Statement from the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers regarding the recent arrest and detention of bloggers Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy

On May 5, 2014, the Security Investigation Office of the Ministry of Public Security carried out a search warrant and arrested two bloggers Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy. Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh is a well-known blogger known under the name Anh Ba Sam. His basam.info website has greatly contributed information promoting Freedom of Speech in Vietnam.

Reacting to these arbitrary arrests based on Article 258, the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers has made the following comments and requests.

1. If Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy are arrested on the grounds of “posting articles on the Internet that carry bad contents and false information to degrade reputation and trust of State agencies, social organizations and citizens” then:

a. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to specify and prove which of the articles posted by these two bloggers have "bad contents" and provide the legal grounds for the conclusions.

b. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to provide proofs of the "State agencies and social organizations" whose reputation has been degraded by the articles posted by these two bloggers.

c. The Police Investigation Office is responsible to provide proofs of the "State agencies and social organizations" whose public trust has been negatively affected by the articles posted by these two bloggers.

2. The Court is the final institution, based on laws and justice, to make judgment and to confirm that whether or not the State or any civil organizations has indeed been reduced prestige and lost trust in people because of the writings of Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy.

3. The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers absolutely believes that Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy only pratice the citizens’ right of freedom of speech that is regulated by the Constitution of Vietnam, recognized by the International Conventions in which Vietnam has signed and by the universal values that Vietnam, as a member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, undertakes to respect and enforce. Following bloggers Pham Viet Dao, Truong Duy Nhat, and Dinh Nhat Uy, Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh and Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy have become the two latest victims of Article 258 and the arbitrary application of this article by the Ministry of Public Security.

4. The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers is concerned that with the ongoing arbitrary arrest and detention, any citizen of Vietnam who is practicing his/her right of freedom of expression in Vietnam can also be "urgently arrested" because of the abuse of power at the discretion of the Ministry of Public Security.

Therefore, The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers calls upon its members and all other bloggers: 

1. Let us consider the urgent arrest and detention of bloggers Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy are the offensive actions against the freedom of speech of all of us. Those are also imminent threats to each individual blogger and all bloggers in Vietnam. Each of us can become a prisoner like Pham Viet Dao, Truong Duy Nhat, Nguyen Huu Vinh or Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy anytime.

2. Together, let us fight for the freedom of bloggers Nguyen Huu Vinh and Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy as if fighting for our own freedom. We cannot accept the fate of "a prisoner waiting for an urgent arrest to happen" at any time.

3. Hand in hand, let us coordinate with and mobilize the public to fight for the freedom of the detained bloggers by making large online campaigns, conducting international lobbies, especially filing petitions with the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. Let the nation and the whole world see that the Ministry of Public Security is using Article 258 to suppress freedom of speech and that the Vietnamese bloggers do not accept, and will fight against, wrong doings, injustice, violation of the Constitution, and abusing of the law.

The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers