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Mr. Le Chi Quang, a Law graduate in Hanoi, was first brought to public attention by his essay "Beware of Imperialist China" in October 2001. In this document, he raised concerns regarding the three unpublished border accords between the Vietnamese and Chinese governments in 1999 and 2000 in which Hanoi conceded land and sea to China. Le Chi Quang also wrote other articles expressing his views on administrative reform, Vietnam-US trade relations, and the problem of corruption.

He was arrested by the security police on February 21, 2002 without any arrest warrant and his house was searched without any search warrant. He has been detained since. After eight months of detention, the Hanoi government will bring Mr. Le to trial in the upcoming days, charging him with the crime of "spreading propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" via the Internet.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam's constitution, Article 69, Section 5 guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of press, the right to inform, the right to associate, the right to protest, and the right to form organization of Vietnamese citizens. Mr. Le Chi Quang just exercised his rights and his duty as a patriotic Vietnamese citizen when he wrote and published such articles as "Administrative Reform," "Suggestions for the 9th [Vietnamese Communist] Party Congress," "The Trade Agreement and Vietnam-US Relations," "Beware of Imperialist China," as well as his joining the "Vietnamese Citizens' Association to Help the Party and Government Fight Corruption" (which has yet not been sanctioned by the Hanoi authorities).

Besides Mr. Le Chi Quang, there are other young professionals and intellectuals such as Pham Hong Son—a medical doctor with an MBA, Nguyen Vu Binh—a journalist, and Nguyen Khac Toan—a teacher, all of whom have been persecuted by the Hanoi authorities under similar charges.

The government's persecution of intellectuals and dissidents are in direct violation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's constitution as well as the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights. These young professionals and intellectuals are the future of Vietnam. To repress them is to repress the potential for renovating and advancing Vietnam.

The Vietnamese Professionals Society deplores the illegal arrest of Mr. Le Chi Quang for more than eight months and the upcoming trial under arbitrary charges. The Vietnamese Professionals Society urges those in the legal profession to support and defend Mr. Le Chi Quang before the so-called "People's Court" in the near future. We also call on professionals and intellectuals worldwide, together with all people, to support and protect victims of all forms of persecution.