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Amnesty International Urges Appeals to President of Vietnam

STRASBOURG, France — The plight of Le Thi Hong Lien, the 21-year-old Vietnamese Mennonite teacher in prison since her arrest in June 2004, has captured the attention of Amnesty International.

Ms. Lien is reportedly suffering from severe mental illness in the prison infirmary at Chi Hoa Prison, Ho Chi Minh City. Her condition is said to be deteriorating and she is being denied access to the treatment she needs.

Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of her fundamental rights to freedom of expression and association and a victim of torture and ill-treatment.

On January 7, Amnesty International issued an appeal, urging messages of concern in English, French or the first language of the writer to be sent immediately to the Prime Minister and President of Vietnam.

Letters or faxes should: express concern for the health of Ms. Lien, whose condition is said to be deteriorating; urge authorities to ensure that she be transferred immediately to a medical institution for assessment and treatment by a specialist; call for an investigation into reports that she has been beaten by prison guards and that those responsible be brought to justice; and call for her immediate and unconditional release.

Ms. Lien's arrest in late June was related to a March 2 incident when church members tried to report to authorities their being watched by secret police who had threatened them.

At her trial on November 12, 2004, Ms. Lien was sentenced to 12 months in prison on charges of "resisting a person performing official duty."

Five other Mennonite leaders were tried and sentenced on the same day. The three-year sentence for Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and two-year sentence for evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach are being appealed. An appeal of evangelist Nguyen Thanh Phuong's one-year sentence has been denied.

Brothers Nguyen Hieu Nghia and Nguyen Thanh Nhan, both arrested in March, 2004, were sentenced to nine months and released in early December. Since their release, they have spoken out on the maltreatment of the "Mennonite Six," including a savage beating inflicted on Ms. Lien by a guard escorting her to and from her trial.

In recent months Ms. Lien's mental health is reported to have seriously deteriorated. Prison guards reportedly told relatives that they did not have the means to care for inmates with such a severe illness. Without treatment, her condition is likely to deteriorate further.

Ms. Lien had been arrested before. In August, 2002, she and other church members were arrested when teaching a group of poor children, a program that had not been authorized by the local authorities. Although they all were released the same day, Ms. Lien was badly beaten and required hospital care.

Appeals on behalf of Ms. Lien should be addressed to: His Excellency Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Office of the Prime Minister, Hoang Hoa Tham, Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam or faxed to + 844 823 4137 / 199 2682 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marked "For the attention of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai"); or to His excellency President Tran Duc Luong, Office of the President, 35 Ngo Quyen, Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam or faxed to + 844 199 2682 / 823 4137 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marked "For the attention of President Tran Duc Luong").

Copies should be sent to the diplomatic representatives of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam accredited to the writer's country.

Appeals sent after February 18, 2005, should be checked with the International Secretariat or the writer's national office.