VIETNAM: Writers Amnestied — 05.10.2011
Sydney PEN joins the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International in welcoming the release under amnesty of writers Tran Duc Thach and Nguyen Van Tinh.
On 30 August 2011, dissident writers Tran Duc Thach and Nguyen Van Tinh were included in an amnesty celebrating Vietnamese National Day (2 September). According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), they were the only political prisoners among more than 10,000 to be freed (for the full report and an interview with Tran Duc Thach on his release click here). Both writers were arrested in September 2008 as part of an ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent in Vietnam. They were tried under Article 88 of the Penal Code for ‘propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ and were sentenced to three years in prison.
Tran Duc Thach, aged 59, is a prolific poet, internet writer and member of the Association of Writers of Nghe An province. He is known for his writings exposing corruption, injustice, and human rights abuses. He is the recipient of the 2010 Hellman Hammet award, administered by Human Rights Watch. Tran’s sentence was due to expire two weeks after his release. Nguyen Van Tinh, aged 68, is the co-editor of the underground review To Quoc (The Nation). He was arrested for online articles and essays published between November 2006 and September 2008. He was freed four months before the expiry of his sentence.
At the time of their release, both writers were in very poor health after being held in Nam Ha province’s labour camp under appalling conditions.