On October 25, 26 and 27, Vietnamese communities around the world participated in demonstrations and discussion forums in a show of solidarity with the tens of thousands of political prisoners detained in Vietnam. Member movements of the Free Vietnam Alliance organized events in all the capital cities of countries with significant expatriate communities. The following is a summary of "The Days for Political Prisoners in Vietnam."
Paris: "Silence Feeds Oppression"
These famous words by Francois Mitterand provided the theme for the demonstration along the streets of the French capital city on October 26. In the face of increasing political persecution in Vietnam, the Free Vietnam Alliance called on the French people, government and media (1) to pressure the communist government of Vietnam to rescind its unjust sentences against religious and political prisoners and (2) to lobby the European Union to raise human rights concerns with the Vietnamese government as provided for in the July 1995 Working Agreement signed by the EU and Hanoi.
The appeal was broadcast by Radio France International (RFI), which also interviewed Free Vietnam Alliance Secretary General Nguyen Ngoc Duc.
Afterwards, the demonstration proceeded to the Hanoi embassy on Boileau Street. Among the protesters was renowned poet Nguyen Chi Thien, the dissident currently residing in the US after 27 years of imprisonment in Vietnam.
Before the Communist embassy, Mr. Duc in his speech informed the crowd of similar events taking place concurrently around the world. He also mentioned that "Nhan Dan," the official mouth-piece of the Vietnamese Communist Party, ran an article on Oct. 25 sharply critical of the worldwide protests. However, said Mr. Duc, distortions by the communist leadership cannot fool the people inside Vietnam, but instead will only make them more committed to regain their human rights.
Poet Nguyen Chi Thien's remarks which followed received thundering applause from the crowd. The dissident spoke of his first-hand persecution under communism and his determination to work for the day of freedom in Vietnam.
Aside from the many Vietnamese community leaders present at the demonstration were a number of foreign friends, including Yon Ghika (International Federation for Freedom) and Daniel Crusbert (Shipbuilders Trade Union). Representative Christian Vanneste, Chairman of the French Committee for Democracy in Vietnam, was unable to attend but provided a taped-message which was played at the demonstration. Many in the crowd were deeply moved to hear Representative Vanneste speak of his own desire and that of other members of the French National Assembly to push for democracy in Vietnam.
Bonn: A Thousand Calls For Justice
On October 26, Vietnamese from Hamburg, Berlin, Brandenburg, and areas as far as 800 kilometers away gathered in Bonn in a demonstration for "Individuals Tried And Imprisoned Unjustly in Vietnam."
Nguyen Dinh Tam, FVA representative in Germany and chairman of the Committee For The Freedom Of Ha Si Phu, initiated the demonstration in a speech to over 1,000 participants. Referring to human rights abuses by the Hanoi government, Mr. Tam outlined an upcoming response of the FVA in the court of international opinion. The Alliance plans to bring legal suits against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam before the Human Rights Commission of the United Nation and the European Union. In conjunction with its other efforts to campaign for democracy in Vietnam, the FVA intends to pressure Hanoi to honor its international agreements on human rights or risk losing substantial aid and investment flows.
Following the morning activities, the demonstration moved on to the Hanoi embassy. There, as is the usual practice, embassy officials closed off the building and filmed the demonstration through slightly opened curtains.
Meanwhile, representatives of Vietnamese organizations throughout Germany took turns at the podium to call for human rights and democracy.
Radio Germany, reported on the demonstration in its English-language program, later broadcast to Vietnam.
Washington DC: Younger Generation Shows Its Concern
The member movement of the Free Vietnam Alliance here organized a forum on "Repression & Injustice in Vietnam, the Most Recent Case: Ha Si Phu, an intellectual sent to jail for his peaceful writings." The October 27 discussion in Washington DC shared the same purpose as all the other events occurring simultaneously around the world, but with a special twist: the entire organizing committee consisted of individuals in their twenties and thirties, a pleasant surprise for many in the audience.
The forum's program started with a multimedia slide show reviewing the history of human rights abuses in Vietnam. First, the persecution of ordinary Vietnamese like Dr. Nguyen Dan Que and Prof. Doan Viet Hoat. Then, the persecution of religious leaders including Father Tran Dinh Thu and the Venerables Thich Huyen Quang and Thich Quang Do. Finally, the most recent persecution of dissident communist party members, many of whom devoting their entire lives to the communist path and bravely announcing now that it was all a mistake.
