Lawyers Raise Concern Over Alleged Police Torture of Buddhist Practitioner Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen

The Vietnamese Magazine -

Key Events

  • Lawyers Raise Concerns over Alleged Torture of Buddhist Practitioner Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen
  • International Organizations Condemn Vietnam’s Sentencing of Duong Van Thai
  • Bui Van Thuan and Trinh Ba Tu Cease Hunger Strikes After Prison Authorities Agree to Improve Living Conditions
  • Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Urges Beijing to Release Detained Fishermen

Lawyers Raise Concerns over Alleged Torture of Buddhist Practitioner Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen

The defense lawyers of Thiền Am bên bờ vũ trụ (A Small Zen Hermitage at the Edge of the Universe,) an independent Buddhist temple, announced on Oct. 30 that they had collected and verified evidence regarding the alleged mistreatment of Le Thanh Nhat Nguyen, a practitioner at this religious facility, by police interrogators.

Nhat Nguyen, 33, is being detained at the B34 Detention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, which remains under the management of the Ministry of Public Security. Nhat Nguyen suffered “brutal torture” while in detention, according to the announcement.

In July 2022, a court in Long An Province sentenced five Buddhist monks and a nun at Thien Am Ben Bo Vu Tru to a combined 23 and a half years in prison on charges of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, lawful rights, and interests of organizations and/or citizens,” under Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

Nhat Nguyen was sentenced to four years of imprisonment. Last July, the authorities additionally charged him with “committing fraud for personal gain,” alleging that he used his reputation as a Buddhist monk to ask for illicit donations.

According to the lawyers, the Vietnam Civil Rights Project's report about Nhat Nguyen’s mistreatment was provided to the Boat People SOS (BPSOS), a human rights non-profit organization that this project belongs to. The legal team at BPSOS has edited the report and sent it to the MPS and other international anti-torture organizations.

Last August, the Vietnam Civil Rights Project also drafted another report that raised concerns about the potential maltreatment of Nhat Nguyen by correctional authorities and fellow inmates. 

International Organizations Condemn Vietnam’s Sentencing of Duong Van Thai

Numerous human rights advocates have condemned the recent conviction of blogger Duong Van Thai, 42, who was allegedly kidnapped in Thailand and forcibly brought back to Vietnam and urged the authorities to release him. On Oct. 30, a court in Hanoi sentenced Thai to 12 years of imprisonment and three years of house arrest on allegations of “distributing anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Penal Code.

According to Le Van Luan, one of Thai’s defense lawyers, seven other defendants were tried alongside his client; they received jail terms ranging from 30 months to five and a half years on the same charges. These trials were closed to the public. Attorney Dang Dinh Manh, who lives in exile in the United States, told VOA News that he believed that the other convicted defendants were communist officials who disclosed the government’s internal communications to Duong Van Thai so that he could publish them on social media.

Thai ran a YouTube channel, Thái Văn Đường, where he published news reports on corruption and internal affairs within the Communist Party. The channel ceased operations, and all videos were removed on Nov. 1.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based advocacy group, called on Hanoi to “annul the politically motivated verdict against the democracy activist Duong Van Thai and release him immediately.” The human rights group highlighted the alleged abduction of Thai in Bangkok by Vietnam-sponsored agents, pointing out that he is a refugee recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, said that the “bogus” trial of Thai was “the latest example of the Vietnamese government’s thuggish disregard for international law and the rights of its citizens.”

Other press freedom advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have issued similar statements. CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin said the actual criminal in this case is “the Vietnamese state”. He said that Duong Van Thai should be “released immediately and allowed to leave Vietnam.” In another announcement, RSF said they are “appalled” by the 12-year sentence, adding that this conviction shows the Hanoi regime’s contempt for press freedom. RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index reported that Vietnam ranks 174th out of 180 countries and territories regarding press freedom.

PEN America on Oct. 31 condemned the conviction of Duong Van Thai and urged Vietnam to overturn his harsh sentence. “Silencing writers for peaceful dissent goes against international standards,” the New York-based organization wrote on X. On the same day, a spokesperson of the U.S. State Department expressed concerns over the conviction and sentencing of Thai, adding that the U.S. remains “deeply troubled by reports alleging Duong Van Thai was abducted by Vietnamese authorities in Thailand and forcibly returned to Vietnam.”

Bui Van Thuan and Trinh Ba Tu Cease Hunger Strikes after Prison Authorities Agree to Improve Living Conditions

Two prisoners of conscience, Bui Van Thuan and Trinh Ba Tu resumed their normal diet on Oct. 19 following a 21-day hunger strike after the correctional authorities at Nghe An Province’s Prison No. 6 agreed to improve the living conditions of two.

Trinh Ba Tu, a land rights activist, informed his family in a call on Oct. 30 that the prison officials put an end to the use of “tiger cage” detention, which holds prisoners in solitary cells divided by iron bars, preventing them from moving and interacting with fellow inmates.

Tu said they ended the strikes after correctional authorities partially approved their previous demands, which called for the abolition of “tiger cage” detention and the release of all prisoners of conscience. Tu said he and Bach each lost 11 kilograms during the prolonged fasting, while Dang Dinh Bach, who was held in the same unit, ceased his strike after 10 days due to his weakened health.

