Message of support from the Mathematician Michel WALDSCHMIDT (Institut de Mathématiques, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI) Sent to one member of sosPhamMinhHoang Group

Summary :

I have indeed met Pr. PHAM Minh Hoang during my very first visit in Hanoi, where Pr. Hoang has taken care of me very warmly. I remember when he transported me on his motorbike. I regret having not keep in touch with him.

I have looked at your blog [sosPhamMinhHoang], and signed the petition.

I was shocked when learning the informations you gave. In similar circumtances, the international pressure can often lead to a positive result. I am informing the president of the International Mathematics Union, , László Lovász, the president of the European Mathematics Society , Ari Laptev, the president of the French Mathematics Society, Bernard Helffer , as well as other colleagues active in the French-Vietnamese cooperation in Mathematics.

I warmly wish that your action will quickly lead to a happy end.

M.W.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers today sent a letter to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet urging him to release over one hundred political and religious prisoners in honor of “National Day,” a Vietnamese holiday celebrated each year on September 2. Vietnam’s government has said that 25,000 to 30,000 prisoners will be granted amnesty and released before National Day.
“If Vietnam wants to be taken seriously in the eyes of the international community, it must do more to improve its abysmal human rights record,” said Rep. Sanchez. “One of the ways President Triet could help repair his government’s reputation is by releasing non-violent political and religious prisoners from prison. These individuals have done nothing except exercise their basic political and civil liberties.”
A bipartisan coalition of U.S. Representatives signed on to Rep. Sanchez’s letter, including Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D - CA), Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R - LA), and Rep. Gerald Connolly (D - VA). A full copy of the letter can be found below:

Dear President Triet,
We are writing to urge Vietnam to release all prisoners of conscience.  We are aware that the Ministry of Public Security has stated that between 25,000 to 30,000 prisoners will be granted amnesty and released from prison before your country’s September 2^nd National Day.

We remain concerned that the Government of Vietnam continues to silence dissent, and we call on Vietnamese authorities to end the harassment, arrest and imprisonment of peaceful dissenters.  Just two weeks ago, human rights defender Professor Pham Minh Hoang, who is a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic Institute, was arbitrarily detained for expressing his concerns about social justice and corruption.  Under the International Covenants on Human Rights and according to Vietnamese law, political expression is a basic freedom and not a crime.  As citizens of the world, Vietnamese citizens are entitled to the freedom of religion, opinion, speech, and the right to counsel and a fair trial.

We are aware that many of the prisoners who have been incarcerated were charged and sentenced after unfair trials and being denied their right to counsel.  The prisoners currently being held are forced to perform hard labor and at times denied medical attention.  Vietnamese authorities have charged the prisoners of conscience under Article 88 for conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or Article 79 for carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration which are both part of the 1999 Penal Code.  President Triet, we urge the Government of Vietnam to repeal or amend provisions in the 1999 Penal Code that criminalize peaceful dissent and ensure that legislation fully protects the rights to freedom of expression, association and opinion.

We are including a list of individuals detained in Vietnam for the peaceful expression of political or religious views.  Although, we have included more than one hundred individuals on this list, it by no means includes all prisoners who are currently being detained.  The lack of inclusion on the attached list should not preclude prisoners from being released. We urge you to release all prisoners without any conditions or restrictions.  We believe that the freedoms of expression, access to information, and political participation are universal rights.

They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities.
Laws like the 1999 Penal Code and the continued harassment and imprisonment of individuals who exercise their freedom will continue to be an obstacle to the U.S.-Vietnamese relationship. Reiterating President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commitment to enforcing human rights standards, we urge Vietnam to become a responsible member of the international community and ensure the full protection of human rights.

(from Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez website)

Letter from Mrs Chantal BRUNEL, Member of Parliament and and Regional Advisor, Seine et Marne, France To the Ambassador, Vietnamese Embassy in France

Mrs Chantal BRUNEL draws the Ambassador’s attention to the arrest of Mr. PHAM Minh Hoang, lecturer in Mathematics at the HCMCity Polytechnic Institute.

She has been alerted by people of Vietnamese origin in her district to this injustice. Mr. PHAM is known as a professor admired by his students and colleagues, a devoted citizen, calm and peaceful, willing to live and work in his fatherland, simply preoccupied by environmental issues and territory integrity.

Mrs Chantal BRUNEL wishes to obtain The Ambassador’s position on this case, and if the point of view of her district residents  is confirmed, asks the Ambassador to urge the competent authorities in Vietnam to favourably treat this case.