Vietnamese Lawyer Arrested For Support of Pro-Democracy Activities

“The first thing we do,” said the character in Shakespeare’s Henry VI, is “kill all the lawyers.” Contrary to popular belief, the proposal was not designed to restore sanity to commercial life. Rather, it was intended to eliminate those who might stand in the way of a contemplated revolution — thus underscoring the important role that lawyers can play in society.


As some readers know, our Firm belongs to an international network of law firms known as Lawyers Associated Worldwide (“LAW”), a network which consists of independent law firms in over 100 major world commercial centers.


One of LAW’s member firms is in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and those of us who are LAW members have recently learned of a terrible injustice being committed against our “brother-in-LAW” from Vietnam, Le Cong Dinh.


On June 16, 2009, public security police arrested Le Cong Dinh at his home in Ho Chi Minh City for “colluding with domestic and foreign reactionaries to sabotage the Vietnamese state.”  His “crime”?  He is charged with breaching Article 88 of the national security section of the Penal Code, which outlaws “conducting propaganda” against the state, an offence punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The authorities accused him of communicating with the BBC and Radio Free Asia and of having links with overseas Vietnamese activists.   


At least 30 dissidents have been sentenced to long prison terms since 2006 – most of them under Article 88 – for discussing politics and human rights issues. These include prisoners of conscience and human rights lawyers Le Thi Cong Nhan and Nguyen Van Dai, whom Le Cong Dinh represented at the appeal court hearing of their case in November 2007.


He and their other lawyers courageously argued that Article 88 is unconstitutional and does not conform to international human rights treaties that Viet Nam has ratified.   


The injustice has gone beyond his initial arrest, as on July 1, 2009, Le Cong Dinh was disbarred by the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association. 


The full story regarding this ordeal can be found on Amnesty International’s website.


LAW has joined a growing number of organizations, including Amnesty International, the U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch and Radio Free Asia protesting the Vietnamese government’s actions towards Le Cong Dinh.  Why?  Because, while LAW is a “commercial affiliation” of law firms, it is right and proper to make such efforts: LAW acts out of the highest values of justice when we stand in solidarity with our Vietnamese Brother. We cannot close our eyes to the plight of our members and the violation of their fundamental and universal human rights. Indeed, real and effective Global commerce is severely hammered, if not impossible, where lawyers can not act peacefully, independently and ethically in representing their clients and in so expressing their views, and instead must operate in fear of and at the whim and undue influence of government .


PLEASE HELP US IN OUR EFFORTS TO SECURE LE CONG DINH’S FAIR TREATMENT, OR RELEASE AND READMISSION AS A LICENSED LAWYER IN VIETNAM. 


Please send your appeals before August 17, 2009 to the following offices:


Le Hong Anh
Minister of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security
44 Yet Kieu Street
Ha Noi, VIET NAM
Fax: +8443 942 0223
Salutation: Dear Minister


Pham Gia Khiem
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1 Ton That Dam Street, Ba Dinh District
Ha Noi, VIET NAM
Fax: +8443 823 1872
Email: bc.mfa@mofa.gov.vn
Salutation: Dear Minister


Le Luong Minh
H.E Ambassador
Permanent Mission to the United Nations
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 435
New York, NY 10017. USA
Tel: 212 – 644 – 0594 / 0831
Fax: 212 – 644 – 5732
Email: info@vietnam-un.org


Please also send copies to the diplomatic representatives of Viet Nam accredited to your country:


For US, COPIES TO:
Ambassador Le Cong Phung
Embassy of Vietnam
1233 20th St NW #400
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 1 202 861 0917
Email: info@vietnamembassy.us OR
consular@vietnamembassy.us


For EU, COPIES TO:
Ambassador TON Nu THI NINH
1 blvd General Jacques
1050 Brussels
Brussels, Belgium
tel. (2) 374-91-33;
fax (2) 374-93-76


Thank you in advance for your help in freeing our “brother-in-LAW”, Mr. Le Cong Dinh.