 2018 and was granted asylum there while he waited to be resettled in a third country. In January 2024, a court in Dak Lak Province sentenced the activist to 10 years in absentia on charges of “terrorism,” an allegation he strongly rejected. Many human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns over the possible torture and inhuman treatment that he could face if repatriated to Vietnam.

Cross Cultural Foundation, a Thailand-based organization founded by human rights defenders and political activists, reported that around 50 observers, including foreign diplomats and representatives from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), could attend the hearing. According to the prosecutors, nine high-level Vietnamese security officials were most notably present. Bergman, Bdap’s lawyer, said outside the court that Thailand “has to live up to the international standard” by refusing to send Bdap back to his native country, given that he is a recognized political refugee.

Pham Van Cho, 60, a social media user living in Hung Yen Province, has been sentenced to seven years in prison and an additional two years of probation for publishing materials on Facebook that allegedly “insulted” the nation and Ho Chi Minh, state media reported on July 11. Cho was accused of violating Article 117 of the Penal Code, which prohibits the “distribution of anti-state propaganda.”

According to his indictment via state media, between August 2019 and November 2023, Cho had reportedly used two Facebook accounts named "Pham Cho" and "Nguyen Minh Tan" to livestream, post, and share several photos and articles that contain information defamatory of the Vietnamese Communist Party and President Ho Chi Minh. The police searched his house in January this year and confiscated three videotapes, one cell phone, and an ATM card.

Based on the examination of one of his Facebook accounts, “Nguyen Minh Tan,” the security investigation bureau found that they contained postings that “insulted the national heroes and revolutionary leaders” and “distorted the guidelines and policies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.” They declared that such information aimed at “dividing national unity, causing confusion in public opinion, and eroding people's trust in the party and state.”

Quick takes:

Lam Dinh Thang, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications, suggested during questioning at the city council’s meeting on July 16 that local social media users need to verify their identity before being allowed to leave a comment on online postings. According to Thang, identity verification could help combat the spread of misinformation and fake news on social media. This aligns with the requirement in Decree 27, a new draft of legislation on the management and provision of Internet services. Social media users must provide their real names, phone numbers, email addresses, or other identification documents to authenticate their identity.

Vietnamese Singer Banned from Performance for Wearing an Alleged Military Medal:

Dam Vinh Hung, one of Vietnam’s most well-known pop singers, has been banned from performing for nine months and an additional 27.5 million dong fine for wearing a medal during one of his shows last May, which, according to state censors, bears a resemblance to the former Republic of Vietnam (RVN) military medal. The RVN existed for a short period in southern Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 before the Communist takeover. The current Vietnamese government outlaws all symbols of the defunct RVN and punishes anyone who challenges the state narrative on the Vietnam War.

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