Physical assault on Nguyen Bac Truyen

On 19 September 2016 human rights defender Mr Nguyen Bac Truyen and his wife, Ms Kim Phuong, were physically attacked by unidentified men as they returned home from a church service in Ho Chi Min city.

Nguyen Bac Truyen is a legal expert who promotes freedom of belief in the Mekong Delta region and is head of a former prisoners of conscience organisation. He has also provided free legal assistance to victims of land grabs, campaigned for multi-party democracy and called on the Vietnamese Government to release all political prisoners. In 2007 he was arrested and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on charges of “anti-state propaganda”. Following his release in 2010, he resumed his human rights work and in 2014 was subjected to two physical assaults by unidentified men who were reportedly members of the police force. The latter assault occurred as he was en route to the Australian Embassy to provide information to an Australian diplomat about another assault on him which occurred the previous month.

At around 7pm on 19 September 2016 as Nguyen Bac Truyen and Kim Phuong returned home from Ky Dong Redemptory Church in Ho Chi Min City, they were reportedly set upon by six plain-clothed men who beat the couple with their fists and motorcycle helmets. Passers-by who went to aid the couple were also reportedly beaten by the six assailants. Nguyen Bac Truyen believes the attack was directly related to his human rights work and furthermore was perpetrated by members of the security forces.   

This is the latest in a series of of measures taken against Nguyen Bac Truyen to dissuade him from continuing his human rights work. In addition to the two assaults in 2014, he has been subjected to regular harassment and temporary deprivations of freedom. In 2015 he was twice prevented from meeting with senior US diplomats to discuss the human rights situation in Vietnam.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Vietnam to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the assault against Nguyen Bac Truyen and his wife, Kim Phuong, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Nguyen Bac Truyen, as well as of the members of his family;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Vietnam are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.