~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Vietnam denies arresting online democracy activist

HANOI - Vietnam denied reports that an Internet user who was taking part in an online discussion forum on democracy in the communist country had been arrested. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported earlier this month that police had stormed a Hanoi cybercafe and arrested a person for chatting about democracy on the website Paltalk.com, in what it said was the fourth such arrest in five months.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung issued a one-sentence statement saying: "Authorized agencies said there has been absolutely no such arrest on March 11, 2006." Paris-based RSF posted on its website what it said was an audio recording of the raid. It said the user had identified himself by the online name "Freedom for the Country" when he joined the group "Democracy for Vietnam, the only way" to chat with two other people. "While they were talking on the online forum, police entered the cybercafe and arrested him," RSF said.

Three other Vietnamese -- Truong Quoc Tuan, Truong Quoc Huy and Lisa Pham -- were arrested five months ago for chatting on the same forum, said RSF, adding that nothing has been heard of them since. Their arrests have not been confirmed by Vietnamese authorities.

"We dont know the identity of the person arrested on 11 March, so its impossible to find out if he is still being detained," said RSF. "But this episode very well illustrates the risks run by Vietnamese democrats to get themselves heard." No private media outlets are permitted in Vietnam, and the regime has been consistently accused by human rights groups of cracking down on dissent and jailing anyone criticizing the ruling Communist Party.

Agence France Presse - March 29, 2006.