Trinh Thi Thao, Tu’s sister, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that after the harsh detention methods were lifted, these prisoners could go to a common area to exercise and interact with each other for at least two hours on Friday and Sunday mornings. Previously, when the “tiger cage” system was enacted, political prisoners could not go to the common area; they were locked up in their cells and were not able to interact with each other. Nghe An Prison No. 6 is renowned for its harsh living conditions and mistreatment of prisoners.

Vietnam's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Urges Beijing to Release Detained Fishermen

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded Beijing release the Vietnamese fishermen detained by Chinese authorities on Sept. 29 near the Paracel Islands, or Hoàng Sa in Vietnamese, an area in which Hanoi has asserted sovereign claims.

Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Doan Khac Viet said at a regular briefing on Oct. 31 that the Chinese maritime law enforcement’s detention of the fishermen “is a serious violation” of Vietnam’s sovereignty over these islands and the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of these fishing crews. According to Vietnamese state media, China claimed that the Chinese Coast Guard captured 10 Vietnamese fishermen when they were fishing off the island of Hainan. It did not clarify when these sailors were detained and how long they had been detained.

Viet said the foreign ministry is in frequent contact with the Chinese authorities to resolve the issue while protesting the unlawful arrests of the crew. The foreign ministry spokesperson added that Vietnam “resolutely opposes China’s actions” and requests Beijing to “fully respect Vietnam’s rights over the Paracel Islands, release all illegally detained Vietnamese fishermen and vessels, compensate for damage, and cease the harassment and illegal detention of Vietnamese vessels and fishermen in the Paracel Islands.”

At the same time, the spokesperson voiced concerns over reports that China had installed military equipment on Triton Island, located in the southwestern part of the Paracels, and said the country “strongly opposes any activities that seek to violate Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel islands.”

Previously, an analysis by Chatham House, a London-based think tank, showed that China was upgrading its military outpost in Triton by constructing a counter-stealth radar system which can detect coming vessels. Chatham House said this system will “significantly diminish [Vietnam’s] capacity to operate undetected in the area.”

Quick Takes

PEN America Urges Vietnam to Provide Medical Care for Journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan

PEN America on Oct. 31 raised concerns over the recent deterioration of the health journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan, a member of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam (IJAVN). The advocacy group urged the Vietnamese authorities to provide Tuan with adequate medical care and release him on humanitarian grounds. According to Tuan’s family, he had developed stomach illnesses and experienced weight loss and limb numbness while he was unable to eat solid food. Although the journalist had a colonoscopy last April, the examination was cursory, which raised doubts about its accuracy. His family also said they only received four letters from him between June and October 2024, even though prison regulations permit him to send two letters home monthly.

Legal Initiatives for Vietnam, a nonprofit organization that manages The Vietnamese Magazine and Luat Khoa Magazine, released a new report on the state of press censorship in Vietnam on Nov. 1. The report, titled “Censorship in Vietnam – State Media Under Unprecedented Attack,” consists of three chapters and provides an overall analysis of the development of the media landscape and state censorship imposed on the press over the past two decades. This report also outlines the government's censorship mechanisms to control the Vietnamese media, including its Penal Code and numerous decrees and regulations. Meanwhile, foreign social media platforms play a part in assisting the Communist regime in spreading its propaganda and stifling dissenting voices, the report notes.

Telecommunications Ministry to Tighten Online Activities of Celebrities and Influencers 

The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications on Oct. 27 announced a plan to cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to assert control over the activities of celebrities and influencers. on social networks and media platforms. According to the telecommunications ministry, the plan is a response to the rapid development of the media landscape and how citizens consume information has changed over the years. This ministry claimed that many people now turn to social media platforms for news and entertainment, creating a fertile environment for “hostile forces, reactionaries, and opportunists” to spread propaganda against the party and state.

Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

Cooperation and struggle define Vietnam’s approach to China

East Asia Forum/ Hanh Nguyen/ Oct. 28

“Vietnam has crafted a nuanced approach that delicately balances resisting China’s encroachment in the South China Sea with maintaining cordial political relations and growing economic ties. Hanoi has established pockets of cooperation and struggle in each area — economic, political, security and defence — of bilateral ties with Beijing.

This approach is specifically tailored to Hanoi’s advantages and disadvantages in its dealings with Beijing. It capitalises on Vietnam’s geographical proximity and unique connections with China to foster growing economic interdependence and deep political ties. But this strategy also attempts to offset Vietnam’s lack of formal allies and direct threats posed by China through military modernisation and expanded defence cooperation with regional powers.

Hanoi continues to welcome trade and investment linkages from China — one of Vietnam’s leading trade partners and the main export destination for agricultural products, textiles and rubber. The US–China trade war has also led to a Chinese foreign direct investment boom in Vietnam.”

Scarce room at the top of Vietnamese politics for women

Radio Free Asia/ Zachary Abuza/ Oct. 27

“There is currently only one woman on the elite 15-member Politburo: Bui Thi Minh Hoai, who was elected mid-term at the 9th Plenum in May.

Truong Thi Mai, the only woman elected to the 18 member Politburo at the 13th Congress in January 2021, was forced to resign in May as part of the ongoing Blazing Furnace anti-corruption scandal. Mai headed the CPV’s Secretariat, making her the highest-ranking female politician in the country’s history.

With Mai’s resignation, there are currently no women on the 12-member CPV Secretariat, which is in charge of the party’s day-to-day affairs.”