Bakdep – Through an executive directive, Kuehong Chairman Le Van Kiet pardoned and released over 5000 prisoners on “humanitarian grounds”, including detained Queerhong co-founder Therna Sharee, within weeks of taking office.
The amnesty, announced on state media yesterday, includes those who had been detained pending a trial for their alleged political crimes. Chairman Le said, “As Chairman, I vowed to preserve our nation’s security, peace and stability. I will embark on a series of political and judicial reforms to address severe inadequacies and inconsistencies in the current system. These reforms shall include further empowering the National Assembly and state legislatures to ensure the separation of powers as according to the constitution.”
Chairman Le has added that he will respect minority rights and will resume talks with insurgents in the southeast. Talks between the insurgents and Chairman Vu has collapsed in 2017 over “huge differences” that were not “adequately adressed”. However, he said he would continue to keep up troops’ presence in Trac Khe and Loi Xo for “security purposes”.
It is unclear as to why Chairman Le suddenly promised reforms, having earlier stated that he will continue to follow the footsteps of his predecessor. Some activists and political observers have stated that it was likely to shore up some support and legitimacy among the younger generation. It remains too early to tell if Le is truly embarking on a path of reformation, or did so under pressure. Such a directive would not have been issued without approval of the other members of the NSSC, the executive board making all the key decisions of the military state.
While the number of political detainees have decreased over the years as Kuehong slowly opened up to the world, many are still locked up on political grounds. A considerable majority that were locked up had been detained without trial. Amnesties were seldom granted. A recent Assembly of Nations (AN) report stated that at least 8,673 people have been detained this year just for “exercising their fundamental human rights”.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed detainees being reunited with weeping family members. On the Queerhong social media page, it said it thanked all who has supported Sharee’s release, and said they will continue to “fight” for LGBT rights within the country. Other images showed a series of buses leaving the rear entrances of the many prisons across the country, with passengers greeting the cheering crowds gathered outside.
