Mennonite Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang in the
hospital after being assaulted by anonymous
thugs. ©2015 VRNs
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Bloggers Assaulted for Visiting Fellow Activist
“The Vietnamese government has some serious questions to answer. Is it now government policy to have police travel with thugs to punish people who don’t immediately follow their orders?” Brad Adams, Asia director
(New York) – The Vietnamese authorities should immediately stop using violence against human rights campaigners, Human Rights Watch said today. In January 2015, leading bloggers were targeted by plainclothes agents and beaten. The attacks violated basic rights and that all involved in the assaults against bloggers and rights activists should be held accountable for their acts of violence, intimidation, and harassment.
“The Vietnamese government has some serious questions to answer,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “Is it now government policy to have police travel with thugs to punish people who don’t immediately follow their orders?”
On January 21, a group of 12 bloggers and rights activists went from Hanoi to Thai Binh province to visit Tran Anh Kim, a political prisoner who was released on January 7 after completing five years and six months in prison for alleged affiliation with a political party banned by the authorities. The visitors included geophysicist Nguyen Thanh Giang; film artist Nguyen Thi Kim Chi; former editor Nguyen Le Hung; former political prisoner Nguyen Vu Binh; bloggers Nguyen Tuong Thuy and JB Nguyen Huu Vinh; and rights activists Tran Thi Nga, Truong Minh Tam, Truong Van Dung, Nguyen Thanh Ha, Bach Hong Quyen, and Ngo Duy Quyen.