By JAMES HOOKWAY
A Vietnamese court convicted three prominent bloggers and sentenced them to between four and 12 years in prison, the latest step in a crackdown against online dissent in the tightly policed communist state.
One of the defendants' lawyers, Ha Huy Son, said the three bloggers were found guilty of writing articles that opposed the government, diplomats said. Monday's verdict came after a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam's government has stepped up its campaign against cyber-dissidents recently, ordering police to take action against three websites this month in what analysts and diplomats say is a bid to inculcate a sense of fear among the growing numbers of Vietnamese who are going online to obtain news and exchange opinions on events in the country.
"This is designed to create a chilling effect," said a Western diplomat. "The government doesn't want criticism to snowball." The U.S. Embassy issued a statement saying it was "deeply concerned" and urged the government to free all three dissidents.
The Vietnamese government said it had no comment.
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Police
and security staff secure the main entrance gate of Ho Chi Minh City's
People's Court, where three bloggers were tried, convicted and
sentenced Monday.
But as Vietnam's booming economy slows and its debt problems worsen, the government is increasingly eager to rein in criticism and prevent online dissidents from attracting a larger following.
The crackdown is attracting world-wide attention, with the plight of the three prisoners convicted Monday gaining particular traction. U.S. President Barack Obama cited one of the bloggers, Nguyen Van Hai, this year in a speech urging more Internet freedoms around the world. The mother of one of the other detainees, meanwhile, burned herself to death in July in a protest against the charges filed against her daughter, Ta Phong Tan.
All three bloggers, including Phan Thanh Hai, belonged to the "Free Journalists Club," which writes prolifically about political, economic and social issues in Vietnam.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, alias Dieu Cay, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Ms. Tan was handed a 10-year sentence. Mr. Phan Thanh Hai, the only one of the trio who pleaded guilty, was given a four-year sentence. The heavy sentences could herald more arrests and convictions.
Vietnam's leaders are particularly wary of any accusations of corruption and malpractice as the country's economy continues to struggle, said Carlyle Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. In addition, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is also anxious to suppress reports about infighting in the ruling politburo that have circulated online in recent months.
Human-rights groups sharply criticized the lengthy prison sentences. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asian division at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said "these harsh sentences against bloggers are absolutely outrageous, and show the depth of the Vietnam government's intolerance of views that oppose its own."
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