Hong Vo, a 53-year-old social worker from Australia was freed after 10 days in detention. -- PHOTO: AP
HANOI - AN AUSTRALIAN activist of Vietnamese descent was freed on Thursday after 10 days in detention after being accused of violating Vietnam's terrorism law by participating in a rare public demonstration.
Hong Vo's pro-democracy group said she left the country for Melbourne immediately after her release on Wednesday.
In a statement, the group called it 'outrageous' that Vo was arrested Oct 9 on terrorism charges.
Vo was taken into custody a day after passing out T-shirts and fliers in Hanoi with other members of Viet Tan, or the Vietnam Reform Party, a banned US-based group with members abroad and within Vietnam.
Vietnam's Communist government does not tolerate any form of dissent and considers Viet Tan a terrorist organisation, but the US says it has found no evidence to suggest that. The group itself maintains that it is nonviolent.
Vo, also known as Dinh Thi Anh Hong, was arrested on accusations she violated Article 84 of Vietnam's penal code. The law is often used to charge and convict pro-democracy activists and typically carries a sentence of up to seven years in jail. -- AP
