PRESS RELEASE
Paris, November 16, 2000
Saigon - Hundreds of Vietnamese families, mostly peasants from southern provinces, are standing daily at the corner of Le Duan and Nguyen Binh Khiem streets in Saigon - across from the City Zoo - waiting to submit their complaints.
The crowd of people with files of papers in hands try to get through the gate in front of an unmarked house at 7 Le Duan Street. From whatever source of information, most people here believe the government official inside that house has the authorities to settle their complaints. Most of their grievances involve private land being confiscated illegally and unjustly by local officials.
The gate to the house remains closed, however. The Public Security agents standing guard on both sides of the gate neither accept any documents nor disband the crowd. So far, the would-be plaintiffs are frustrated but remain peaceful. Some of them have literally lived on that street corner for two months now. Every day, they raise their makeshift banners displaying their grievances along with rows of their families' letters of commendation awarded by the government - Certificates of Contribution to the Revolution, Certificates of Families with War Fallen Heroes, medals for bravery in war, etc.
In recent years, outrage among the rural population against oppression and corruption has burnt down local government offices and officials' houses. The unrest in Thai Binh, Xuan Loc, Tra Co, etc. have sounded alarms at the highest level of the communist government here.
The Free Vietnam Alliance will continue to monitor and report on the developments on Le Duan Street, particularly during President Clinton stop in Saigon.