Human rights groups call on Vietnam to release Buddhist monk
Human rights groups are calling for Vietnam to release a Buddhist
monk who was arrested and forcibly repatriated to Vietnam after
receiving refugee status in Cambodia.
The monk, Thich Tri Luc, is a member of the banned Unified Buddhist
Church of Vietnam.
He is facing trial on charges of fleeing abroad in order to oppose the
Vietnamese government - and could be jailed for life if found guilty.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say the arrest is a
mockery of justice.
After fleeing Vietnam, in June last year Thick Tri Luc was granted
refugee status by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees
in Phnom Penh.
However, he was taken away in a car from a guest house and not
heard of again until July this year when his family was ordered to
attend his trial in Ho Chi Minh City.
ABC Radio Australia - September 17, 2003.
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