Free Vietnam Alliance
January 31, 2000
Press Release
The international campaign to nominate Ven. Thich Quang Do for the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize has received encouraging results. In Europe, 54 parliamentarians and two university professors have submitted nomination letters to the Nobel Peace Prize Selection Committee.
The campaign in France was initiated in October 1999 by the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam in Europe and the Free Vietnam Alliance. At the request of these organizations, Senator Michel Pelchat, Chairman of the French Committee for a Democratic Vietnam (Comite' Français pour la de'mocratie au Vietnam), spearheaded a nomination effort which received the support of 26 senators: Pelchat Michel, Berchet Georges, Bernard Jean, Boratra Didier, Clouet Jean, De Broissia Louis, De Cosse Brissac Charles Henri, De La Malene Christian, Debavelaere De'sire', Descours Charles, Diligent Andre', Du Luart Roland, Dupont Jean-Le'once, Ferrand Andre', Flosse Gaston, Grillot Louis, Hamel Emmanuel, Herisson Pierre, Laufoaulu Robert, Leclerc Didier, Loueckhote Simon, Mercier Louis, Mouly Georges, Natali Paul, Souplet Daniel, and Vissac Guy.
In the French National Assembly, former minister Françoise Hostalier, Chairwoman of Human Rights Action (Action Droits De l'Homme), invited colleagues to submit the name of Ven. Thich Quang Do to the Nobel Selection Committee. This nomination letter was signed by 15 members of the National Assembly: Bleisseig Emile, Bussereau Dominique, Cazenave Richard, Chossy Jean François, Delnatte Patrick, Deprez Le'once, Goulard François, Jacquat Denis, Martin Christian, Micaux Pierre, Nudant Jean Marc, Peach Arthur, Pinte Etienne, Voisin Michel, and Weber Jean Jacques.
In Germany, two university professors, Dr. Ernst Albrecht (former chief minister of Federal German State Niedersachsen) and Dr. Peter Antes (Head of faculty of Religious Studies, University of Hannover) also nominated Ven. Thich Quang Do for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Belgium, Count Yvan de Winter, Chairman of the Belgian Committee for a Democratic Vietnam (Comite' Belge pour la De'mocratie au Vietnam) organized a working committee of Belgian political leaders and intellectuals to support Ven. Thich Quang Do's candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee succeeded in lobbying 13 Members of Parliament to submit the name of Ven. Thich Quang Do to the Nobel Selection Committee.
We are pleased to provide below the nomination letters (and English translations) by the 26 French senators and 13 Belgian Members of Parliament.
Free Vietnam Alliance
email : paris@lmvntd.org
Web : http://www.lmvntd.org (in Vietnamese)
Web: http://www.fva.org (in English)
Se'nat
Michel PELCHAT
SENATEUR DE L'ESSONNE
MP/OS/MI/47
Professeur Francis SEJERSTED
Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Nowegian Nobel Institute
Drammensveien 19
N-0255 OSLO
NORVEGE
Paris, lundi 10 janvier 2000
Monsieur le Pre'sident,
Parlementaire français et Pre'sident du Comite' Français pour la De'mocratie au Vietnam, je me permets, dans l'espoir que l'an 2000 sera une anne'e de justice et de morale, de vous demander que le Prix Nobel de la Parix soit attibue' au Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do.
Te'moin de son temps, a` de nombreuses reprises, arre^te', tortue', emprisonne', le pouvoir communiste ne pu jamais a` son encontre prouver quelque faute que se soit. Il a toujours su donner l'image d'un homme pacifique aux sentiements exceptionnellement ge'ne'reux et a` la de'termination exemplaire. Il incarne parfaitement les valeurs qui donnent l'espoir au peuple vietnamien. Comme vous savez, ces valeurs n'ont pas de frontie`res, pas de races, elles ne se limitent pas a` une culture.
Le Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do, comme le Cardinal Desmond Tutu de l'Afrique du Sud, comme le Dalai-Lama du Tibet, est un symbole qui nous guide dans notre lutte pour le respect de l'Homme.
A cet effet, vous trouverez ci-jointe la liste des se'nateurs français qui soutiennent sa candidature.
Vous remerciant de l'attention que vous porterez a` cette reque^te, je vous prie d'agre'er, monsieur le Pre'sident, l'expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.
