Washington DC - Despite the circles of Public Security agents in plain clothes surrounding his house, Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, the renowned Vietnamese dissident recently released from prison, sent his message to the outside world to commemorate the Fifth Vietnam Human Rights Day. Dr. Nguyen was condemned to almost 2 decades in prison for his call for the respect of human rights in Vietnam. In 1994, both Chambers of the US Congress chose May 11, the day Dr. Que announced the formation of the Human Rights Movement several years earlier, to be the annual Vietnam Human Rights Day.
Today, May 11, 1999, the Vietnamese population commemorate the Fifth Vietnam Human Rights Day silently in their hearts. On this occasion, we would like to make the following declaration:
Vietnam belongs to all Vietnamese, at home and abroad. No government is considered legitimate if it is not built on the will of the people. The Politburo of the Vietnamese Communist Party, therefore, must:
1. Respect Human Rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom of religion , and other political rights.
2. Detach the Party from the government , the armed forces, and the police. Tax-payers' money must not be used to finance activities aiming at suppressing freedom to fortify the dictatorship.
3. Let the existing National Assembly independently legislate free and fair election laws with international observation.
4. After the separation [of the Party from the government], let the administration implement the election law by holding an all-nation conference to devise a new constitution for Vietnam. Everyone has the right to directly participate in the defining the national direction and policy to bring the country out of the current stagnant condition.
Failing to do so, the Politburo will bear the full responsibility of forcing people to stand up and fight for the right to decide their own future in this rapidly democratized world. The Politburo must not be allowed to arbitrarily immerse the entire population in stagnation, corruption, poverty, and illiteracy .
Vietnam, May 11, 1999
Dr. Nguyen Dan Que
Human Rights Movement