AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL said it has launched an appeal for a man sentenced to 12 years in prison for using the Internet.
Nguyen Khac Toan, a maths teacher, was banged into clink in the Communist state for filing articles on the Web about democracy and human rights. Two other "cyber dissidents" are also in jail.
Toan had passed information on the Internet to overseas Vietnamese organisations about farmers demonstrated against official corruption and land confiscation. During a two month period he sent 24 emails and two disks to what the Vietnamese authorities called "exiled reactionary organisations".
Kate Allan, Amnesty's UK director, said: "It is shocking that using the internet in Vietnam can be considered a crime." Amnesty, in conjunction with Silversurfers.net, has launched an online appeal where people can complain online to the Vietnamese authorities. That site is
here.
Even when Toac is released, he faces a further three years under house arrest. Amnesty said that he was granted access to lawyers only shortly before the trial started.
The INQuirer
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