Bloc 8406
Bloc 8406 (Vietnamese: Khối 8406) is a Catholic-led unified coalition of political groups in Vietnam that advocate for democracy reforms in Vietnam. It is named after the date of the group's manifesto (Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam 2006, Vietnamese: Tuyên Ngôn Tự Do Dân Chủ Cho Việt Nam 2006, which declares the need for democratic reforms in Vietnam), 8 April, 2006, and was originally signed by 118 of dissidents calling for a multiparty state. [1]. The support later grew into the thousands[2] and included Roman Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly who was sentenced to eight years in prison on March 30, 2007 for his support of this group.[3] Lawyer and labor activist Tran Quoc Hien was accused of being a part of Bloc 8406 in his 2007 trial that led to a five-year prison sentence for "endangering state security".[4] He also posted articles critical to the government online, such as "The Tail", a description of life under government surveillance.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Asia Times Online :: Southeast Asia news - Heed the call of Vietnam's Bloc 8406
- ^ Viet Nam: Internet activist priest imprisoned
- ^ a b Human Rights Watch (2009). Not yet a workers' paradise: Vietnam's suppression of the independent workers' movement. Human Rights Watch. p. 24. http://books.google.com/books?id=VgAO5tpkWeoC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=Tran+Quoc+Hien&source=bl&ots=vLPeZbON4c&sig=mrZoOcgQU0LHrhhjNNGTC5cyCik&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lSwWT_f4HMeqgwfJ3bn4Aw&ved=0CCgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Tran%20Quoc%20Hien&f=false. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
[edit] External links
- Actual Manifesto
- Vietnam: Fledgling Democracy Movement Under Threat
- Heed the call of Vietnam's Bloc 8406
- Communist Government Targets Members of Bloc "8406"
- Vietnamese Citizens Join in Mass Calls for Political Freedom
- Open letter from 50 US Members of Congress supporting Vietnamese democracy movement
- Vietnam tries to stop Democracy Activists from Organizing
- TIME: A Show (and Tell) Trial in Vietnam
- Viet Nam News: Anti-government propagandist receives 8-year prison term
- Nhan Dan: Alleged counter-revolutionary to go on trial
