His Excellency Le Kha Phieu
General Secretary
Vietnamese Communist Party
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hanoi, Vietnam
Fax: +84 4 823 1872
29 July 1999
Your Excellency, I am writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers, which represents over 15,000 publications in more than 90 countries, to express our serious concern over your government's refusal to authorize the publication of a newspaper.
According to reports, Vietnamese authorities blocked the launch of a newspaper by the retired General Tran Do earlier this month.
With respect, we urge you to allow General Tran Do to publish his newspaper, as failure to do so constitutes a breach of numerous international conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Vietnam has signed. Article 19 of this Covenant clearly states: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds".
I look forward to receiving your comments on this case.
Yours Sincerely,
Bengt Braun
President
cc:
Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations
Mrs. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mr. Federico Mayor, Director-General, UNESCO
________________________________________
For additional information, please contact:
Anne-Marie Stott
Policy Advisor
World Association of Newspapers
Tel: 33 1 47 42 85 00
Fax: 33 1 47 42 49 48