Berlin, Germany: The Vietnamese community in Berlin organized a gathering on October 25 at the Vietnam House (Vietnam Haus), located in the proximity of the Hanoi embassy, to discuss and show their support for the human rights struggle in Vietnam.

The gathering was attended by local Vietnamese, representatives of the Vietnamese organizations, and members of the Vietnamese press.

The main speakers at this event were two famous dissidents: poet Nguyen Chi Thien, author of the poet collection Flowers from Hell, and writer Vu Thu Hien, author of the memoir Darkness in Midday. The two gentlemen, known for their personal experiences with the Hanoi's oppressive machinery, denounced the systematic abuse of power and violations of human rights in Vietnam. The ultimate proofs of Hanoi's violations are the issuance and implementation of Decree 49 NQ/TVQH, signed by former Chairman of the National Assembly Truong Chinh in 1961; and Decree 31/CP, signed by former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in 1997. Both Decrees authorize Public Security cadres to arrest and detain any citizens without trial.

As a political prisoner in the "bamboo gulags" for most of his adult life, a total of 27 years, poet Nguyen Chi Thien recounted stories of extreme cruelty by the communist regime.

Despite his father's former positions as high-ranking member of the Vietnamese Communist Party and special secretary to Ho Chi Minh, both Vu Thu Hien and his father were sent to prison for decades when the Party's infighting for power broke out in the 1960's. Only then did they know the true faces of the regime and its leaders.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tam, Representative of the Free Vietnam Alliance in Germany, joined the two speakers in calling for more pressure from both inside and outside Vietnam on Hanoi until they rescind the two notorious Decrees as the first step to restore democracy and human rights in Vietnam.