Letter from The Hon. JULIAN F STEFANI OAM to UN Secretary General KOFI ANNAN
5 October 1999
Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Executive Office of the Secretary-General
UN Headquarters # S-3800
New York NY 10017
Dear Secretary-General
I am writing to you as a member of the Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Committee which has been established in South Australia and is working to promote the interests of the many Australians from Vietnamese background who have a strong commitment to issues of justice, the release of all prisoners of conscience as well as the freedom of religion and of the press. In a free society, these are the fundamental basis for a system of democratic government.
Contemporary Vietnam, known officially as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the world's twelfth most populous nation. It is also the second largest socialist country after China. The war in Vietnam can be best described as the political drama of the 60's. For the many Vietnamese refugees living in Australia, the war has been the cause of a dramatic change in their personal circumstances and in their lives. Through the experience of war, the majority of Vietnamese have developed a strong political consciousness.
To understand why the Vietnamese people fled their country, one needs to know what they have lost and to understand what they have loved so passionately. We need to be aware of the trauma that they have experienced and we need to comprehend all that preceded it. We need to comprehend that after 30 April 1975, when the Republic of South Vietnam ceased to exist, the communist government diminished the standard of living for many Vietnamese people and destroyed their dreams and their freedoms. There are many stories about the oppression, hardships and atrocities experienced by many Vietnamese refugees, both in their country and during their escape to freedom. Unfortunately for some of them, these experiences can never be forgotten.
Despite this, many of them have now settled in Australia, bringing with them important family values and traditions that originated from their beloved motherland, Vietnam.
These traditions include a strong commitment to democratic values that underlie human rights and a common goal for all people to live and work together in peace and harmony for the national good. In this context therefore, the Vietnamese people have a strong yearning for democracy and for personal freedoms which have become part of their guiding principle as a community.
For many Vietnamese people freedom has indeed been a reason for living, and many have died in the cause of fighting for freedom.
The Australian Government makes regular representations to the Vietnamese Government on behalf of individuals detained for peaceful expression of their political and religious views, both through the embassy as well as during the visit to Vietnam by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Alexander Downer. For example, the Australian Government made several representations for the immediate release from detention of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Giang and a number of political prisoners were released during last year's presidential amnesties.
The list of people, on behalf of whom the Australian Government made representations, was reduced from seventeen to just four and more amnesties have been foreshadowed for 1999 and 2000.
I suggest that, following the UN Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, held during last year, there appear to have been some improvements in the situation of the Vietnamese Catholic Church and the release of several senior clergy of the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam during the amnesties.
In asking for your personal involvement and intervention in this matter as the UN Secretary-General, on behalf of the many Australians of Vietnamese origin, I would appreciate if you could seek the release of the prominent Buddhist Monks Thich Khong Tanh and Thich Tue Sy who have been held under house arrest or imprisoned.
I would appreciate your personal consideration to my request.
Yours sincerely
HON. JULIAN F STEFANI OAM, MLC
Founding Member
Australia Vietnam Human Rights Committee (SA)
Letter from Mrs. Margery Aspin, President of the Mont Albert Branch of the Liberal Party of Australia, to Vietnam Communist chief Le Kha Phieu
From: Mrs. Margery Aspin, 8 Streeton court Mont Albert 3127 Australia
1st October 1999
To: His Excellency Mr. Le Kha Phieu
General Secretary of the Communist Party
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
HANOI, Vietnam
Dear Sir,
It has been brought to my notice that the Vietnamese authorities have persistently harassed, detained and tortured dissidents - members of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam - who have peacefully expressed their views.
This is a serious infringement of human rights, and as Vietnam is a signatory to the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights, I would request that such harassment stop immediately.
As a Christian and a citizen of a democratic nation, I believe in the rights of all people to be able to express their own views and to uphold their own religious beliefs, without violence or political interference.
I look forward to the day when residents and citizens of Vietnam and other countries can enjoy the freedom of expression and a life without bloodshed or political turmoil.
Yours faithfully,
M.F. ASPIN (Mrs.)
Letter from Dr. Liem Vo to Vietnam Communist chief Le Kha Phieu. Dr. Liem Vo is a young, accomplished scientist in Australia, famous for his outstanding discovery of a cure for skin cancer and for his dedication to human rights
From: Liem Vo BA, BSc Hons., PhD
Research Officer, Department of Pharmacology
Monash University,
Clayton Victoria 3168
23 September 1999
To: His Excellency Mr. Le Kha Phieu,
General Secretary of the Communist Party
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hanoi, Vietnam
Dear Sir,
It has been brought to my attention that the Vietnamese authorities have persistently harassed, detained and tortured either mentally or physically the following dissidents who expressed their views peacefully: Venerable Thich Quang Do, Venerable Thich Tue Sy, Venerable Thich Tri Sieu, Venerable Thich Khong Tanh, Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, Head of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, retired General Tran Do and writer Ha Sy Phu.
With respect, I urge you to act quickly and decisively to stop this serious violation of Human rights which Vietnam is a signatory of the United Nations 'International Bill of Human Rights'. I also appeal to you to allow retired General Tran Do to publish his news paper independent of government control. Freedom of the press will only serve to enhance the well being of the Vietnamese people and help to fight against corruption. I hope this letter receives your immediate attention.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Vo Liem