Michel PELCHAT
Comite' Belge de Soutien a` la candidature au Prix Nobel de la Paix du Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do
Bruxelles, le 31 janvier 2000
A Professeur Francis SEJERSTED
Pre'sident du Comite' de Se'lection du Prix Nobel de la Paix
Institut Nobel Norve'gien
Drammensveien 19
N-0255 OSLO
NORVEGE
Monsieur le Pre'sident,
Objet: Pre'sentation de la candidature au Prix Nobel de la Paix du Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do
Le Prix Nobel de la Paix jouit, dans le monde libre, d'une re'putation des plus flateuses et tellement bien me'rite'e.
En effet, chaque fois que le Comite' de Se'lection du Prix Nobel de la Paix de'cerne son Prix a` un individuel ou e'ventuellement a` un groupe ou a` une organisation de'termine'e, la communaute' internationale se re'jouit grandement de sa de'cision qui rappelle a` tous les me'rites exceptionnels du re'cipendiaire.
La vie exemplaire du Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do, Secre'taire Ge'ne'ral de l'Eglise Bouddhiste Unifie'e du Vietnam, est un exemple pour tous ses contemporains.
Conscient des malheurs de son Peuple, le Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do n'a cesse' de protester depuis plusieurs dizaines d'anne'es contre la dictature qui opprime son pays.
Son action incessante en faveur de Droits de l'Homme et de la liberte' de religion, bafoue's a` longueur de journe'e dans le pays, lui a valu plusieurs anne'es de prison, diverses assignations a` re'sidence ainsi qu'une surveillance quotidienne de la police.
Le Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do n'a pas he'site'a` combattre, par ses e'crits et par la parole, le fallacieux pre'texte des autorite's vietnaminnes qui accusent les de'fenseurs des Droits de l'Homme de s'inge'rer dans les affaires inte'rieures du pays.
C'est en pensant a` son courage et a` tous les sacrifices qu'il a endure's dans sa lutte pacifique pour le respect des Droits de l'Homme que nous, signataires de la pre'sente, vous pre'sentons la candidature au Prix Nobel de la Paix du Ve'ne'rable Thich Quang Do.
Nous vous prions d'agre'er, Monsieur le Pre'sident, l'expression de nos sentiments respectueux.
Yvan de Winter
Pre'sident
Annexes : Listes des signataires.
January 10, 2000
Dear Mr. Chairman,
As a French Parliamentarian and Chairman of the French Committee for a Democratic Vietnam, in the hopes that the year 2000 will be a year of justice and morality, I request that the Nobel Peace Prize be awarded to Venerable Thich Quang Do.
As a witness to these times, he has often faced reprisals, arrest, torture, and imprisonment by the communist authorities, who have never proved that he has committed any crime. He is the constant and admirable image of a peaceful, generous and determined person. He is the ideal symbol of the hopes of the Vietnamese people. As you know, these values have no borders, no races, and are not limited to any culture.
The Venerable Thich Quang Do, like the Cardinal Desmond Tutu of South Africa, like the Dalai-Lama of Tibet, is a symbol for us in the struggle for the respect of Man.
Enclosed is a list of French senators who support his nomination.
Thank you for your attention to this nomination. Please receive my best wishes.
Michel PELCHAT
Brussels, January 31, 2000
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Re: Submission of the Nomination of Venerable Thich Quang Do for the Nobel Peace Prize
In the free world, the Nobel Peace Prize is well known and highly respected.
Indeed, each time the Nobel Peace Prize Selection Committee makes the award to an individual, group, or association, the international community pays notice to the decision and is reminded of the exceptional merits of the recipient.
The life of Venerable Thich Quang Do, Secretary General of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, serves as an example for his contemporaries.
Conscious of the sufferings of his people, Venerable Thich Quang Do has for decades protested the dictatorship oppressing his country.
His incessant efforts in support of human rights and religious freedom, which are constantly violated in his country, have caused him to be imprisoned for years, detained often, and followed each day by the police.
Venerable Thich Quang Do has not hesitated to fight with his words and his pen the falsities of the Vietnamese authorities who accuse those who defend human rights as interfering in the country's internal affairs.
In thinking of his courage and the sacrifices endured in his peaceful struggle for human rights, we, the undersigned, respectfully submit the nomination of Venerable Thich Quang Do for the Nobel Peace Prize.
We would like to extend to you, Mr. Chairman, our warmest wishes.
Yvan de Winter President
Attached: List of signatories