Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Le Dung, on June 23 confirmed that the arrest of Le Cong Dinh was in line with Vietnamese and international laws.

Dung was answering correspondents’ queries about Vietnam ’s reaction to the June 22 statement of the EU Heads of Mission in Vietnam regarding Dinh’s arrest by the Investigation Security Agency under the Ministry of Public Security.

Dung said, “We must assert that Le Cong Dinh was arrested for his law-breaking activities and collusion with some elements abroad in a plot to subvert the Vietnamese government.”

He added that Dinh himself had admitted his guilt.

Dung also stressed that the arrest was Vietnam ’s internal affair, in line with the procedures stipulated by Vietnamese law and corresponding to international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The spokesman reiterated that in Vietnam , the right to freedom of expression for all citizens is ensured by law and defended in practice.

He also said the punishment of law-breakers is a necessary and normal function of governance in countries all over the world, including those of the EU, in order to ensure national security, social order and the safety of its citizens.

“Regrettably, although sufficient information has been provided and opinions relating to the issue have been exchanged during a recent dialogue between the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and the EU-Troika, the statement of the EU Heads of Mission in Hanoi is biased and interferes in Vietnam’s internal affairs,” the spokesman concluded./.