NAN-F-21
Activist
Hanoi, July 25, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Police in a central Vietnam province on Tuesday detained a social activist on a charge of “attempting to overthrow the people’s government,” state media reported Tuesday, as the government continues an apparent crackdown on dissidents.
Police in Nghe had arrested Le Luong on Monday for “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s government,” Viet Nam News reported, citing a police statement.
Luong, 52, allegedly often carries out activities aiming at overthrowing the government and causing social disorder, the report said.
He is known locally for his activities protesting China’s actions in the South China Sea, his support for human rights and his criticisms of the Vietnamese government’s response to the 2016’s catastrophic chemical spill at the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel factory.
Luong has been harassed by local authorities for some time, he said on Facebook.
If found guilty, Luong may face capital punishment under Vietnamese law.
The arrest of Luong is part of an apparent campaign in Vietnam to crack down on local political dissidents, human rights advocates, social activists and online bloggers.
Vietnamese authorities on Tuesday opened a trial for human rights defender Tran Thi Nga, who is accused of conducting anti-state propaganda.
In June, Vietnamese activist blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh better known by her pen name Mother Mushroom was sentenced 10 years imprisonment for “propagating” against the state.
Vietnam is ruled by a single party communist state and has outlawed dissent against the government.
A 2016 Amnesty International report listed 91 prisoners of conscience in the country, but the government denies holding political prisoners. (dpa/NAN)
OYE/EEE
=======
Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama