Vietnam sentences democracy activist to prison

A Vietnamese court has sentenced pro-democracy activist Tran Anh Kim to five-and-a-half years in prison for subversion against the communist state.
The former army officer was a member of the Democratic Party of Vietnam and the pro-democracy Bloc 8406, both of which are banned.
He was accused of publishing pro-democracy articles on the internet.
Four other activists are to be tried on similar charges in the latest round of dissident trials in Vietnam.
A number of other democracy activists have already been jailed this year in what some analysts say is a crackdown ahead of the next Communist Party Congress scheduled for early 2011.
'Serious violation'
The 60-year-old Kim was arrested in July on charges of conducting propaganda against the state.
He was later indicted with the more serious crime of "conducting activities to overthrow the people's administration" - charges that carry a maximum penalty of death.
"I joined the Democratic Party of Vietnam and Bloc 8406 to fight for democratic freedom and human rights for the Vietnamese nation through peaceful dialogue and non-violent means," he said.
Journalists were allowed to cover the four-hour trial at the court house in the northern town of Thai Binh.
Judge Tran Van Loan said Kim's activities had amounted to a "serious violation of national security". He said he had worked with "reactionary Vietnamese and hostile forces in exile".
The trial of four other pro-democracy activists - Le Cong Dinh, Nguyen Tien Trung, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and Le Thang Long - on similar charges is to begin in Ho Chi Minh City on 20 January.

Stories feature love in Ha Noi

VietNamNet Bridge – The idea of writing love stories flashed into writer Ly Khac Cung’s mind a decade ago when he visited the Hachette Publishing House, Paris and found the love stories of many countries in store, but nothing from Viet Nam.

Love is all around: Cover of the love story collection compiled by writer Ly Khac Cung.He spent time and effort collecting materials and listening older people’s stories. Finally, he compiled 150 short love stories and printed them in three-volume publication entitled Chuyen Tinh Thang Long-Ha Noi (Thang Long-Ha Noi’s Love Stories).
Cung had previously published a book of Vietnamese love stories but with his love for Ha Noi, Cung decided to focus on stories of Hanoians. His book features the love between people of different positions in the society such as a queen, a quan ho (love duet) singer, a florist, a teacher and a cook. Some stories are simple and modest, while others are dramatic.
Because they have been collected and written over many years, the stories record the morals, customs and behaviour of Ha Noi’s people in different historical periods. One person may be still influenced by feudal customs, while another finds love in freedom.
Through Cung’s books, the readers also learn about Ha Noi’s old place names and history.
"Somerset Maugham once said that if you want to understand some where’s culture, read the local love stories to feel the beauty, the good, the great, the bizarre and the drama and you’ll have a complete understanding," Cung says, "I agree with him, and it was the criterion I used for the collection."
With more than 40 books on Ha Noi’s spiritual life, speciality, customs, culture and geography, Cung is considered one of the foremost researchers on the capital city.
The book series, each one is around 200 pages, are on sale in the whole country.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News