Vietnamese blogger Dieu Cay released!
October 27, 2014
Nguyen Van Hai, better known by his pen name Dieu Cay (“peasant’s pipe”), was released from prison, having served four years of a 12-year prison sentence.
His reportedly deteriorating health and the harsh prison conditions in Vietnam makes his release even more welcome.
Immediately after his release he was taken to the airport and put on a plane, bound for the USA. Nguyen Van Hai’s sudden release shows how the passion and persistence of Amnesty International members can help in the struggle for human rights in Vietnam.
He was jailed for writing an online blog that called for an end to injustice and corruption in Vietnam. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience and campaigned tirelessly for four years demanding his release.
Thank you to Amnesty supporters who took action on his case and helped us win his freedom!
Read press release
Read press release
Asia-Pacific ministers endorse trade, graft pacts
APEC in 2013. Pic: AP.
BEIJING (AP) — Ministers from Pacific Rim countries have endorsed a call to formally start work on a free-trade initiative seen as an effort by China to raise its influence in trade policy.
Chinese officials say ministers meeting ahead of next week’s gathering of leaders from the United States, China, Japan and other countries at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit also endorsed a proposal to cooperate on fighting official corruption.
The trade initiative — the Free-Trade Area of the Asia Pacific — comes out of earlier promises by APEC governments to liberalize trade. It is being promoted by Beijing in what analysts see as a Chinese effort to gain influence in U.S.-dominated global trade and financial regulation.
