Australian Parliamentary Secretary
Minister for Health and Family Services

September 2, 1998

To: The Prime Minister of Vietnam
The Honorable Phan Van Khai
Office of the Prime Minister
Hoang Hoa Tham
Hanoi, Vietnam

Dear Prime Minister:

I am writing to you as an elected Member of the Commonwealth Government of Australia to express my support for freedom of expression in Vietnam.

I have had a long and rewarding association with the Vietnamese community in my electorate. Last year, I even had the honour and privilege to tour Vietnam with the Rockefeller Foundation. I have much admiration for the Vietnamese people. They have faced very difficult times and in spite of this they remain brave, visionary and optimistic.

I believe that we in Adelaide and in Australia are very lucky to have a thriving Vietnamese community. There is no doubt that their contribution has made Australia a better place. On an international level our bilateral relationship with your country is politically, strategically and economically important.

In Australia, as you would know, we have a fundamental belief that every citizen has a right to political and religious beliefs providing that expression does not bring harm to others.

It is for these reasons that I offer my support to freedom of expression for the people of Vietnam. I understand that culturally we come from different parts of the world. However, I believe that it is from cultural exchange and freedom of expression that we can grow to become a rich global community where friendship, peace and trust are paramount in our daily lives.

Trish Worth
Federal Member for Adelaide
93 Frome Street
Adelaide, SA 5000
Tel: (08)8223-1130
Fax: (08)8223-1174