Almost all Vietnam state media outlets on Saturday June 13, 2009 simultaneously reported police had arrested a lawyer known for his role in defending pro-democracy activists, accusing him of working with 'hostile forces' against the communist state.
The People's Public Security Newspaper, run by Vietnam police force, and most of other state media outlets reported on Saturday that lawyer Le Cong Dinh had been taken into custody in an “expedited procedure” for “colluding with domestic and foreign reactionaries to sabotage the security of Vietnamese State.”
In the Press Conference held by the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday afternoon, two hours after Dinh’s arrest, Major-General Hoang Cong Tu told journalists that Dinh had been arrested at 11.10 AM on Saturday, pursuant to Article 88 of the Criminal Code of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam which prohibits distributing information harmful to the state.
Dinh, born on October 1, 1968, works for Le Cong Dinh Law One-member Limited Liability Company at 37, Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city (formerly known as Saigon).
The General accused Dinh mainly of working with “hostile forces” against Vietnam government but failed to give details on the so-called “hostile forces.” On his own account, Tu revealed that his Investigation Security Agency found on a raid at Dinh’s office a 112-page “Draft of New Vietnam Constitution” preparing for a coup d’état in 2010 when Dinh and his collaborators in “domestic and foreign reactionaries” will overthrow the communist government. To make his story of “a plot for a coup d’état in 2010” more believable, Tu stated that in March this year, Dinh travelled to Thailand to meet with some democratic activists living abroad.
Another press conference was also held simultaneously in Hanoi by another Police General. With the same rhetoric, Lieutenant- General Vu Hai Trieu stated that Vietnam police now has enough evidence to show that the lawyer has been actively working with “hostile forces” to overthrow Vietnam government. Trieu vowed to punish Dinh severely for what he called "the crimes against Vietnamese people".
Evidentially, Dinh has come under government scrutiny for defending pro-democracy activists. In 2007, Dinh defended human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan when they appealed their prison sentences for spreading anti-government propaganda.
His recent articles on political pluralism in Vietnam were something that made him a marked man by Vietnam government. “Pluralism has worked well in economy over the last 20 years, now it's time to try political pluralism too,” he told BBC in an interview on February this year.
Likewise, in another article titled "Give back the 'Dien Hong spirit' to the people" in which he encouraged people to overcome their fear of the authority and voice their disapproval on many of current government's policies. His writings were warmly welcomed by readers but it also brought him to the attention of the government.
The way in which Vietnam state media outlets have simultaneously reported Dinh’s detention has been applied in Vietnam several times. It’s a tactic to terrify dissidents who dare to challenge the leadership of the Communist Party. Ironically, the same media outlet once praised him for being "an excellent young performer" now calls him "the reactionary".
The People's Public Security Newspaper, run by Vietnam police force, and most of other state media outlets reported on Saturday that lawyer Le Cong Dinh had been taken into custody in an “expedited procedure” for “colluding with domestic and foreign reactionaries to sabotage the security of Vietnamese State.”In the Press Conference held by the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday afternoon, two hours after Dinh’s arrest, Major-General Hoang Cong Tu told journalists that Dinh had been arrested at 11.10 AM on Saturday, pursuant to Article 88 of the Criminal Code of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam which prohibits distributing information harmful to the state.
Dinh, born on October 1, 1968, works for Le Cong Dinh Law One-member Limited Liability Company at 37, Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city (formerly known as Saigon).
The General accused Dinh mainly of working with “hostile forces” against Vietnam government but failed to give details on the so-called “hostile forces.” On his own account, Tu revealed that his Investigation Security Agency found on a raid at Dinh’s office a 112-page “Draft of New Vietnam Constitution” preparing for a coup d’état in 2010 when Dinh and his collaborators in “domestic and foreign reactionaries” will overthrow the communist government. To make his story of “a plot for a coup d’état in 2010” more believable, Tu stated that in March this year, Dinh travelled to Thailand to meet with some democratic activists living abroad.
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| Dinh during the Police's raid at his office on Saturday |
Evidentially, Dinh has come under government scrutiny for defending pro-democracy activists. In 2007, Dinh defended human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan when they appealed their prison sentences for spreading anti-government propaganda.
His recent articles on political pluralism in Vietnam were something that made him a marked man by Vietnam government. “Pluralism has worked well in economy over the last 20 years, now it's time to try political pluralism too,” he told BBC in an interview on February this year.
Likewise, in another article titled "Give back the 'Dien Hong spirit' to the people" in which he encouraged people to overcome their fear of the authority and voice their disapproval on many of current government's policies. His writings were warmly welcomed by readers but it also brought him to the attention of the government.
The way in which Vietnam state media outlets have simultaneously reported Dinh’s detention has been applied in Vietnam several times. It’s a tactic to terrify dissidents who dare to challenge the leadership of the Communist Party. Ironically, the same media outlet once praised him for being "an excellent young performer" now calls him "the reactionary".