Vietnamese prison officials deny that political prisoner Cu Huy Ha Vu is on a hunger strike to protest mistreatment, though his wife claims he has not been given a response to complaints for 180 days and is in poor health after 9 days of hunger striking. The deputy prison head says Vu refuses food from the prison but eats family meals, and is protesting a guard opening his door in the morning. However, Vu's wife describes severe mistreatment and suppression of complaints leading to the hunger strike, and requests international monitors be allowed to assess his health.

1. June 16, 2013
Vietnamese authorities deny Cu Huy Ha Vu
is on hunger strike.
On Sunday june 16th
, prison officials in north-central Vietnam have rejected the
accusation that Cu Huy Ha Vu, serving time for subversion, has gone on a hunger
strike to protest mistreatment by an officer,VnExpressreported
In its Sunday report, Vietnam Television(VTV) cited some websites as saying that
Vu had been reduced to “skin and bones” and faced the risk of death as a result of
his hunger strike.
Colonel Le DuySau, deputy head of the prison, toldVnExpressthat Vu has refused
to have meals provided by the prison since May 27, but was still taking medicines.
Vu reportedly suffers from high blood pressure.
Sau said Vu is allowed to receive food supplied by his family or use his deposit to
buy food in the canteen. The prison officials also allowed his family to supply Vu
with many utensils as he requested, Sau added.
Sau said Vu’s reason for going on a hunger strike was to protest the action of Le
Van Chien, a prison warder, for reportedly opening the door of Vu’s detention
room in the morning, making the wind blow directly on him.
Vu claims that this could kill him and has accused Chien of aiming to “harm” or
“murder” him, Sau said, adding that the prisoner was “unreasonable” and
“paranoid.”
Prisoners have to get up and do exercises at a fixed time in the morning and
warders must open the rooms. Chien was just following procedures, Sau said.
He said the prison officers have many times advised him not to refuse the prison’s
food and even had doctors check his health in his room instead of the prison’s
clinic.
“He has completely ignored our care and humanitarian policies [for prisoners],”
Sau said, adding he firmly rejected rumors about mistreatment.
Sau also said Vu has not been a model prisoner thus far.
A prison doctor, not named by VTV, was quoted as saying that Vu has not gone on
any hunger strike, as he eats food supplied by his family and only boycotts meals
provided by the prison.
On June 17, 2013 Ha Vu was forced to meet with journalist from TuoiTre
Newspaper (pro-government) who found out that he is healthy, contrary to rumors
he went on a hunger strike and is sick.
In an open letter on June 4, 2013, his wife, attorney Duong Ha, described the
situation as follow: “… he is being severely maltreated through his detainment at
Prison No. 5 – Department of Police in YênĐịnh, ThanhHoá.

2. The staff at this prison are intentionally disregarding the articles of the law
applicable to their prisoners, particularly to Dr Cu. His most recent letter of
denunciation has been suppressed for 180 days without reply, and so in protest Dr
Cu Huy Ha Vu has had no other option but to go on a hunger strike.
On 4 June 2013, Dr Cu Huy Ha Vu reached his 9th day of hunger strike, his
health rapidly deteriorating. His life is highly threatened as he has a congenital
heart disease, along with multiple illnesses acquired throughout his
imprisonment.”
Vu, 56, has been incarcerated in a government prison in Yen Dinh District,
ThanhHoa Province, to serve a seven year sentence for “distributing propaganda
against the State.”
Please send messages to relevant Vietnamese public authorities, demanding
them to:
- talk to Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu about the resolutions of issues that constituted the
reasons for his hunger strike.
- allow family’s doctors and international human rights organizations’
representatives to visit Cu Huy Ha Vu, to assure the public about his health
condition
- end all maltreatments by jail officials to prisoners
- free Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu and all political prisoners
Suggested message in Vietnamese:
“TôiyêucầunhànướcViệt Nam
- nóichuyệnvớiTiếnsĩCù Huy
HàVũvềnhữnggiảiphápchocácvấnđềkhiếnôngtuyệtthực
- chophépbácsĩcủagiađìnhvàđạidiệncáctổchứcnhânquyềnquốctếtớithăm TS
Cù Huy HàVũ, đểdưluậnđượcbiếtvềtìnhhìnhsứckhỏecủaông.
- chấmdứtnhữnghành vi ngượcđãitùnhân
- trảtự do chocáctùnhânchínhtrị.”
Please send electronic messages via the online contact form to:
The National Assembly of Vietnam:
http://www.na.gov.vn/htx/English/C1330/default.asp?sAction=lienhe#I7QInw
BAqPhn
Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam:
http://thutuong.chinhphu.vn:2012/Utilities/Contact.aspx
The Ministry of Public Security:
http://www.mps.gov.vn/web/guest/contact_english
And other representatives.
If possible, please let us know if you have taken action, so that we know how
many voices have been raised for Cu Huy Ha Vu.