The Assembly of Delegates of International PEN, meeting in Ohrid, Macedonia on September 17-24th, 2002, is:

Seriously concerned by the increasing number of Vietnamese prisoners of opinion and conscience since the adoption of the resolution on Vietnam by the Assembly of Delegates of the International PEN, meeting in London, United Kingdom, in November 2001;

Gravely worried by the complete absence of improvement in the situation of many Vietnamese writers who have been either imprisoned or placed in arbitrary detention for having exercised their legitimate right to freedom of opinion and expression according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory;

Deeply distressed by the fact that, in spite of International PEN protests to the Vietnamese authorities on their behalf, our following colleagues and honorary members still remain in prison or in administrative detention:

• Nguyên Dinh Huy, 70 years old, editor, journalist and professor, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 1995;

• Nguyên Van Ly, 56 years old, priest and novelist, sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and 5 years in probationary detention in 2001;

• Lê Dinh Nhân (religious name Thich Huyên Quang), 85 years old, Buddhist monk and scholar, deported under police surveillance in 1995;

• Dang Phuc Tuê (religious name Thich Quang Dô), 84 years old, Buddhist monk and poet, placed in administrative detention in 2001; and,

• Nguyên Xuân Tu (pen name Ha Sy Phu), 62 years old, biologist and writer, placed in administrative detention in 1997;

Alarmed and dismayed by the recent brutal arrests of:

• Lê Chi Quang, 32 years old, jurist and writer, arrested on February 21, 2002 and held in a forced labour camp;

• Pham Hông Son, 35 years old, physician and translator, arrested on March 27, 2002 and detained in solitary confinement, and

• Nguyên Vu Binh, 33 years old, writer and journalist, arrested on July 21, 2002 and detained in solitary confinement;

Particularly preoccupiedwith the placement under house arrest, among others, of

• Bui Minh Quôc, 62 years old, poet and journalist, since January 12, 2002, and

• Trân Van Khuê, 66 years old, professor and writer, since March 10, 2002;

Strongly underlining that all these victims of measures of illegal detention, intimidation, persecution and harassment were said to be accused of having dared to freely express their views on problems and events of national interest, such as a state where law prevails, citizen freedoms, literature without borders, prevention of corruption, etc. ;

Considering deplorable and unworthythe fact that freedom of expression continues to be systematically repressed; that there is neither a free press nor an independent publishing house in Vietnam; that to receive, translate, circulate ideas and information about democracy and government conduct or publish on Internet, are considered crimes;

Calls upon the Vietnamese authorities to

• Immediately and unconditionally release Nguyên Dinh Huy, Nguyên Van Ly, Lê Dinh Nhân, Dang Phuc Tuê, Ha Si Phu, Lê Chi Quang, Pham Hông Son, Nguyên Vu Binh, Bui Minh Quôc,Trân Van Khuê and all other writers, journalists and intellectuals still in prison, in arbitrary detention or under house arrest in violation of their right for freedom of expression;

• Suppress the guideline 31/CP of April 14, 1997 that legalizes the arbitrary arrest and internment without trial of all citizens during 2 years or more, notably of writers, journalists and intellectuals "on suspicion of violating national security"- a system of repression condemned by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in its 75th session (July 2002), considering it was contrary to article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

• Abolish censorship and lift all restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom to create and publish, and freedom of the press.