Civil society activist and prisoner of conscience Nguyen Nang Tinh was awarded the Le Dinh Luong prize by the Vietnam Reform Revolution Party (ie Viet Tan) this year with the theme “Defending the sovereignty against threats of China.”
Nguyen Nang Tinh, a music lecturer at a college in Nghe An province, was arrested in May 2019 and is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after being convicted of “conducting anti-state propaganda.”
Dr. Dong Xuyen, spokeswoman for Viet Tan, said that Mr. Tinh surpassed many other strong candidates in a vote by a council with many prestigious members at home and abroad, including Members of Parliament – House of Commons of Canada- Ms. Judy Sgro or Director of Whistleblower Aid – Ms. Libby Liu as well as President of the Asian Democratization Movement- Professor Kojima Takayuki.
Ms. Xuyen confirmed to RFA via email about the impact of this annual human rights award:
“Recognizing and upholding the efforts of peaceful responsible citizens in contributing to promoting human rights and protecting national sovereignty but persecuted, smeared and abused by the state show that their work is very meaningful and valuable for the life and development of the Vietnamese people and the country.
The actual awards that help their families and them in visiting and fostering while in prison are also a very small share of their courage, affirmation and integrity for their love of the nation and righteousness.”
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh, Mr. Tinh’s wife, told RFA about the family’s reaction when receiving the news that her husband was awarded the award as follows:
“This is a priceless gift for Mr. Nguyen Nang Tinh and our family. It is also a source of encouragement for the family as well as all those who have been, are and will be fighting for democracy, human rights and justice in Vietnam. I am very appreciative and grateful.”
Mr. Tinh, 46, is known for raising his voice to protect national sovereignty. He is also interested in many other issues of society and participates in many civil society activities such as the Life Defense Group, the Human Development Fund, speak out in support of political prisoners and the Formosa environmental disaster in central Vietnam in 2016.
In an article with the title “Le Dinh Luong human rights award” joke, published on the online newspaper Binh Phuoc on November 17, author Anh Tu wrote: “Every year-end occasion, the ‘democratic society’ is bustling with ‘human rights awards.’ And the so-called ‘le Dinh Luong human rights award’ initiated by Viet Tan is actually a ploy to polish Viet Tan’s name and provoke the opposition of ‘democracy’ objects distracts public opinion and creates an excuse to attack the government.”
Commenting on this attitude of the Vietnamese State, Ms. Dong Xuyen said that the slanderous criticism of the Vietnamese state press about human rights awards aims to justify the wrongdoing and inhumanity of the regime is understandable.
A spokesman for the US-based organization said the government did this “constantly and has an entire state-run press system to justify its unjust and cruel treatment of its citizens.” She affirmed:
“When making justifications, the Vietnamese government repeatedly underestimated the ability of the Vietnamese people to see the truth and the ability to observe and evaluate.
They use the police apparatus and prisons to suppress the people’s integrity, but they will never quench their kindness, love of reason, love of origin and intelligence, sensitivity and determination of the Vietnamese people for each other and for their homeland.”
Ms. Tinh, who is also a lecturer at a university in the south, said that since being transferred to Prison camp No. 5 (Thanh Hoa) in May 2020, her husband has been kept in a cell with another prisoner. He was not allowed to leave the cell and only had contact with the prison guards.
Despite being treated so harshly, Mr. Tinh remained steadfast, always asserting his innocence, Ms. Tinh shared with RFA.
In 2021, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issued a document stating that the arrest and conviction of Mr. Nguyen Nang Tinh were arbitrary, and calls on Vietnam to release him.
The Le Dinh Luong Award was established by Viet Tan in 2018, named after a democracy and human rights activist who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for openly fighting for the rights of the people and sovereignty of Vietnam.
In previous years, this award was given to domestic human rights activists such as Nguyen Thuy Hanh, Phan Kim Khanh, and Catholic priest Dang Huu Nam. They are all responsible citizens but are persecuted or imprisoned with harsh sentences.
The State of Vietnam has always considered the Le Dinh Luong Award and the Vietnam Human Rights Award of the Vietnam Human Rights Network, along with a number of other awards for press freedom and the arts, by a number of independent civil society groups serving the for the purpose of subverting the government, and most of the awardees were “those who engaged in illegal activities.”
This year, this award ceremony was held on December 10 in Tokyo (Japan), the International Human Rights Day and also the birthday of Mr. Le Dinh Luong, who is serving a prison sentence at Ba Sao Prison camp in Ha Nam province).
Thoibao.de (Translated)
