CORRESPONDENCE - 85A COMBINED REPORTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM 2012

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Socialist Republic of Vietnam). According to these articles, any expression of opinions through such peaceful means as debate, storage and distribution of documents different from those issued by the CPV, is a "crime," and the "criminal" can be sentenced to 20 years in prison (Art. 88), or to death if found to have "carried out activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration" (Art. 79). In 2011, at least 33 dissidents were sentenced to imprisonment through the abuses of this criminal law. Many others were arrested and held pending trial. Among those convicted, the following figures have drawn the most attention in world public opinion: - Mr. Vi Due Hoi, a former official of the CPV, was sentenced to 8 years in prison in January 2011 for posting on the Net his articles calling for a multi -party democracy, the state accusing him of doing " "anti -state propaganda" based on Article 88 of the Criminal Law. Nonetheless, he was awarded a Human Rights Watch 2009 `Hellman /Hammett Human Rights Prize' for those very same articles. - Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu was sentenced in April 2011 by a Hanoi court to 7 years in prison plus 3 years under house arrest, for having been an enthusiastic human rights activist in the civilian political area, including his legal suits against Premier Nguyen Tan Dung for his decree prohibiting citizens from complaining collectively, and against police General Vu Hai Trieu for his suppression of freedom of speech (through his bragging of having crushed some 300 websites); and his demand to remove Article 4 of the 1992 Constitution that allows for the Vietnam Human Rights Network * Annual Report 2011 CPV's monopoly of rule in the country. He also actively participated in many legal cases to protect human rights both in civilian and religious areas. He was a recipient of the Hellman /Hammett prize and the 2011 Vietnam Human Rights Prize, too. - Professor Pham Minh Hoang, of dual nationality (French and Vietnamese), was sentenced in August 2011 to 3 years in prison and 3 years under house arrest allegedly for his "activities aiming at overthrowing the people's government" based on Article 79 of the Vietnam Criminal Law. He was accused by the authorities of having posted on the Net 33 articles intended to oppose the CPV single -party regime under the penname of Phan Kien Quoc, and of his overseas relations with the Viet Tan party. His sentence was then reduced to 17 months by a court of appeal on 29 November 2011 for his "plot to overthrow the government." He was eventually freed on 13 January 2012, but is still under house arrest. - Ms. Ho Thi Bich Khuong was sentenced by a Nghe An court based on Article 88 of the Vietnam Criminal Law, to 5 years in prison and 3 years under house arrest, for having answered an interview by an overseas anti -state radio station and then posted it on the websites of various human rights groups. She was also a recipient of the 2011 Hellman /Hammett prize. - Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, similarly, was sentenced to 2 years in prison and 2 years under house arrest for the same "crimes." 12