(ICRFV 16/05/2001. 11:45 pm ET)

HUE – Preliminary news source from Hue, Thursday morning 17/05/01 (Vietnam time) has revealed that Father Nguyen Van Ly, an outspoken priest of An Truyen Parish, Hue, Vietnam, was surrounded and arrested by hundreds of Vietnamese communist police. At the moment, nobody knew where the police detained Father Ly. 

Father Nguyen Van Ly had publicly criticized the government’s policy on religion and was placed under administrative surveillance in An Truyen for two years by a decree # 401/UB/QD issued on Feb. 26, 2001. The state press condemned and vilified him while repeatedly harassing his supporters.

It might be a co-incidence that his arrest occurred at about the same time of the testimony at the US Congress in the afternoon of 16/05/2001 (early morning Thursday 17/05/2001 in Vietnam), where a testimony text written by Father Ly was being presented by Pastor Kieu Tuan Nam, on his behalf, in which Father Ly strongly condemned the communist regime. This arrest also coincided with the support message by Father Ly to the International Conference for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam organized on the 12 and 13/05/2001 in Washington DC. In his congratulatory message, Father Ly said: “Religious freedom and human rights for Vietnam is an urgent and very critical issue as nearly 80 million Vietnamese citizens are living under a regime which is so brutal and deceptive; which has abolished all basic human rights…. We must try all we can,…unite with those who are working for the same issue, especially with Interfaith Committees within the country or overseas, to bring total victory soon to our common fight for religious freedom and democracy…”

It should be known that on the 9th of May, the communist authority at Hue issued Decree No. 961 forbidding Father Ly from carrying out his religious functions as a Catholic priest. 

One should also be reminded that, earlier, when Father Ly sent a written testimony to the US Congress Committee on International Religion on 13/02/2001, the Vietnamese communist authority immediately decreed an administrative arrest of Father Ly on 26/02/2001.

In addition, when the Norwegian MP Lars Rise suddenly met Father Ly, Reverend Thich Quang Do, Reverend Thich Thien Hanh, he was promptly arrested and deported from Vienam. Mr. Rise has strongly condemned all acts to suppress religious freedom by Hanoi.

It is entirely possible that the Vietnamese communists will continue to arrest other religious leaders, as they all defy their administrative arrests, such as Reverend Thich Quang Do who has intended to escort Reverend Thich Huyen Quang from Quang Ngai to Saigon.

It is very clear that the Vietnamese communists have defied all international reactions to their acts of suppressing religion, abusing human rights, and ignoring world conscience as we are entering the 21st Century.
 

International Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam

Attached: 
- Decree 401 to put Reverend Nguyen Van Ly under house arrest.
- Decree 961 to suspense all Reverend Nguyen Van Ly’s religious responsibility and functions 
- Decree 401 to put Rev. Ly under house arrest

Decree of the Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee
Administrative Arrest
***
The Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee

? In accordance to the Law of the Organization of the People’s Council and the People’s Executive Committee dated June 21, 1994;
? In accordance to the Codes of Penalties for Administrative Violations dated July 06, 1995
? In accordance to the Decree 31/CP dated April 14, 1997 by the Government on Administrative Arrest;
? On recommendations of the Provincial Consultative Council in Report No. 01/TTr-HDTV dated February 17, 2001 and on recommendations of the Chairman of  the People’s District Executive Committee, Phu Vang District, in Report No. 06/BC-UB dated February 14, 2001, on Administrative Arrest;

Decree

Article 1: Apply Administrative Arrest to the following person:

Name: Nguyen Van Ly, Male, ID No. 190061567
Alias: None
Born:  On May 15, 1946 at Ba Binh, Vinh Chap Village, Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri Province.
Origin: Ba Binh, Vinh Chap Village, Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri Province.
Approved residential location: Truyen Nam Hamlet, Phu An Village, Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province.
Current residence: Truyen Nam Hamlet, Phu An Village, Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province.
Ethnic group: Vietnamese, Religion: Roman Catholic
Education: 12/12
Profession: Priest.
Workplace: An Truyen Parish, Phu An Village, Phu Vang District
Reason for Administrative Arrest: Citizen Nguyen Van Ly has had activities, which violate laws and threaten national security, but in considering that time is required to educate and to create conditions for Mr. Ly to correct his mistakes, an Administrative Arrest under current provisions shall apply.

Article II: The term of the Administrative Arrest shall be 24 months, from the time Mr. Nguyen Van Ly presents himself to the People’s Village Executive Committee, Phu An Village.

Location for the implementation of the Administrative Arrest: Truyen Nam Hamlet, Phu An Village, Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province.

Article III: Mr. Nguyen Van Ly shall bear the responsibility of complying to all measures determined under the Administrative Arrest Decree and shall have the rights to appeal within 10 days after receiving this Decree.

Article IV: This decree shall be effective from February 27, 2001.

Article V: The Chief of Staff of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee, the Chairman of the People’s District Executive Committee, Phu Vang District, The Chief of Police, Phu Vang District, the Chairman of the People’s Village Executive Committee, Phu An Village and Mr. Nguyen Van Ly shall bear the responsibility of implementing this decree.
 
For The Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee, Thua Thien Hue Province,
Vice-Chairman
Signature
Nguyen Xuan Ly
Receiving locations:
? As in Article V
? People’s Provincial Supreme Court
? Files VT, NC
=====================================================================

Decree 961 to suspense all Rev. Ly’s religious responsibility and functions

The People’s Provincial Executive Committee         Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Thua Thien – Hue    Independence-Freedom-Happiness
 No. 961 / QD-UB     Hue,  09 May, 2001

Decree by the Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee
“Re: Suspension of Reverend Nguyen Van Ly’s religious responsibility and functions during the Administrative Detention term”

The People’s Provincial Executive Committee

? In reference to the Organization Bylaws of the People’s Provincial Council and the People’s Provincial Executive Committee dated 21/06/1994;
? In reference to Article 16, Chapter II, Decree No. 26/CP dated 19/04/1999 by the Government “on religious activities”;
? In reference to Decree No. 401/QD/UB dated 26/02/2001 by the Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee / Thua Thien-Hue on the Administrative Detention of Reverend Nguyen Van Ly;

Decree

Article I: Reverend Nguyen Van Ly “shall not carry any religious responsibility and functions” at the An Truyen parish, Phu An village, Phu Vang district and in the entire province of Thua Thien – Hue during the term of the Administrative Detention, according to Decree No. 401/QD-UB dated 27/02/2001 by the Chairman of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee / Thua Thien-Hue.

Article II: This Decree shall become effective from the date it is signed.

Article III: The Chief of the Office of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee, The Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee, the Chairman of the People’s Executive Committee of Phu Vang district, , the Chairman of the People’s Executive Committee of Phu An village, responsible organizations and Reverend Nguyen van Ly shall implement this Decree.
On the behalf of the People’s Provincial Executive Committee / Thua Thien-Hue
For the Chairman
Vice Chairman
Signed and sealed
Le Viet Xe
Receiving locations:
- as in Article III
- Government’s Religious Committee (reporting) 
- Supreme Court of the province
- Office of the Archbishop of  Hue (for information)
- Responsible executive organizations
- Files VT, NC

(Hand written comments by Reverend Nguyen van Ly:
Very concrete evidence of Repressive Vietnamese Communist Government actions to overtake the religious rights of the Archbishop of Hue – signed, sealed and dated at An Truyen on 10-May-2001
Prisoner of Conscience Tadeo Nguyen Van Ly, An Truyen Parish)