Imprisoned Vietnam priest in worsening health: sister

HANOI (AFP) - – An imprisoned Vietnamese Catholic priest, whose release has been sought by US legislators, is in worsening health, his sister said Tuesday.

"In general, his state of health is increasingly deteriorating," Nguyen Thi Hieu said of her brother, Nguyen Van Ly.

Ly's conviction and eight-year sentence in 2007 drew condemnation from diplomats, Vietnam watchers and human rights groups.

The writer, 32, was arrested in 2008. After a half-day trial, she was found guilty of "propaganda against the state". In the last three months, 14 dissidents convicted.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The Vietnamese government yesterday sentenced Pham Thanh Nghien, a Vietnamese dissident writer to 4 years in prison plus 3 under house arrest after a half-day trial in the northern city of Haiphong. The charge, typical of such farcical trials, is of "spreading propaganda against the state."  

The great Chinese dissident compares the two tigers of Asian Development and warns: the domestic opposition is increasing, and is increasingly determined. Even the West is disappointed: its policy of tolerance towards human rights violations, has not led to anything, not even greater economic benefits

Los Angeles (AsiaNews) - Wei Jingsheng, the "father of democracy" in China, strongly attacks those who think that we can achieve economic development without human rights. And, in a speech at a symposium on human rights and democracy development in China and Vietnam, traces an interesting parallel between the two nations. Dominated by a single party regime, they are both in full swing of development, but the absence of conflicting voices brings them inexorably towards a social revolution. At the same time, the capitalist world, which has tried to absorb both in the production chain, closing its eyes to human rights violations, finds itself in the present economic crisis. Here is the full text of the intervention, delivered in Los Angeles last week.

To learn about the democratic future of China and Vietnam, we need to make an analysis of both countries, as well as to understand the international environment of both of them.  Then we could learn both favourable and disadvantaged conditions for us, thus to guide our actions.

Double Standard in Malaysia
“There are 2 million documented and 1.5 million undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia.  The Malaysian Employment Act of 1955, section 17, allows all employed workers, including legal migrant workers, to join a union.  Furthermore, all foreign workers would be equally treated in accordance with the provisions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention. Trade Unions here enroll them and give them assistance and benefits.  It’s public knowledge, yet, migrant workers are not allowed to join unions, so exploitation and ill-treatment occur frequently.”

HO CHI MINH CITY (AFP) - – A Vietnamese court on Wednesday sentenced a group of dissidents to up to 16 years in prison for trying to overthrow the communist regime in a case which has sparked global concern.