HANOI, Sept 6,1999 (Reuters) - Top Vietnam dissident Nguyen Dan Que, keeping up his recent campaign against the communist-ruled government, said on Monday the country needed an independent human rights organisation to promote democracy.
``To promote human rights and democracy in Vietnam it is necessary to establish an independent human rights organisation to keep an eye on human rights violations,'' Que, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, said in a statement received by Reuters.
Que issued the statement just hours ahead of the scheduled arrival in Hanoi of U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who is expected to raise the issue of human rights and freedom of religion with her communist hosts.
In recent weeks Que has called on other activists to challenge the ruling party and accused party chief Le Kha Phieu of being out of touch with the desires of Vietnamese people.
He has also said he wanted to meet Albright during her two-day visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Que urged the U.S. and the European Union to support the initiative of an independent rights organisation in Vietnam.
But he said Vietnam's elite 19-member party politburo would oppose such a move.
``Certainly the politburo is against (the idea) but people need to protect their basic rights,'' said Que, who was released under an amnesty one year ago. He has spent some 20 of the last 23 years in jail for his political beliefs.
The Communist Party tolerates little or no dissent and monopolises power at all levels of society in Vietnam. It also denies that people are jailed for their political beliefs.