VRNs (17.10.2012) - Saigon - Yesterday, the 16th October, the Court announced that the two songwriters Viet Khang and Tran Vu Anh Binh
The songwriter Viet Khang's other name is Vo Minh Tri, born in 1978. He has a wife and a 4 years old son. Many Vietnamese all over the world started to know Viet Khang after the protest marches against the Chinese invasion of Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa (Paracel and Spratly islands) of Viet Nam, back in the summer of 2011. Two amongst many of his songs are "Who are you?" (Anh la ai?) and "Where is my Viet Nam?" (Viet Nam Toi Dau?)
Songwriter Truc Ho, the chief executive of SBTN Television and Asia Music Center observed "Only by being an insider, that Viet Khang was able to write such fantastic patriotic songs. Viet Khang is a gift from God to the people of Viet Nam during this difficult time."
Songwriter Tran Vu Anh Binh, born in 1975. He was a singing member of the choir from areas 7 and 8, belonging to the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, under the guidance of the Fathers of the Redemptorist Church. He has a wife and a son. He has many songs sung by many well known singers in Viet Nam, such as Dan Truong, Dinh Tien Dat (Mr Dee), Dang Khoi, Mai Khoi, Mai Van Hanh... Tran Vu Anh Binh 's songs which are well loved by the young people are" The People of Central Viet Nam" (Nguoi Mien Trung), "Without You There's No Lullabies" (Vang Em Vang Mai Cau Ho), "Vietnamese People" (Nguoi Viet Nam), "Brilliant Viet Nam" (Rang Ngoi Viet Nam)...
Both songwriters Viet Khang and Tran Vu Anh Binh were arrested and imprisoned since December 2011.
Many lawyers state that sentences based on the Article 88 of the Criminal Laws are very severe, yet the concepts presented by this law is really vague, allowing the security agents of the Secret Service to arrest anyone they hate and charge them with this Article 88. Recently, solicitor Nguyen Thi Duong Ha, the wife of Ph.D Dr Cu Huy Ha Vu, requested that the National Congress officially clarify the various terms of the Article. This implied that for so many years, many Vietnamese citizens were arrested and charged unjustly, due to the fact that those who made the laws deliberately created such vague terms, allowing both the corrupted judges and prosecutors to collude in abusing their power.
Within the last 3 years, in Viet Nam, many young people (under the age of 40) were arrested and trialed according to Article 88 and 79 of the Criminal Laws, but most of them, in the eyes of their friends, families and those with good will, who have concerns for Viet Nam, they are the true patriots.
These two young songwriters only wrote patriotic songs and protested against those who prevented them from expressing their love for the country, then what crimes have they committed against the people of Viet Nam?
PV VRNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ojZ9y3pwQ8