The Investigation Security Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on June 13 arrested lawyer Le Cong Dinh for allegedly conducting propaganda against the State.
Dinh’s acts violated Article 88 of the Criminal Code, the agency said.
Dinh, 41, residing at Tan Phong Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, worked at Le Cong Dinh Law One-member Limited Liability Company at 37 Ton Duc Thang, District 1, HCM City.
The department said that since 2006, he has drawn up many documents and sent them to various foreign press agencies, including the BBC and Radio Free Asia, and to the websites of various overseas dissident groups, including Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform Party), Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon) and Tap San Tu Do Dan Chu (Freedom and Democracy Journal).
In those documents, the department claimed he had publicly distorted the Government’s social and economic policies, slandered some of the country’s top officials, sowed division and undermined the trust among the public.
While overseas, Dinh attended training courses on “methods of non-violent struggle” and apply them against the Vietnamese government.
At home, he allegedly helped dissidents and their activities, including Nguyen Van Dai in Hanoi, and Nguyen Van Hai and Nguyen Tien Trung in HCMC.
He is also said to have acted as a counselor to drawing up a political program for an organization called “Viet Youth for Democracy.”
He is reported to have close relationship with the key leaders of many exiled reactionary organizations, such as Ha Dong Xuyen of Viet Tan, Nguyen Sy Binh and Nguyen Xuan Ngai of Dang Nhan dan Hanh dong (People’s Action Party), Pham Nam Dinh of Hop mat Dan chu (Democratic Get-Together), and Doan Viet Hoat of Vien tuong Viet Nam (Vietnam’s Prospect).
He allegedly assembled forces for the setting up of the “Democratic Party” and “Labor Party of Vietnam.”
They claim that: “We radical communists would like to announce the establishment of the Labor Party of Vietnam, a party of workers and laborers from every walk of life. We are always proud of the glorious revolutionary cause of the former Labor Party of Vietnam, the precursor of the Communist Party of Vietnam. However, that revolutionary cause has been betrayed by the Communist Party of Vietnam.”
Dinh was said to be trained to use external forces to cause disturbance in Vietnam.
In March 2009, he met with Nguyen Sy Binh, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc – who was arrested on May 24 for also allegedly violating Article 88 of the Criminal Code – in Thailand to discuss preparations for a time when they said Vietnam would experience a “political change” and for overthrowing the Vietnamese government in 2010.
To this end, Dinh and some other dissidents drew up the “New Constitution,” comprising 106 clauses.
In this document, they wrote: “Vietnam is a republican country” and “the presidential election shall be organized within six months since the date of promulgation of the Constitution”.
They also produced a book, ”The Road for Vietnam,” which provides for an action plan against the Government.
The said documents violated Vietnam’s Publication Law and Press Law, said relevant agencies.
Major General Hoang Kong Tu, head of the Investigation Security Agency and deputy head of the General Department of Security, said his agency had enough evidence to arrest Dinh.
Dinh’s activities not only violated Article 88 of the Criminal Code, but also showed signs of committing the charge of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the People’s Government” according to Article 79, he said.
The investigation continues.
