Bauxite Việt Nam

To:

- The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Cc:

- The Chairman of the National Assembly

- The Standing Committee of the National Assembly

On April 4, 2011, the Hanoi District Court tried Mr Cù Huy Hà Vũ on charges of “propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” and sentenced him to seven years in jail and three years of house detention. The trial has caused a wave of criticisms and protests both inside the country and all over the world. It was conducted in a manner that violated the Penal Code, it did not ensure the right of the accused to defend himself, there was no proper legal debate before the verdict, and in spite of the judges’ proclamation of an open trial, security forces rudely prevented people from entering the court. Finally, an unduly harsh sentence was rushed through, suggesting that it had been decided before the trial even began.

Mr. Cu Huy Ha Vu’s trial was the last stage of a case which started in November 2010 and proceeded in a manner which violated the Penal Code right from the beginning. Mr Vu’s arrest was carried out against due legal process, using charges that were fabricated to defame and humiliate him, which caused widespread disagreement.

Mr Cu Huy Ha Vu was subsequently prosecuted for “propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”, based on his open expression of his political views in the domestic and international media, even though his views were largely supported by people from all levels of society, including veteran generals and army officers. The prosecution has caused deep concern among people who defend freedom of thought and speech, as guaranteed by Vietnam’s Constitution and laws.

Whether they are considered entirely valid or not, Mr Cu Huy Ha Vu’s opinions reflect the earnest efforts of a citizen to help build a developed and democratic Vietnam, a country that will be better able to defend its independence and sovereignty. His opinions should be examined and discussed rather than suppressed or punished.

For these reasons, since his detainment, many voices have been raised from within and outside the country petitioning for his release and for the investigations to be stopped. If the Government had acceded to these wishes, its prestige would have risen considerably in the eyes of the people in Vietnam, the overseas Vietnamese community and the whole world.

Regrettably this did not happen. The case, which attracted unprecedented attention, lead instead to an extremely clumsily conducted trial on April 4, 2011 which was severely condemned by public opinion. This trial is a blot on the image of Vietnamese justice and on that of the government, which is in charge of building a state of the people, by the people, for the people, based on the rule of law.

The country is going through an extremely difficult period. The economy is facing severe challenges, an inflationary storm is hitting family food baskets, education and moral standards are deteriorating, injustices and social unrest are on the increase, our national independence and territorial integrity are facing daily threats. To successfully steer the country through these difficult challenges and ensure its steady progress, it is essential that we strengthen national consensus and solidarity.

We also need to gain the respect of governments and peoples from over the world so that we can get their help in building our country and benefit from their support against foreign aggression. This will only be possible if the government listens to and maintains a dialogue with different voices, and if it fulfils its commitments to its people and to the international community. The trial of Mr Cu Huy Ha Vu went against these noble aims and caused a feeling of insecurity among the people, and thus it is doing great harm to the long term interests of our nation.

For these reasons, we the undersigned petition the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, particularly the heads of the legislative assembly, judiciary bodies and agencies in charge of scrutinizing the activities of the courts, to cancel the results of the trial of Mr. Cu Huy Ha Vu on April 4, 2011, abolish the entire case against him and release him as soon as possible.

Respectfully yours