On 19.02.2021, representatives of ACAT, the Federal Association of Vietnamese Refugees in Germany and the NGOs Viet Tan and Brotherhood for Democracy came together with German Member of Parliament Martin Patzelt on the occasion of the anniversary of the brutal police raid in Dong-Tam in the area of Vietnamese capital Hanoi. The police assaults were part of the forcible expropriation of land.
In a joint minute of silence, the participants commemorated and prayed for the victims of the police operation on 09.01.2020, who were killed, sentenced to death, imprisoned and tortured.
Prominent Blogger in Exile, Nguyen Van Dai, laureate of the German Association of Judges‘ human rights award in 2017 and chairman of Brotherhood for Democracy, reported in detail about the repression against the citizens of Dong-Tam.
Martin Patzelt was concerned about the continuous persecution in Vietnam. He stated that the country also loses important potential for the future, when committed, innocent people are imprisoned.
The member of the German Federal Parliament reiterated his support for the NGOs’ concerns, which he had already expressed, among other things, by signing an open letter in October 2020 and participating in ACAT‘s urgent actions.
Patzelt assured to keep in touch with the NGOs.
Background information about the repression in Dong-Tam:
