Under the Vietnamese Criminal Code Article 84, Mr. Huynh Anh Tri and his older brother Mr. Huynh Anh Tu were arrested in 1999 and then condemned to the so-called “conducting terrorist activities’’ intending to overthrow the communist government. Both of them were sentenced to harsh terms of 14 years in jail.
Over six months after being released from the prison in December 2013, Mr. Huynh Anh Tri has detected to be infected with HIV virus. His health got worse and worse as his situation of HIV test result was positive, then turned into AIDS at the latest stage.
The Vietnamese Committee on Human Rights (Paris-based VCHR) stated in 2013 that political dissidents were subjected to a “particularly harsh regime", inadequate medical care at the Xuan Loc prison.
According to Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, an inmate of Mr. TRI, there were at least about ten political prisoners that had contracted the HIV-AIDS virus in prison, most of them had even died. Recently another political dissident, Mr. Do Quang Thai, in Z30 prison, Xuan Loc , Dong Nai has been waiting a deadly life because he has been being in the last stage of the AIDS and he will not live for long. He was receiving no treatment for the condition.
The living condition in jail was so severe and worst. The following situation in prison could be considered for possible risk of HIV-AIDS infection:
Staying in same cell with HIV prisoners: During the time in Z30A prison in Xuan Loc, Dong Nai, Mr. TRI said that he was obliged to stay in the same cell with criminal prisoners, many of them who already contracted the HIV.
Using same razor: About 100 prisoners were forced to share the same razor for shaving, said Mr. TU. In Xuân Lộc prison, especially under the regime of Mr. Lại Xuân Hùng and Mr. Huy who had given a deadly rule that all prisoners in same rooms/cells must use between them the same razor to shave. These one were not allowed to keep razors for themselves, every time after shaving, they must send the razor back to the staff officer for keeping.
“Unclean shackles”: Mr. TRI is a live witness for the fact that unclean shackles have often to be used in prison. Shackles and chains infected with HIV blood were given as a sort of “fettered feet” punishment to prisoners. These dirty items were passed from person to person between them without sterilizing care. It could cause a possible high risk of HIV infection which was the main reason for the death in prison of at least 10 prisoners in Z30 prison Xuan Loc, Dong Nai.
Bribe in prison: Prisoners often had to negotiate the prices with staff officer to buy/receive “clean chains/shackles” to be chained up during the punishment. If no money to buy a clean one, they had to be shackled to unclean chains/shackles, even to the chains/shackles which were just used before on prisoners with HIV infected and were still contracted with blood. As people may have known, HIV can be transmitted by the ways of sexual contact, from mother to baby during pregnancy or breast feeding and also by blood transfusion.
Prisoners, in Vietnamese communist, especially prisoners of conscience have been severely tortured, thrown in dark room, held in prison for years on end and have even been killed for speaking out against the government.
Mr. Cu Huy Ha Vu had a 25-day hunger strike from May to June in 2013, to condemn the cruel and degrading treatment in prison.
In August 2013, Mr. Dieu Cay Nguyen Van Hai also performed a 33-day without food in prison to protest the bad regime, aggressive actions of Vietnamese government in jail.
On April this year happened an attentive case with the death of teacher Dinh Dang Dinh, held for speaking out against Vietnamese government about the Chinese Bauxite project in Vietnam highland. He was suspected to be poisoned in prison and he passed away after a few months set free because of catching stomach cancer while in jail.
Another similar case to be taken into consideration was about the recent health condition of Mr. Pham Thanh Nghien and Mrs. Le Thi Cong Nhan, 2 former political prisoners. Both said that their health became seriously worse and worse due to the result of degrading treatment in prison previously with no medical services conditions.
Vietnamese authorities may tell the world that they are fair and just but Vietnamese citizens know better. There are hundreds of people who are either on house arrest or held in prison, often years on end without a fair treatment. Vietnamese authorities states of not holding political prisoners but according to “Report on Human Rights in Vietnam 2013’’ of Vietnam Human Rights Network, there are about 237(1) prisoners of conscience have been holding in severe conditions in Vietnam.
Note:
(1) “List of Prisoners of Conscience Currently in Jail Updated 2014/04/16’’, “Report on Human Rights in Vietnam 2013’’ of Vietnam Human Rights Network.
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