Jailed dissident's health bad

2003-09-23 14:05

Hanoi - A Vietnamese cyber-dissident, jailed last November for four years, is suffering from a kidney disease worsened by poor living conditions, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

"Le Chi Quang is reportedly held in difficult conditions in Ba Sao prison camp, Nam Ha Province," Amnesty said in a statement. "His chronic kidney disease has reportedly deteriorated, and he is unable to receive the specialist medical attention that he needs."

Le Chi Quang, a 33-year-old computer instructor, was arrested on 21 February 2002 at an internet cafe in Hanoi. On November 8, he was sentenced to four years in jail after being convicted of "offences against the State and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam".

Quang had been convicted of posting articles criticising land and sea border agreements forged between Vietnam and China in 1999 and 2000. He had accused the Vietnamese authorities of making territorial concessions to China.

Wrath of authorities

He had also called for greater democracy and incurred the wrath of the authorities for posting articles praising well-known dissidents Nguyen Thanh Giang and Vu Cao.

The case was regarded as a warning to others tempted to use the internet as a platform to criticize the Communist authorities.

Since then, several dissidents were detained or convicted of crimes relating to e-mail communication or other internet activity.

Quang "has suffered from kidney disease since childhood, but poor nutrition and lack of sufficient medical care has almost certainly exacerbated his condition," Amnesty said on Tuesday.

Very worried

"His health has now deteriorated to the point where he is having difficulties speaking and is extremely tired. He has also allegedly lost a great deal of weight during the last few weeks. He is also said to be suffering from peptic ulcer."

Amnesty said Quang's family was allowed to visit him only once a month. An independent doctor was recently permitted to examine the detainee and was said to be "very worried" by his condition.

- AFP