The Public Security Ministry’s General Security Department has asserted that they have sufficient evidence of law-breaking activities of Le Cong Dinh, who was arrested on June 13 for allegedly engaging in subversive activities against the Vietnamese State.

Meeting with the US Deputy Ambassador Virginia Palmer in Hanoi on June 18, a representative from the General Security Department also said that the June 15 comments by the US Department of State’s spokesman Ian Kelly were groundless.

He added that Le Cong Dinh, who himself is a lawyer, had admitted to violating Article 88 of the country’s Penal Code and asked for clemency in a written testimony.

“Dinh was arrested for his law-breaking activities, not for his role in defending some offenders as reported by the US and several foreign oganisations,” the officer said.

He stressed that the meeting with the US side for exchanging views on the issue demonstrated the Public Security Ministry’s goodwill for cooperation. At the same time, he requested that the US not interfere in Vietnam ’s internal affairs.

According to the officer, Dinh admitted that he had broken the law when joining in a training course organised by the Viet Tan group and joining a plot to form parties to protest against the Vietnamese state.

“I know Viet Tan is a terrorist organisation which has trained a number of Vietnamese on non-violation struggle in Vietnam ,” Dinh wrote in a handwritten affidavit.

According to the General Security Department’s officer, Vietnam respects lawyers’ work, however all citizens in Vietnam are equal before the law and anyone who violates the law must be strictly punished, without any exception.

He said the Public Security Ministry will continue to provide the US side with information regarding the investigation of the case./.