Hanoi - Vietnam announced Monday it would release 5,459 prisoners, including 13 jailed under national security laws, as part of an amnesty commemorating its national independence day on Wednesday. Eleven of those amnestied for national security violations are ethnic minority residents of Vietnam's Central Highlands sentenced in 2003-04. Over the past eight years, hundreds of members of the highland ethnic minorities, known as montagnards, have been arrested following periodic protests over land and human rights issues.
None of the major political dissidents imprisoned in Vietnam over the past three years, such as Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly and human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, were among those given amnesty.
Vice Minister of Public Security Le The Tiem told a press conference that Nhan had not yet served enough of her sentence to qualify, while he said Ly had not shown contrition.
"Vietnam has a policy of amnesty and tolerance for people who show progress during their detainment, and show remorse and repentance," Tiem said. "But Mr Ly has not yet satisfied this demand."
Ly was a member of a short-lived dissident movement called Bloc 8406 launched in April 2006. He gained international notice during his 2007 trial with the publication of a photo showing a policeman clapping his hand over the priest's mouth to cut short a political tirade.
The names of the montagnards released did not appear on the lists of detainees compiled by international human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say the highland minorities continue to face reprisals for attempting to emigrate to Cambodia to seek political asylum.
