Vietnam charges maths professor with subversion

Sep 29, 2010, 6:12 GMT

Hanoi - A Vietnamese maths professor has been charged with anti-government activities, police said Wednesday.

Pham Minh Hoang, 55, was arrested on August 13 and charged under article 79 of the penal code, which bars 'carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration.'

Hoang is being detained for four months while under investigation.

Police said Hoang and his wife, Le Thi Kieu Oanh, went to Malaysia in November for a course on non-violent struggle methods organized by the banned pro-democracy group Viet Tan. He then returned home to organize a leadership skills course for more than 40 students.

'In fact, Hoang, through the training course, induced people to join Viet Tan to build forces,' the newspaper reported, adding that Hoang had confessed and asked for lenience.

Police said they had sufficient evidence to prove that his wife, Oanh, was a member of Viet Tan, but have not taken action against her because she is looking after her young daughter.

Oanh denied being a member and said police had not allowed her to see her husband since his arrest.

On Wednesday, Viet Tan said the government was using the media to convict Pham Minh Hoang for entirely peaceful political activities.

'Every person has the right to publish articles, attend political meetings and discuss issues that affect their country,' the group said. 'We challenge the Hanoi government to publish Pham Minh Hoang's writings in state newspapers so the Vietnamese people can decide whether he's a criminal or a patriot.'

Oanh said she believed her husband's arrest was tied to his support for protests against controversial Chinese-run bauxite mines in the Central Highlands.

Authorities in Vietnam have jailed dozens of democracy activists and independent bloggers over the past year.

Many of those imprisoned were accused of belonging to Viet Tan, which Vietnam considers a terrorist organization.

Most had also criticized the policy on the bauxite mines, or had advocated stronger opposition to China regarding the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, which both countries claim.