(WAN/IFEX) – The following statement was released by WAN on 1 June 1998, from Kobe, Japan: The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) on Monday, 1 June 1998, awarded the 1998 Golden Pen of Freedom to imprisoned Vietnamese journalist Doan Viet Hoat, in recognition of his outstanding services to the cause of press freedom (for background […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following statement was released by WAN on 1 June 1998,
from Kobe, Japan:
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) on Monday, 1 June 1998, awarded
the 1998 Golden Pen of Freedom to imprisoned Vietnamese journalist Doan Viet
Hoat, in recognition of his outstanding services to the cause of press
freedom (for background on this case see IFEX alerts of 30 November and 25
April 1995 and others).
Professor Hoat, who is currently serving a 15-year jail sentence for his
work with the pro-democracy newsletter “Dien Dan Tu Do” (Freedom Forum), has
spent much of the past three decades in “reeducation camps” and prisons
simply for calling for greater civil rights and democratic reform in
Vietnam. He continues to appeal for these changes despite his imprisonment.
The Golden Pen award was presented at the opening of WAN’s 51st annual World
Newspaper Congress and 5th World Editors Forum. It was received by Professor
Hoat’s wife, Tran Thi Thuc, who said:
“All that Doan Viet Hoat did was to write several articles calling for
freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom to think for oneself, and
freedom to exercise one’s basic human rights. Unfortunately, despite the
fact that there are laws in the book in Vietnam to honor these basic rights,
these laws are only there merely as tokens.”
“In your upcoming dialogues with the Vietnamese government, please ask that
they adhere to their own laws. And therefore, I request that Doan Viet Hoat
and all other journalists be released immediately and unconditionally,” she
said.
Doan Viet Hoat was first arrested in 1976 when, as a professor of English
literature, he was accused of being a “lackey of American imperialism” for
calling for greater civil liberties in post-war Vietnam. He spent 12 years
in “re-education” camps, without trial, with only one visit a year from his
family.
He had barely been released when he created his small underground magazine
to renew his calls for greater freedom of expression. He was arrested again
in 1990, imprisoned for 28 months without charge and then sentenced to a
20-year term for publishing “anti-communist” articles. The term was reduced
to 15 years on appeal.
In presenting the award, the First Vice President of WAN, Bengt Braun, said:
“The Vietnamese government remains deaf to the appeals for democracy and
respect for human rights of Mr. Hoat and others. Today, despite continuing
economic liberalization, the Communist Party still controls and censors
newspapers and magazines, owns and operates the electronic media and
routinely blocks broadcasts from abroad. The press
is expected to promote the virtues of socialism and the successes of the
government. At least five journalists are in prison, and several others are
under arrest.”
The Golden Pen for Freedom, given annually by WAN since 1961, recognises the
outstanding action of an individual, group or institution in the cause of
press freedom.
WAN, the global association of the newspaper industry, represents more than
15,000 newspapers world-wide.
