| Bloc 8406 Khối 8406 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 8 April 2006 |
| Ideology | Liberal democracy |
Bloc 8406 (Vietnamese: Khối 8406) is a small unified coalition of political groups in Vietnam that advocates for democratic reforms in Vietnam. It is named after the date of the group's Manifesto on Freedom and Democracy for Vietnam 2006 (Vietnamese: Tuyên Ngôn Tự Do Dân Chủ Cho Việt Nam 2006) declaring the need for democratic reforms in Vietnam. The manifesto was issued on 8 April 2006 and was signed by 118 dissidents calling for a multiparty state. The support later grew into the thousands.
Notable Bloc 8406 members
Roman Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced to eight years in prison on March 30, 2007, for his support of the group's manifesto. He was released in 2011, but then he was returned to prison that same year.
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". He also posted articles critical to the government online, such as "The Tail", a description of life under Vietnamese secret police (MPS) surveillance.
Former Communist Party official Vi Duc Hoi joined the Bloc after leaving the party in 2007. He was imprisoned in 2011 for "spreading anti-government propaganda" after posting copies of pro-democracy articles online.
Trần Anh Kim was a founding member of Bloc 8406. In 2009, he was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly attempting to overthrow the Vietnamese government; shortly after his release in 2015, he was arrested again on the same charges, and in 2016 was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Kim's sentence was criticised by the US State Department as well as Amnesty International, who recognised him as a prisoner of conscience.
References
- "Vietnam clamps down on democracy activists". United Press International. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- Shawn W. Crispin (14 September 2006). "Heed the call of Vietnam's Bloc 8406". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- Nguyen Van Tranh (30 March 2007). "Catholic Priest, Fr. Nguyen Van Ly, condemned to 8 years in prison". Asia News. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- "Vietnam: Father Nguyen Van Ly Should Remain Free". Human Rights Watch. 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Not yet a workers' paradise: Vietnam's suppression of the independent workers' movement. Human Rights Watch. 2009. p. 24. ISBN 9781564324764. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- "Viet Nam activist prison sentence condemned". Amnesty International. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- "Vietnamese dissident sentenced to 8 years in jail". Fox News. Associated Press. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- Nhan, Quyen (24 December 2016). "U.S. Ambassador Concerned about Imprisonments of Two Vietnamese Activists". Defend The Defenders – Người Bảo Vệ Nhân Quyền. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- "Viet Nam: Serious health concerns for prisoner of conscience: Trần Anh Kim". Amnesty International. 16 May 2018. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.