BANGKOK-Another veteran critic of the Vietnamese government, Nguyen DanQue, is to go on trial next week for opposing the regime, RFA'sVietnamese service reports, 16 months after his arrest.
A Vietnamese official who asked not be named told RFA Que is chargedwith abusing democracy, contacting exiled Vietnamese organisations thatoppose Hanoi, and violating a house arrest order. His trial is scheduled forMonday, July 19, sources said.
Que was detained March 17, 2003, after releasing a statement denouncingVietnam's heavy-handed curbs on the media.
Que was initially held incommunicado and only in recent months has hiswife been allowed to meet him in prison. He is in poor health and issuffering from kidney stones, a bleeding ulcer, and high blood pressurethat requires medication, Amnesty International said in a statement.
"Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a winner of numerous international human rightsawards, has worked tirelessly to defend the fundamental human rights ofhis fellow Vietnamese. His repeated imprisonment is both a personal andnational tragedy," Amnesty International added.
Que has previously been imprisoned twice, for a total of 18 years. InFebruary 1978, he was arrested and accused of "rebelling against theregime" and forming a "reactionary organization named the National Frontof Progress." He was released in 1988 after 10 years in jail withouttrial.
He was arrested again in June 1990 after founding a new pro-democracygroup. He was sentenced in November 1991 to 20 years' imprisonment for"activities aimed at overthrowing the People's Government." He wasreleased under a special amnesty in September 1998.
Over the last week, Vietnam has tried and sentenced two other veterandissidents.
Former colonel and historian Pham Que Duong, 73, was convicted of"abusing his democratic rights and harming the interests of the state,social organizations, and citizens." He will be freed in two weeks' timebecause of time served since his December 2002 arrest.
His conviction came five days after Tran Khue, a literature professorand cyber-dissident, was convicted of similar charges and received the samesentence from a Ho Chi Minh City court.
They tried unsuccessfully to organize an anti-corruption organization inSeptember 2001, when they also called on the National Assembly toimplement democratic reforms. #####