VRNs (19.07.2011) – On Sunday afternoon, July 10th 2011, at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Saigon, Vietnam, the Police of HCM City, Vietnam, forbade Reverend Vincent Pham Trung Thanh, the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam, to leave Vietnam for the meeting of the Sub-Conference of East Asia – Oceania.
That was the obvious violation against the religious freedom of the religious activist. The Police of HCMC have unfairly treated the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam. They have shown a sign of the abuse of power to oppress the religion.
On July 15, 2011, Rev. Father Vincent Pham Trung Thanh sent his letter of protest to authorities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
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July 15th, 2011
LETTER OF PROTEST
Re: Protesting the violation against the police of HCMC, Vietnam, putting a ban on the exit of the citizen.
To: The Authorities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
I am Pham Trung Thanh, Catholic priest, Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam, living at 38 Ky Dong St, District 3, HCMC.
I would like to present my cases:
1) On December 28th, 2010 and on July 10th 2011, the police of Tan San Nhat International Airport sucessively prevented me (Pham Trung Thanh) from leaving Vietnam for the US (on December 28th, 2010) and for Singapore (on July 10th 2011). The purpose of my travel is to implement my duty as the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam.
The deepest concern is that the policemen did not send any notice or give any legitimate reasons for their deeds. The minutes of both bans say “according to the suggestions of the police of HCMC”
2) Based on:
(i) Article 68 of Vietnam Constitution, “Citizens are entitled to freedom of (movement and residence inside the country), of departure for and return from foreign countries in accordance with the law.” This the civil right is seriously committed by the Vietnamese government in Article 50 of the Constitution of SR of Vietnam, “In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, human rights in all respects, political, civic, economic, cultural and social are respected.”
(ii) Article 48 of the Vietnam Civil Code, “Individuals shall have the right to freedom of travel and freedom of residence. An individual’s freedom of travel and/or freedom of residence may be restricted only by decision of a competent state agency and in accordance with the order and procedures specified by law.
(iii) Articles 21, 22 of Decree 136/2007/NĐ-CP on August 17th, 2007 of the government on immigration of Vietnamese citizens determining the persons not permitted to leave the country and the necessary procedures. I am not among the persons not permitted to leave the country. Suppose it is for the security reasons, only the Minister of Public Security have the competence to make decisions, not the Department of Public Security who makes suggestions like this.
I, Pham Trung Thanh, by this letter, officially protest the violation against the law by the police of HCMC in putting a ban on my exit.
3) I believe that this is not the official policy of the Vietnamese government, and I wish these actions against the law to be judged and prevented.
Sincerely yours,
Phạm Trung Thành
(signed)