Ms. Dang Thi Thanh Chi, the youngest member of the FVA coordinating committee, spoke of the reason for focusing on Ha Si Phu. According to Ms. Thanh Chi, the writings of Ha Si Phu directly challenge one of the two main pillars of the Vietnamese Communist Party. The Party relies on appeals to Marxism, along with massive intimidation from its security forces, as the basis of its rule. Ha Si Phu, who penned "Farewell to Ideology" prior to his arrest, provides the most convincing reasons to date why communism must be bid good-bye from someone living within Vietnam. His work significantly influenced many high-ranking party members and motivated other intellectuals to speak their conscience.
Mr. Hoang Tu Duy, a FVA member who left Vietnam at the age of three, analyzed "Hand in Hand in the [Direction] of Intelligence." In this essay, Ha Si Phu called on readers to follow their own intelligence to confront the problems in society. This is in contrast to the self-promotion of the Communist Party, which claims itself to be at the "pinnacle of human intelligence."
Following a spirited discussion, the audience agreed with the Free Vietnam Alliance's plan to help distribute the writings of Ha Si Phu and other dissidents in Vietnam, where the bamboo curtain still blocks discussion on the country's future.
Ottawa: Hunger-strike for freedom
Despite unexpected road blocks around the city from a public sector strike, the planned 25-hour hunger strike for the release of political prisoners in Vietnam went on schedule on October 25.
Members of various organizations in the Vietnamese community here participated in the demonstration before the Canadian Parliament, calling for Canada's support in pressuring the Hanoi government to respect human rights and release political prisoners in Vietnam.
Nguyen Thi Thuat, a 70-year old woman and the oldest hunger-striker, told members of the press in an interview: "Despite old age and lack of high education, I want to contribute my small part in the national endeavor...I want to tell our imprisoned compatriots at home that they are not alone in the fight for freedom of our homeland."
Joining the campaign for freedom, a prayer was held at the local Pho Da Pagoda on the evening of Oct. 25 for the well-being of those imprisoned for peacefully voicing the popular wish.
On the second day of the demonstration, another group of protesters from Toronto joined the event.
The demonstration attracted a score of press; among them the BBC, VOA, Ottawa Citizen, and Toronto Star. A Burmese journalist at the scene expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese dedication to their mother country's freedom and shared his wish of freedom for his own homeland.
Tokyo: Demonstration At The Vietnamese Communist Embassy
On October 26, Vietnamese living in Japan took their protest against the recent sentences of Ha Si Phu, Le Hong Ha, and Nguyen Kien Giang to the Hanoi embassy.
Mr. Ngo Van Tien, Secretary General of the Association of Vietnamese in Japan, told of the unity of Vietnamese around the world in condemning the human rights abuses of the Hanoi government. Mai Huu Tan, FVA representative in Japan, read the protest letter delivered to the Hanoi embassy.
Affirming that the "Vietnamese fatherland belongs to the Vietnamese people" and that "no party has the right to treat the country as its own possession to control," the Vietnamese community in Japan demanded that the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam lift the unjust sentences and free religious and political prisoners currently in prison or under house arrest.
Sydney & Perth: Upholding Human Rights
In Sydney, at aptly named Freedom Plaza, members of the Free Vietnam Alliance took the grassroots approach and organized an exhibit and petition table. Passers-by in this predominantly Vietnamese commercial area on October 27 were told of the international campaign for the release of political prisoners in Vietnam. With a backdrop of Australian and Free Vietnam flags and patriotic music in the background, 640 individuals and 12 organizations signed the petition in support of the campaign.
On the same day in Perth, the Vietnamese Community of Western Australia and the Free Vietnam Alliance organized a forum discussion.
Various leaders of the Community expressed their hopes for democracy in Vietnam and thoughts on prominent political prisoners, including Ha Si Phu. Vu Ngoc Tho, FVA representative in Australia, concluded by presenting the Alliance's "Proposal for Building a Democratic Society in Vietnam." The Proposal outlines a three-step process for peacefully democratizing Vietnam, from creating an environment supporting political pluralism, to building transitional institutions, to realizing a sustainable democracy.
As part of the "Days for Political Prisoners in Vietnam," the Free Vietnam Alliance sent a letter to elected officials in Australia explaining the urgency of the campaign. This message has been warmly received by many, including representatives Eoin Cameron, Alian Rocher, and senators Jim McKiernan, Winston Crane, John Panizza. Representative Paul Filing has followed up with a letter to the Foreign Ministry requesting the Canberra government show support for political prisoners in Vietnam and have concrete measures to apply pressure on Hanoi.