The former director of the Institute of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy and a founding member of the Club of Former Resistance Fighters have been charged with spreading “anti-socialist propaganda” following the publication of their writings. Hoang Minh Chinh, former director of the Institute of Marxist- Leninist Philosophy, is said to have been arrested on 14 June 1995 […]
The former director of the Institute of Marxist-Leninist
Philosophy and a founding member of the Club of Former Resistance
Fighters have been charged with spreading “anti-socialist
propaganda” following the publication of their writings.
Hoang Minh Chinh, former director of the Institute of Marxist-
Leninist Philosophy, is said to have been arrested on 14 June
1995 for “anti-socialist propaganda.” Chinh had been previously
imprisoned from 1967 to 1973 and from 1981 to 1987 on accusations
of “revisionism”. It is thought that these new charges against
him may be linked to his public appeals and newspaper articles
calling for the Communist Party to clear his name. He is also
said to have called for the rehabilitation of some 30 former
government officials who had also been removed from office in the
1960s for “revisionism.”
In January 1991, Chinh circulated a paper entitled “Opinions on
the Draft Platform” in which he criticized the Vietnamese
Communist Party’s existing platform dating from 1930. Among other
things, Chinh accused the Vietnamese government of ignoring the
end of the Cold War, not acknowledging the success of capitalism
and not making full use of increasingly sophisticated information
technology. Chinh’s document urged that the communist ideal be
abandoned in favour of a `people’s capitalist revolution.’ His
proposal, circulated in advance of the June 1991 seventh party
congress which was to discuss a draft platform, called for
private ownership, economic and political freedom. Since then, he
has continued to express his views on Vietnamese government
policy, publishing documents providing a critique of the June
1991 party congress, and making a living through writing
newspaper articles.
A day earlier, on 13 June 1995, Do Trung Hieu, a founding member
of the Club of Former Resistance fighters, was also reportedly
arrested on charges of “anti-socialist propaganda”. It appears
that his arrest may be linked to his writings based on his
experiences as a leading member of the Vietnam Communist Party.
Both men are thought to remain detained in Hanoi as of 8 August
1995.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to Vietnamese authorities:
and Hoang Minh Chinh
criticism of the government, this would be in direct violation of
their right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Appeals To
His Excellency Do Muoi
Secretary General
The Vietnamese Communist Party
Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Fax: + 84 42 59205
Please also send appeals to the Vietnamese embassy in your
country and to your country’s Foreign Office in Vietnam.
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
