The August 28 meeting
between the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers and the German Embassy in Hanoi waswarm and supportive from the start when diplomats went out to greet the
bloggers at the front gate in the presence of the at least 30 Vietnamese
policemen surrounding the Embassy.
The meeting
was scheduled to take place at 10am Wednesday. However, by early morning there
were approximately 25 policemen stationed around the area. At 10am, as soon as the taxi carrying the
bloggers stopped at the gate, those police mobbed the bloggers, with some
pointing cameras at them. Two officers wanted to check ID from the bloggers before entering
the Embassy even as officials and staff of the Embassy were welcoming them. Embassy
staff accompanied bloggers inside preventing an ID check.
Five female
bloggers attended the visit, including Dang Bich Phuong (aka. Phuong Bich), Le
Hien Giang (Song Que – the countryside river), Le Thi Phuong Lan (Lan Le),
Nguyen Hoang Vi (An Do Nguyen), and Dao Trang Loan (Hu Vo - nothingness). The
talk was hosted by Mr. Felix Schwarz, Political Counselor and Consul, and Mr.
Jonas Koll, First Secretary in charge of Culture, Media and Politics.
 |
| From left to right: blogger Dang Phuong Bich, Nguyen Hoang Vi, Le Hien Giang, Le Thi Phuong Lan, Dao Trang Loan. |
“We are by your side”
The meeting
with the German diplomats lasted for two hours in an atmosphere that was
sympathetic and supportive. According to blogger Nguyen Hoang Vi, the bloggers
had left the copy of Statement 258 in their taxi amid their hasty efforts to
enter the Embassy so they failed to present it to the Embassy. However,
“officials at the Embassy were very sympathetic, because they felt the danger
that we bloggers confront, facing dozens of policemen with cameras. The Embassy
said they had already printed Statement 258 and we can hand the copy to them in
a symbolic act,” Vi told the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers.
Felix Schwarz
and Jonas Koll were especially concerned about the repression that the bloggers
have faced, including the obstructions they encountered on the way to the
meeting. Both were “astounded” upon learning about human rights violations in
Vietnam in the recent years.
 |
| Representatives of German Embassy and the bloggers started the discussion. |
The bloggers
themselves were surprised to hear that the German Embassy did not consider the
August 16 appeal trial and the mild sentence against student Phuong Uyen as a
general improvement of human rights in Vietnam, although they welcomed the
decision as a positive sign in two individual cases.
Regarding
Statement 258, which was released on July 18, 2013 by the Network of Vietnamese
Bloggers, the German Embassy much appreciated the neutral and concise language
of the Statement. They believed that the statement would help garner the
attention of the international community. They may also facilitate the
Network’s presentation of its Statement at the 18th session of the
UPR Working Group, held in Geneva in early 2014.
The bloggers
expressed their gratitude to the Embassy. Blogger Nguyen Hoang Vi, however,
stressed that the low ranking of Vietnam’s freedom of information, freedom of
the press and freedom of expression in the world must actually be an issue for
the Vietnamese themselves. “Only efforts of Vietnamese can change and improve
the situation. But we do hope that the international community, with its power
and diplomatic strength, can be helpful to us, especially in advocating for the
abdication of the abusive Article 258,” said Vi.
All five
bloggers present said they felt moved and greatly encouraged by the caring and
support of Embassy. Although the support was nonverbal, it seemed everything
said and done was meant to say that the Embassy took the side of the bloggers
and their struggle for human rights in Vietnam - expressively the Embassy spoke
out for freedom of expression, assembly, and opinion. These freedoms were
guaranteed under international (ICCPR) and domestic (constitution) law.
 |
| Vietnamese bloggers handed the Statement 258 to Mr. Felix Schwarz, Political Counselor and Consul, and Mr. Jonas Koll, First Secretary in charge of Culture, Media and Politics. |
At the end of
the meeting, the Embassy said they would work with EU and like minded partners to
raise opinions urging the Vietnamese Government to step back from decree 72.
The EU has already published a statement and sent a letter to Vietnamese
authorities with regard to the decree. A like-minded demarche (EU, USA,
Australia, Norway, New Zealand) has taken place a few days ago and the Freedom
Online Coalition, to which Germany is a party, has publicaly critizised decree
72. The abolishment of Article 258 of the Penal Code as well as other laws
restricting freedom of expression and opinion would be an important and
positive step to reduce human rights violations.
It was late
at noon, and the Vietnamese police were still “guarding” the Embassy, waiting
for the bloggers to come out. The Embassy suggested taking the bloggers home in
their official car, even arranging for some staff to accompany them. The
bloggers, however, thought having the car was enough. They were loath to part.
Felix Schwarz and Jonas Koll took the bloggers out to the car to see them off,
also in the presence of many police staying there outside.
