Mr. Đặng Đình Bách was born in 1978. He usually resides in Hà Nội. He obtained a Master of Law in Administrative Laws and Public Administration in 2007. Mr. Bách’s father was a soldier in the Vietnam War (known as the Resistance War against the Americans in Viet Nam). His father was awarded a Second Grade Resistance Medal in and has been a Communist Party member for nearly 50 years.
Mr. Bách used to work for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, before working for Vietnam Economic News, run by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Between 2006 and 2008, he was the Chair of the managing committee for the Law and Development Magazine. Before the arrest, he worked at the Law and Policy of Sustainable Development (LPSD), an independent scientific research organization under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association. Mr. Bách has long dedicated his life to helping improve the health and well-being of marginalized communities throughout the country. [1]
Activism
Mr. Bách is the director of LPSD which engages in legal action concerning environmental, land use and industrial pollution cases. It works with communities affected by the dumping of industrial waste, rubber plantations and coal-fired power plants. [2] Reportedly, LPSD was an active backer of the government’s efforts to deal with the spread of COVID-19.
Mr. Bách is well-known for his ability to rally young people to volunteer for philanthropic causes such as assisting storm and disaster victims, particularly those affected by global warming and environmental calamities. He has established numerous competitions and awards for innovation in the field of sustainable living for the Vietnamese youth. In 2021, he delivered a speech at the “Meeting program of Vietnamese environmental ambassadors,” telling how he became an environmental advocate. [3]
Mr. Bách has committed to documenting issues on behalf of those harmed by the Sơn La Hydroelectric Plant, which displaced over 91,000 people. He has said that he, and therefore LPDS, have collaborated with the government to improve Vietnam’s environmental initiatives. However, his paperwork and compliance actions do not appear to be welcomed by the authorities.
Arrest and detention
Six police officers entered Mr. Bách’s family residence at 7:00 a.m. on June 24, 2021. His laptop, bank cards, and personal and professional phones were all confiscated. The police showed no warrant or decision by the authorities for his detention. On 9:30 am the same day, ten police officers searched the LPSD office and confiscated six laptop computers. On 30 June 2021, the Security Investigation Agency announced its decision to file a criminal prosecution against Mr. Bách for tax evasion. The indictment states that he “contacted foreign-based organizations and received their funding” to implement projects at LPSD without obtaining approval from “authorities in charge.” [4]
Before his trial date on 24 January 2022, he was not permitted to receive visits, calls, letters from his family or even a photograph of their son who was only two weeks old when Mr. Bách was arrested. The trial was closed to observers, including Mr. Bách’s family and representatives of the U.S. Embassy, who both made applications to attend. He was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
Mr. Bách was detained in Hà Nội’s detention camp no.1 before he was transferred to camp no.6 in Nghệ An province in October 2022. Lately, Mr. Bách has declared that on the two-year anniversary of his arrest, June 24th, 2023, he will go on hunger strike to protest his innocence. [5] According to the family, he ended his hunger strike on July 10th and his health was critical. He appeared so weak on the last family visit that his wife hardly recognized him. He has lost about 20 kg and now weighs only 43 kg.
International communications
A website supported by the Stand with Bach Coalition including iNGOs, such as EarthRights International, Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung, Power Shift, and Environmental Defender Law Center, has run since the imprisonment of Mr. Bách. It calls for his release and stands in solidarity with environmental defenders globally. [6]
On April 22, 2022, the UN released a joint statement expressing “grave concern over the arrest, detention and sentencing of environmental human rights defenders in Viet Nam on charges of tax evasion.” [7]
On January 24, 2023, one year after the sentence of Mr. Bách, Forum Asia joined the call for his release and an end to the silencing of climate leaders, stating that the imprisonment of him on false charges is a violation of human rights and a threat to environmental human rights defenders who are constantly fighting for the truth and accountability on energy transition. [8]
In June 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) concluded the arrest and detention of Mr. Đặng Đình Bách was arbitrary and violated international human rights laws, norms and standards. [9] It urges the Government of Viet Nam to release Mr. Bách immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.
Regarding Mr. Bách’s hunger strike, every day, at least one participant organization from around the world would strike in support with the climate activists, including the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and South Korea. [10] Over 100 climate justice and human rights advocates worldwide has joined in solidarity hunger strike from May 24 to June 24, 2023 and signed in an open letter advocating for the release of Mr. Bách. [11]
References:
[1] https://www.standwithbach.org/ [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/23/vietnam-environmentalists-activistists-sentenced-prison/ [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6SXPSZBBE0&t=267s [4] https://the88project.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Appeal-hearing-verdict_Dang-Dinh-Bach_Vietnamese-version.pdf [5] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63a1054de4b8030902eec458/t/6491d8420d7e5c63a965f8ff/1687279682237/6_19+Organizational+Sign-On+Letter+Calling+for+the+Release+of+Dang+Dinh+Bach.pdf [6] https://www.standwithbach-viet.org/ [7] https://bangkok.ohchr.org/viet-nam-rights-defenders/ [8] https://www.instagram.com/p/Cny5YrGPAqa/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== [9] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63a1054de4b8030902eec458/t/6466cd597b77694c69cd20ba/1684458842140/UN+WGAD+Opinion+No.+22%3A2023+Dang+Dinh+Bach.pdf [10] https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/vietnam-coal-energy-dang-dinh-bach-b2344734.html [11] https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63a1054de4b8030902eec458/t/6491d8420d7e5c63a965f8ff/1687279682237/6_19+Organizational+Sign-On+Letter+Calling+for+the+Release+of+Dang+Dinh+Bach.pdf
