Following is the interview of the Honorable Julian Stefani, Member of the Legislative Council - Liberal Party in Australia by Nam Dao, a reporter of Radio SBS, Australia. The interview took place on October 24, 1996. We would like to thank Radio SBS for the transcript of this interview.
Nam Dao: Mr. Stefani, you may have heard about Mr. Ha Si Phu's arrest and about his trial. The alleged reason for his arrest was that he was carrying "secret state documents." Do you believe that was the true reason for his arrest?
Julian Stefani: Certainly from the information that I've seen and received, it appears that the man is very innocent. A retired biologist and scientist, he was riding his bicycle and there was a staged accident and someone took his bag. A crowd came around and there were some military and police vehicles, they asked him what had happened, and he stated that his bag was stolen from him. So they took the bag and the two assailants and Mr. Ha Si Phu to the police station and interrogated him. And from there he was charged.
N.D.: What was then the real motivation behind his arrest ?
J.S. : I think the issue is that what was in the bag was material that he was writing for a book. They were not secret state documents that were alleged to be stolen by him. He is a prisoner of conscience. I guess that Mr. Ha Si Phu is a person who has been vocal about the regime and in writing his books he made references to the system that were not to the liking of the communist regime, so they found an excuse to arrest him.
N.D.: In Australia, he would have been able to defend himself in court through his own lawyer, wouldn't he?
J.S.: Absolutely. Usually if in any event someone is arrested, they have the right to remain silent and to have their own solicitor to represent them on any charges that may be laid. But in this instance, it was almost like a kangaroo court. It was fait accompli before the event. The man was charged. The judge was not listening to the arguments advanced by the lawyers defending Mr. Ha Si Phu and he did not listen to what Mr. Ha Si Phu had to say about the content of his bag, and so the man is in prison now for twelve months. His wife is very distressed and she is petitioning all people of conscience, around the world and in Australia of course, to assist with the petition to have her husband released from prison and to have his sentence revoked.
N.D.: Mrs. Ha Si Phu is a real courageous woman. What she is doing is very dangerous. Do you think that she will receive lots of support?
J.S. : This is obviously a breach of human rights, a very blatant breach of human rights. All of us who are freedom loving people--and I know that the Vietnamese people in Australia are--we must all be concerned and supportive of Mrs. Ha Si Phu in an effort to have her husband freed. She is a great woman. She's feeling that her husband has been mistreated and injustice has been done to him, and she's taking a big risk in making the world know of this human right breach. She is seeking our support and we must give her that moral support.
N.D.: How were you able to get all this knowledge about Mr. and Mrs. Ha Si Phu ?
J.S.: The Free Vietnam Alliance is a wonderful organization representing many Vietnamese people in Australia and all around the world, in America and in France. I think many Vietnamese people are closely associated with the Free Vietnam Alliance because they share the same feelings, the same principles. The Free Vietnam Alliance movement is basically been set up by those people who fled their country, Vietnam, and are living now all around the world, but these people are free loving people, they want to see freedom and democracy return to Vietnam. So they have initiated this movement which binds all of us including me with the Vietnamese people to fight for freedom, justice and peace for Vietnam. And so it is Free Vietnam Alliance that has been the motivator of many things including this information which has come to me and I am very pleased to have received it. I'm very pleased to support the work of the Free Vietnam Alliance. It is not a political movement. It is a movement of people wishing to work for the freedom, justice, peace and democracy of their country. I strongly support them.
N.D.: Human Rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the Free Vietnam Alliance have demanded the immediate release of Mr. Ha Si Phu, Le Hong Ha, Nguyen Kien Giang, and all other prisoners of conscience. What do you think an Australian can do in Australia to help their release?
J.S.: I think it is important for all of us in Australia who are very blessed with the freedom of our country and a wonderful democracy--certainly we are not perfect but we probably have one of the best democracies in the world--that we join the Free Vietnam Alliance in their work to support them, and of course Amnesty International is also strongly supporting the work of the Free Vietnam Alliance, because we are dealing with human rights, we are dealing with the freedom of people, with prisoners of conscience who are not able to speak what they feel in their own country and those who have been in prison. So it is up to Australia to join in this thrust to insure that our efforts are joined with the Vietnamese people so that we draw attention to the breaches of human rights and that we put pressure on the Vietnamese government so that those people of conscience who have a great love for their country can express their views because this is what we do in Australia.
N.D.: Mr. Stefani, what is your message to the Vietnamese government and the perpetrators of human right abuses in Vietnam?
J.S.: I implore them very significantly. Australia is building a bridge which is a commercial bridge with Vietnam. I know the Liberal Coalition federal government has always underlined the importance that trade relations must be developed on the basis that there is respect of fundamental principles of human rights. I know that I am reinforcing the message already given by the Prime Minister Mr. John Howard and also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alexander Downer, they have reinforced that Australia will only develop strong bilateral trade ties with Vietnam on the basis that Vietnam recognizes fundamental human rights principles that have been adopted by the world. And so my message is that I implore them with all the mercy and the goodwill that all prisoners of conscience should be released, and particularly Mr. Ha Si Phu, who is a prisoner of conscience, a man who has served his country well as a scientist, a person who has great love for his country and for his people. So I ask that the Vietnamese government should carefully consider its position and to respond to this appeal that I am making on behalf of the people of Australia and also on behalf of my great friends, the Vietnamese people in Australia. Please allow the people that you have in prison, those who have expressed their concerns, who are being held unjustly, please allow them to be free again and to retain that freedom because they are very conscientious people who will do great things for Vietnam.
N.D.: What is your message to Mr. and Mrs. Ha Si Phu and to other prisoners of conscience in Vietnam?
J.S. : I think my message is primarily to tell them that there is a very large block of friends, of compatriots, of Australian friends here in Australia that wish to support them, wish to say to them that their fight is our fight. We all want to see freedom, democracy and peace be retained and returned to Vietnam. Our message is one of support. Our message is that we are brothers and sisters, all working together for the peace of the world. And with that message I want to express our very deep support and to tell them that their fight is not in vain, because their fight is our fight. Their expression of freedom is our expression of freedom. Their love for peace is our love for peace. And with that, our brotherly love is very strong. And I want to express it in those terms to give them hope that we here in Australia support the move to have them free, to return them to their families and their homes, and to one day be able to be together and perhaps to meet them.