Nguyen Van Ly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly is a Roman Catholic priest and prominent Vietnamese dissident involved in many pro-democracy movements, for which he was imprisoned for a total of almost 15 years. For his ongoing imprisonment and continuous non-violent protest, Amnesty International has adopted Nguyen Van Ly in December, 1983 as a Prisoner of conscience. [1] Most recently, his support for the Bloc 8406 manifesto has led to his sentence on March 30, 2007 for an additional eight years in prison.[2]

1 History
2 2007 Arrest and Sentence
3 Comments on Father Nguyen Van Ly
4 See Also
5 External links

[edit] History

Nguyen Van Ly has started his dissident activities as early as in the 70s, and already spent one year in prison from 1977 to 1978 and an additional nine from May 1983 to July 1992 for "opposing the revolution and destroying the people's unity". [3]

In November, 2000, Nguyen Van Ly gained global and official attention, when members of the Committee for Religious Freedom visited Nguyen Van Ly in his village, during US president Clinton's visit to Vietnam. [4]

Father Nguyen Van Ly held silent during televised court appearance in March 2007

On May 17, 2001 Father Ly was arrested at An Truyen church, for his alleged "failure to abide by the decisions on his probation issued by authorized State agencies" [5] and received in October 2001 another prison sentence of 15 years for activities linked to the defense of free expression. The sentence was later reduced several times and he was finally released in February 2004.

[edit] 2007 Arrest and Sentence

As a member of the Bloc 8406 pro-democracy movement, Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced again on March 30, 2007 by Vietnamese provincial court Judge Bui Quoc Hiep for eight years in prison for committing "very serious crimes that harmed national security" by trying to organize a boycott of the upcoming election. [6]

The arrest has been condemmed by leaders including US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice which calls this a "negative development". [7]

[edit] Comments on Father Nguyen Van Ly

"Father Ly's activities in support of greater religious freedom in Viet Nam date back many years." [8]

"Homo Homini is the annual award presented by the People in Need Foundation to persons with outstanding merits in promoting human rights, democracy and the non-violent resolution of political conflicts....Nguyen Van Ly is a Roman Catholic priest. He has been repeatedly subjected to brutal treatment by the authorities for defending religious freedom in Vietnam." [9]

"This is not Father Ly's first brush with the Government of Vietnam. Since 1977, the Government of Vietnam has repeatedly arrested, harassed, and jailed Father Ly for his advocacy of religious freedom." [10]

"U.S. Senator Sam Brownback yesterday met with one of Vietnam's leading political and religious dissidents...Brownback met with Father Nguyen Van Ly, a Catholic priest who has been imprisoned by Vietnamese officials for his vocal criticism of the one-party political system and the lack of religious liberties in Vietnam. The two met at Nam Ha Prison where Ly is being detained." [11]