Do Nam Hai protests harassment

The following is a translated appeal from Do Nam Hai, pen name Phuong Nam, protesting police harassment for his dissent. I posted here earlier this month an appeal he wrote Dec. 10 on the same matter.

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Ho Chi Minh City, January 19, 2005

TO: Commanding Staff of Secret Police, Phu Nhuan District
Concerned friends

My name is Do Nam Hai, born in 1959 in Hanoi, residing at 441 Nguyen Kiem, F9, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

I am writing this letter to present to the Commanding Staff of the Police of Phu Nhuan District the following incident. On the evening of 1/18/2005, I received a summons by Colonel Tran Thanh Ta, Vice Commander of Police of Phu Nhuan District, signed on the same day. I was requested to present myself at exactly 8:00 AM 1/19/2005 to the Phu Nhuan Police station at 181 Hoang Van Thu Street to "scrutinize the content of my computer, which the police have temporarily confiscated." (Copy attached). Regretfully, I could not come as requested because:

1) The timing of the scrutinization conflicted with the time that I had to work at my agency.

2) On the afternoon of 12/4/2004, after having temporarily taken control of the CPU of my computer, a representative of the investigating agency-the Police, verbally told me at the police station that "When we have erased all information in there (CPU), we will return it to you."

Therefore I suggest that if the Police have finished that task, then please return it to me at my home at the above address. In the case that the Police realizes that would not be a solution, then it could just do what ever it sees fit. In reality, the CPU has already been under the police control temporarily for 45 days. Now, if I could get it back, I would not have been able to use it myself.

3) In the afternoon of 12/3/2004, again the representative of the investigating agency--The Police Department--telephoned me and asked me to see him at a restaurant at 168 Hoang Van Thu Street, Phu Nhuan (approximately 100 meters from the Phu Nhuan Police Station). At 5 PM, I came to the rendezvous place and I thought naively that it was just a "get together" to "exchange thoughts on democracy." (!) In reality, as described in the Open Letter dated 12/10/2004, I was immediately taken to the Police Station and again I was interrogated for 24 hours. I am willing to take responsibility in front of the law, if I am actually guilty of some violation. But, I object to illegitimate and under handed actions of representatives of a public law enforcement agency.

These are the reasons for me to write this letter. I sincerely thank you for all of your concerns.