Authorities in central Vietnam’s coastal Nghe An province have arrested a dissident writer and activist for investigation of activities aimed at overthrowing the country’s one-party state, relatives and state media reported.
Le Dinh Luong, 52, was taken into custody on July 24 in Hoang Mai town by men in plain clothes believed by family members to be police, Luong’s daughter in law told RFA’s Vietnamese Service.
He is now being held on suspicion of violating Article 79 of Vietnam’s penal code, state media said this week.
Authorities are accusing Luong of membership in the U.S.-based Vietnamese opposition party Viet Tan, which Vietnam regards as a terrorist organization, and of calling for a boycott of parliamentary and people’s council elections.
Luong, a veteran of Vietnam’s 1979 border war with China, has also written on Facebook calling for compensation for fishermen affected by the April 2016 waste spill by Taiwan-owned Formosa Plastics Group’s steel plant.
The environmental disaster has led to ongoing protests and arrests in Nghe An and other coastal provinces.
Rights groups and Western governments say Vietnamese authorities frequently use Article 79, relating to “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration,” to arrest and imprison democracy and human rights activists in the country.
Reported by RFA’s Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Richard Finney.
What a tragedy for Mr. Le Dinh Luong and VN!
In summary, communism is a social experience; at best; been haphazardly put together by a bunch of misfit and anti-‘establishment’ aiming to overthrown the current regime because of the abuses and unjust.
Now; they are the ‘establishment’ with numerous corruptions and abusiveness; but they fail to realize that. They need to look into the mirror; i.e. listen to the voices of the people and their daily struggles.
The country might is when its citizens are enriched. Have this occurs? If not, then embark the right courses to make a better tomorrow! Putting people behind bars isn’t a solution. The solutions are justice, better education, and better economy.
Sadly, VNmese Party is a bunch of cowards and copycats! They yet have an original idea as how to govern – everything that has been done is from either China or Russia. Where is your loyalty, the people or China/Russia?
BTW, I like the T-shirt!
Jul 28, 2017 10:52 AM
