Calls for release of detained Vietnamese bloggers Slug: Vietnam blogger Date: 6/8/2012 Reporter: Zoe Daniel Radio

Australia The international ommunit! is alling "or the release o" three Vietnamese bloggers #ho$re "a ing trial "or spreading propaganda against the state% The re&uest omes a"ter the mother o" one o" the bloggers ommitted sui ide b! setting hersel" on "ire% Radio Australia's Zoe Daniel has more% T()T Vietnam is a one part! state* #here there$s no independent media and #riting something deemed o""ensi+e to the ,ommunist go+ernment an land !ou in prison% That ma! be the "ate o" bloggers Dieu ,a!* Anhbasg Saigon -phoneti . and Ta /hong Tan% The trio belong to the outla#ed $0ree 1ournalists ,lub$% /hil Robertson "rom 2uman Rights 3at h% /245 R67(RTS68 ,54/ 1 -9ale* (nglish.: :3hat is "undamentall! #rong here is that the!$re doing nothing that should be a rime% The! ha+e been blogging* the!$+e been spea;ing out "reel!% And the go+ernment doesn$t #ant to hear the riti ism* doesn$t #ant to ha+e narrati+es that the! don$t appro+e o"* and so the! slap them #ith harges li;e ondu ting propaganda against the state% <ou ;no# that$s #hat it sa!s in their penal ode= 4 mean the!$re not sh! about the "a t that this is propaganda* but it$s not propaganda* it$s "ree spee h and it should be prote ted%> The bloggers ould "a e 20 !ears in ?ail% 6ne o" them* Ta /hong Tan* blogged about orruption in Vietnam$s legal s!stem% 5ast #ee;* Tan$s mother set hersel" on "ire* she died on the #a! to hospital% A "riend o" the bloggers* la#!er and a ti+ist 5e @uo @uan* sa!s her death #as sel"A immolation: 5( @B6, @BA8 ,54/ 1 -9ale* (nglish.: :She burned hersel" as the ultimate ans#er and ultimate hallenge to the state to sa! that 4 ;ill m!sel" to "ind "or "air and "or more transparent me hanisms and please release o" her daughter%> 6" late* there$s been a stream o" politi al trials and arrests in Vietnam% 4t$s thought the Vietnamese go+ernment ma! be #orried that a proAdemo ra ! Arab Spring might rea h Asia%

Demo ra ! a ti+ist 5e @uo @uan has been arrested se+en times and narro#l! missed arrest last #ee;% 5( @B6, @BA8 ,54/ 2 -9ale* (nglish.: :The! ame here* the! "or ed me on Saturda! morning* the! ame to m! o""i e% The! "or ed me* the! brought a ar here and then the! tried to push me in #ith poli emen%> @uan$s been spea;ing his mind "or !ears% 7ut the !ounger bloggers #e spo;e to #ere too "rightened to be identi"ied% 6ne #riter in 2anoi des ribes her li"e% 0(9A5( 756CC(R ,54/ -0emale* (nglish.: :7eing a politi al blogger in Vietnam an be both interesting and dangerous% 4t is interesting be ause A mainl! be ause it$s dangerous and also be ause !ou an "eel some ;ind o" "reedom o" eDpression on the internet #hi h !ou annot "ind in !our real li"e* in realit!% 7ut the other side or the dangerous side o" being a politi al blogger in Vietnam is +er! ob+ious% 3hen !ou are a politi al blogger in Vietnam !ou ma! "a e man! ;inds o" harassment "rom the lo al authorities* and e+en "rom the entral go+ernment authorities%> As "or the politi al bloggers "rom the $0ree 1ournalists ,lub$* the BS (mbass! in 2anoi is alling "or their release% And last #ee; BS Se retar! o" State* 2ilar! ,linton* raised on erns about their in ar eration% 2uman rights groups belie+e the out ome o" the bloggers$ trial is preAdetermined% 4t$s not a matter o" i" the! go to prison* but "or ho# long% EEE