Dissident released by Viet Nam prior to president’s U.S. visit

A well known pro-democracy advocate and critic of the Vietnamese government has been released from Nam Ha prison and granted presidential amnesty, The Associated Press reported today. Nguyen Vu Binh, a prominent “cyber dissident” charged with spying, was in 2003 sentenced to seven years in prison for his online democracy activism.

The Bush administration has recently expressed displeasure over the ongoing crackdown on dissidents in Viet Nam and pushed for dialogue as President Nguyen Minh Triet plans for his June 22 U.S. visit. In Viet Nam, it is illegal to even advocate for the establishment of a multiparty system. Gordon D. Johndroe, a National Security Council spokesman, characterized the government crackdown as “out of keeping with Vietnam’s desire to prosper, modernize and take a more prominent role in world affairs.”

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