Prisoners of Conscience
Supported
by the Parish
through
the
Justice and Peace Group
LE
THI CONG NHAN - Vietnam
Human
rights lawyer Le Thi Cong Nhan is being held under house arrest for
three years
having
recently completed a three year prison sentence.
She was convicted in 2007 for 'conducting propaganda against the State'
alongside lawyer and
pro-democracy activist Nguyen Van Dai.
The charges against both appear to be politically motivated, connected
to their peaceful activism
and legal work.
Le Thi Cong Nhan was sentenced to four years imprisonment (later reduced
on appeal to three) and three years under house arrest. Nguyen Van Dai
is serving a four year prison sentence.
Johan Teterissa, a primary school teacher, is serving a 15-year sentence for leading a peaceful protest.
He was arrested with 21 activists in 2007 during a government-organised event in Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, attended by the President of Indonesia.
During this arrest, and the first few weeks of detention, Johan Teterissa was tortured by police.
Despite serious injuries, he never received adequate medical treatment and is now in constant pain.
Johan Teterissa is not scheduled for release until 2023.
Ethnic Karenni activists Khun Bedu, Khun Kawrio and Khun Dee De have each been sentenced to 35-37 years in prison for peaceful protest. All three are leading members of an activist youth group, the Kayan New Generation Youth (KNGY), which carries out human rights work in eastern Burma and in exile.
In 2008, KNGY activists campaigned against a new constitution which had been drafted by the government without properly consulting Burma's large ethnic minority population. Khun Bedu, Khun Kawrio and Khun Dee De organised dissidents to release balloons, launch paper boats and spray-paint walls with their peaceful political messages.
They were subsequently arrested, tortured and sentenced by the military, without trial, judge or defence.
They are all now held in prisons far from their homes. Their families are allowed to visit, but high travel costs make this difficult.
Activists from minority groups, like those in Burma's mainstream political opposition risk arrest, imprisonment, torture and even death at the hands of the government simply for carrying out their legitimate work.