In a letter to Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung dated June 15, 2012, three US senators asekd for the immediate release of blogger Nguyen Van Hai, aka Dieu Cay.
“We are deeply concerned with the circumstances surrounding his arrest and re-arrest and by reports that family has been prevented from visiting him,” wrote Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois, Barbara Boxer of California and John Corny of Texas.
This follows President Barrack Obama’s May 3 statement mentioning Blogger Dieu Cay on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day: “As we condemn recent detentions of journalists like Mazen Darwish, a leading proponent of free speech in Syria, and call for their immediate release, we must not forget others like blogger Dieu Cay, whose 2008 arrest coincided with a mass crackdown on citizen journalism in Vietnam…”
In their letter the US senators stress that “[w]e are supportive of the growing bilateral relationship between the United States and Vietnam, but we are concerned that Vietnam’s record on human rights — including the trend toward increased repression — may risk harming that relationship. Accordingly, we ask that you immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Hai and all other persons detained under similar circumstances.”
According to humanrights.gov, blogger Dieu Cay has been imprisoned in Vietnam since 2008.He is creator of the popular blog “BlogDieuCay” and a founding member of the Free Journalist Club, which was formed in 2008 following Dieu Cay’s call to allow for the creation of private media outlets and promotes freedom of expression and independent journalism. He has written on various issues related to human rights and corruption in Vietnam, including sensitive topics such as land rights and religious freedom.
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