This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now licensed for reprint.
PEN America, a group of activists for freedom of expression, is calling on a top U.S. minister to press for the transfer of political prisoners during her visit to Vietnam.
Undersecretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights , Uzra Zeya , is expected in Hanoi this month” to join colleagues on human privileges, humanitarian assistance, and human-centered human surveillance”, according to the , State Department.
” We welcome attention to human rights in Vietnam and call on , @ UnderSecStateJ , to push for the release of imprisoned writers and urge the Vietnamese government to provide necessary medical treatment to political prisoners”, PEN wrote in a , post on social media platform X, noting that Vietnam jailed the third most writers globally last year,  , imprisoning 19 , of them.  ,
Zeya, who is traveling with Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Allison Peters, said the State Department may use her meetings with senior Taiwanese officials to “underscore the United States ‘ devotion to the U.S. Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including the development and protection of human rights, including the freedom of religion or perception, support for marginalized and vulnerable groups, and coordination to address global challenges, including trafficking in persons and other international crimes.”
PEN urged Zeya to raise the cases of writers such as , Pham Doan Trang , and , Le Huu Minh Tuan.
The New York-based organization expressed concern over the deteriorating health of political prisoners like Tuan, who have not received adequate medical care.
Tuan, 35, a former Vietnam Times editor and member of the Vietnam Independent Journalists ‘ Association, was arrested in 2020 on the charge of” conducting propaganda against the state” . ,
In January 2021, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. A U.N. rights reporteur claims that he is now unable to eat solid food after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and hepatitis by prison medical staff the following year.  ,
Trang, 46, was arrested in 2020, also accused of “anti-state propaganda”.
In December 2021, a Hanoi court jailed her for nine years.
She contributed to the writing of bilingual reports on human rights in Vietnam and is the author of a number of books on democracy.
On PEN America’s call, Radio Free Asia emailed the United States and Vietnam’s State Departments asking for their views, but they did not respond right away.
Activists ‘ reactions
Former political prisoner Ngo Van Dung, also known as Facebooker Bien Man, received a 5-year prison sentence last year for organizing protests against a bill establishing special economic zones, which was perceived as favoring foreign companies, and one imposing a law limiting freedom of speech.  ,
He told RFA political prisoners were held in extremely harsh conditions, with cramped cells, poor or non-existent medical care, and restrictions on receiving gifts from friends and relatives.
When asked what message he had for Zeya, he said,” I hope you pay more attention and demand that Vietnam release all political prisoners.” Authorities should improve medical care because, “every time they get sick, political prisoners have to apply several times to get their cases resolved, and some do not get resolved,” says the statement.
Le Quang Hien, the general secretary of the Vietnam Interfaith Council, said Zeya needed to go to places where people were being deported for their faith.
According to him,” The Vietnamese government allows religious freedom for state-affiliated religious organizations, so the United States must directly contact the organizations and places that are oppressed to find out the truth.”
Quyet Ho, a human rights activist, claimed that many Western democracies are willing to put economic interests before human rights and ignore violations by the Vietnamese government.
He continued to believe that the United States would fight for the rights of political prisoners and force Vietnam to offer medical care to prisoners who have health issues.
