Physicians for Human Rights is once again renewing its appeals for Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a Vietnamese endocrinologist who has been an eloquent and reasoned voice of protest against human rights violations for the past thirty years. A former Nobel Peace Prize nominee--Dr. Que has consistently advocated for non-violent means to achieve reform in Vietnam.
Since Dr. Que's release from prison over a year ago (PHR members had worked on his case for almost a decade), the Vietnamese authorities have not returned to him any form of personal identification, such as a birth certificate. By withholding these papers, Dr. Que has been unable to leave his home--he risks arrest at any time if he travels without proper identification.
Following a communique that Dr. Que released on May 11, 1999 via the internet calling for freedom, democracy, and the end of human rights abuses in Vietnam, his telephone service was cut, his postal mail began to be intercepted, and his home went under constant surveillance. According to Reuters, the Police Ministry released a document to the post office on June 9, 1999 ordering the cancellation of his internet account. Additionally, authorities have stepped up their harassment of Dr. Que's family.
According to a reliable source, Dr. Que's wife, daughter, son-in-law, and niece have been repeatedly questioned about his activities. His daughter was recently told by police that her mobile phone, the family's only remaining form of outside communication, would be cut. When his niece, a schoolteacher, attempted to visit Dr. Que, police approached her and informed her that she would be dismissed from her job. Shortly thereafter, she was dismissed from her post.
While his forthright comments have brought much hardship to Dr. Que, repression has not altered his unswerving commitment to human rights and freedom. In the past few weeks he has continued to issue public statements and has been outspoken in support of a landmark trade pact between the United States and Vietnam which would grant Normal Trade Relations to Vietnam, an agreement that many Vietnamese Communists oppose. Last week, on October 13, 1999, Dr. Que released another statement to the media which called for the cessation of human rights abuses: "We all recognize that Vietnam is committing systematic human rights violations and has an outdated policy that fails to meet demands brought by great changes all over the world."
Punishing Dr. Que for peacefully expressing his ideas is a violation of internationally recognized law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states,"Everyone shall have the freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing, or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice." (Article 19). Vietnam is a signatory of the ICCPR.
PHR has received reports of Dr. Que's ill health in the past. In January 1997, PHR learned of his hypertension, a duodenal ulcer which may have recurrent bleeding, and a possible kidney stone.
ACTION IS NEEDED NOW
Physicians for Human Rights strongly protests the Vietnamese government's harassment and repression of Dr. Que and his family for exercising his internationally recognized legal right to freedom of expression. Please write letters to:
The Honorable Phan Van Khai
Prime Minister
Hoang Hoa Tham
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
The Honorable Le Minh Huong
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
Tran Binh Trong
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
The Honorable Le Kha Phieu
Secretary General of the Communist Party of Vietnam
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
The Honorable Tran Duc Luong
Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Ha Noi, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Please express your concern that the government has not yet returned Dr. Que's identification papers. Urge authorities to furnish Dr Que with these documents immediately.
Express that you are alarmed that Dr. Que's activities continue to be under investigation by the authorities and that his lines of communication with the outside world (telephone, email, internet, postal mail, mobile phone) have been cut. State that these actions are in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of which Vietnam is a signatory. Implore authorities to restore these lines of communication immediately.
Express alarm at the harassment of Dr. Que's family members and call on authorities to cease such harassment immediately.
State that you are aware of Dr. Que's history of health problems and urge that his family members be unhindered in their ability to visit him and bring him medications.
Your letters do make a difference! Letters written protesting Dr. Que's imprisonment factored in his release in September 1998. Please send a copy of your letter to Allison Cohen at acohen@phrua.org