Poland Supports Human Rights Activist in Vietnam
Courtesy of BBC

Warsaw, Sept 14, 2007. Polish Senators raised Human Rights issue in Vietnam during Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tien Dung's visit in Warsaw, Sept 14, 2007. Ms. Le Thi Cong Nhan was stripped off her license to work as an attorney and forbade to travel abroad and finally sentenced to the prison by Hanoi People's Court in May 2007.

Poland presented to VN Prime Minister Dung a list of political activists who were sentenced to jails, and demanded for their freedom. The list included Ms. Nhan, an attorney and a member of Committee of Protection for Vietnamese Labors (CPVL), which has an office in Poland.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Thanh, the chairman of the CPVL was quoted as saying to the BBC Vietnamese Section that during the meeting with Bogdan Borusewicz, Head of Polish and Senate, Mr. Dung said that Vietnam will free Ms. Nhan if Poland willing to accept her. Ms. Nhan was sentenced to four years in jail, plus three years house arrest. Ms. Nhan was found guilty of spreading propaganda intended to undermine Vietnam's Communist government.

According to Mr. Thanh, Poland was straight forward and very serious in raising the issue of Human Rights in Vietnam, which will be affected the relationship between the two countries. This matter caused uneasiness for the invited guest.

During the meeting, Mr. Borusewicz also said "I was a political prisoner myself, and I believed that you [Mr. Dung] knew that of whom I was a prisoner. From a political prisoner, I have became now a Head of Senators".

In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Senator Borusewicz confirmed that the issue of Human Rights was raised during the meeting and that he hopes the relationship between the two countries will be in good term.

However, Mr. Borusewicz added that "Poland might not have a strong influence on the diplomatic relations as many others big countries do [in pressuring Vietnam], but Poland still needs to voice its opinion about Human Rights." According to Mr. Borusewicz, the issue was raised nicely but strongly. In respond, Vietnam's Prime Minister indicated that "If Ms Le Thi Cong Nhan wants to go aboard, she will be allowed to."

Mr. Borusewicz was a key member of Polish Federation of Workers during the time of beginning labor strike in Gdansk from 1970 to 1980, and was sent to jail by Poland's then-communist government.

In May 2007 a court in Hanoi convicted Ms. Nhan and another lawyer on charges of spreading propaganda intended to undermine Vietnam's Communist government.

Prior to the May conviction, Ms. Nhan was arrested in Oct. 2006 and prohibited to go to Poland to attend the Committee of Protection for Vietnamese Labors' meeting, which was sponsored by the country.