FEW people may realise the strong links which have grown between Farnham people and Britain’s Vietnamese community.

The town’s local Amnesty International group and in particular member Clive Lindsay, have supported Vietnamese prisoners of conscience for 15 years now.

Clive organised their 10th polite protest outside the Vietnamese embassy in Kensington last month asking for the release of the estimated 45 prisoners of conscience. Good relations with police have always made this a positive family event.

In April Nola Weerwag, former AIUK co-ordinator for Vietnam and her replacement, Chris Peel, spoke to the Farnham group in The Pavilion of St Andrew’s Church updating them on developments and AI’s report on torture in the country.

They were joined by nine of the Vietnamese asylum seekers who have built strong relations with the group over the years with two coming from as far as Scotland.

As Nola told them Vietnam is still a one-party communist state tolerating no public dissent which shows no signs of implementing the reforms they give lip service to.

She reported on the four prisoners the group have supported through letter writing.

Father Ly who is 68 years old has spent 20 of the last 36 years in prison for peacefully criticising government policy on religion and advocating greater respect for human rights.

In 2006 he co-founded Bloc 8406, a coalition calling for a multi-party state, freedom of speech and peaceful political change. Manhandled and gagged to prevent him challenging the court he was sentenced to eight years plus five years under house arrest.

He was temporarily released in 2010 for treatment after a stroke and returned in 2012 still very ill with a brain tumour – he has recently been released.

Nguyen Van Dei and Le Thu Ha were arrested on their way to meet European diplomats. They are now incommunicado with no access to family and lawyers , at risk of ill-treatment and torture, while they await a sentence of between three and 20 years.

Clive continues to co-ordinate the group’s letter writing in support of these people.

One guest, Ricky, spoke of the difficulties asylum seekers experience in the UK where he has been for 12 years with his wife and their two British-born children.

He has only just obtained his ‘right to remain’ while his friend has spent 26 months in a detention centre and has to report weekly to police while his claim is processed.

The group meet, usually on the first Monday of each month in St Andrew’s parish room or pavilion at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.

Details can be found on the website, www.amnesty.org/groups/farnham, which is currently being updated.