Ms. LIEN RELEASED FROM PRISON

Ho Chi Minh City - Ms. Le Thi Hong Lien was released from prison on April 28, one of 7,820 prisoners granted amnesty on the occasion of the April 30 commemoration of Vietnam's military victory 30 years ago.

Just before noon on Thursday, a group of 15 members of the Vietnam Mennonite Church led by Mrs. Nguyen Hong Quang went to the Bien Hoa Mental Hospital to meet Lien. She happily greeted her family and church friends.

Two days earlier, international news reports confirmed that Lien would be among the prisoners released.

According to a VMC report, Lien's family was not informed of their daughter's pending release until Wednesday (April 27) when her father was summoned to the Security Police station in Ho Chi Minh City's District 2 near his home. She had served ten months of her one year sentence.

Police advised Mr. Du that his daughter should not go to the home of Mrs. Nguyen Hong Quang, the church's meeting place, and should not "cause any difficulties for the local government authorities." He resolutely affirmed that his family would continue to worship God and participate in the activities of their church.

According to the church report, both Lien and her father were asked to sign an amnesty paper before her release that included a clause agreeing to house arrest for the remainder of her sentence. This they refused to do.

Lien was arrested and jailed on June 30, 2004 for her involvement in a March 2 incident, and convicted and sentenced to one year in prison by the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City on November 12 for "resisting persons carrying out official duties."

During the time of her incarceration, Lien was beaten, abused and tortured to the point that she became mentally ill. Prison staff only admitted her mental illness on January 28, but did not arrange for specialized medical examination and treatment.

On February 17 she was transferred to a remote prison some 170 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, and only on March 7 taken to the Bien Hoa Ment Hospital. Here her condition slowly improved. Several days before her release she told her father of the terrible beatings she had received at the Phan Dang Luu prison in Ho Chi Minh City after she was first arrested and interrogated.

Her jaw, which was broken in beatings, remains very painful because she did not receive proper medical attention.

The Vietnam Mennonite Church believes Lien's release was due to the considerable attention paid to her case by many foreign governments, human rights organizations, international media and Mennonites and other Christians around the world. They thank all who prayed for them and all who contributed toward the needs of the prisoners and their families. Friends are seeking to raise money for her medical treatment.

Lien was one of several persons considered political or human rights prisoners to be granted amnesty on the occasion of "Liberation Day." Another is Rev. Pham Ngoc Lien, sentenced in 1987 to twenty years in prison for "putting out hostile propaganda," and a few ethnic minority persons from the Central Highlands who were sentenced in 2004.

Vietnam granted amnesty to 8,325 prisoners in late January on the occasion of the new year, among them Catholic priest Fr. Thaddeaus Nguyen Van Ly. Vietnam generally has another general amnesty before September 2, their National Day.

The Vietnam Mennonite Church is calling on government officials to free the remaining two church leaders, the Rev. Nguyen Quang and Evangelist Pham Ngoc Thach. Two weeks after an appeal hearing where their convictions and sentences were upheld, they were moved on April 26 from Ho Chi Minh City's Chi Hoa Prison to the Bo La Prison, some 70 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City.