美国批评越南当局监禁活动人士

The United States is criticizing Vietnam for jailing three activists for up to three three years for obstructing traffic.

The dissidents were arrested earlier this year while riding in a convoy of motorcycles to visit a former political prisoner.

A court in the southern province of Dong Thap on Tuesday found them guilty of "causing a public disorder."

Bui Thi Minh Hang, the most prominent of the three, received three years in jail. Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh was jailed for two years, while Nguyen Van Minh got a two-and-a-half year sentence.

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi says it is "deeply concerned" about the ruling and is alarmed Vietnam is using public disorder laws to silence government critics.

The statement called on Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release the three activists, along with all other prisoners of conscience.

这3名活动人士今年早些时候被逮捕，当时他们随同一个摩托车队前往探视一名前政治犯。

星期二，越南南部同塔省一家法院判定这3名活动人士犯有“扰乱公共秩序”罪。

这3名活动人士中最著名的裴氏明恒被判处3年徒刑。另外两人，阮氏翠如被判两年徒刑，而阮文明被判处两年半徒刑。

美国驻河内大使馆表示对这一判决深感关注，并担心越南利用针对扰乱公共秩序的法律钳制政府批评人士的言论。

美国驻河内大使馆发表声明，敦促越南当局立即无条件释放这3名活动人士以及所有其他良心犯。