Houston, Texas, October 24, 1999
We learned from AFP news on October 20, 1999 that "Prominent Vietnamese dissident writer and scientist Nguyen Thanh Giang denounced police for seizing his computer and questioning him for two days, according to a copy of a letter obtained Wednesday. The 63-year-old geophysicist said his treatment by security forces was barbaric and brutal, when about 10 police searched his home and seized his computer." We also learned from AFP that "Since his March arrest, Giang said, his son was forced to quit his research job at a government science institute, and his daughter to give up her post at the ministry of labour". In the October 14 letter, Dr. Nguyen demanded an end to police harassment, an end to his house arrest, the return of his computer, his copy machine and his documents. He also demanded that the government lift a ban on his travel, stop harassing him and his family, and halt its prolonged interrogation.
The use of "barbaric and brutal" forces against writer Nguyen, and the retaliation towards his children by firing them from their jobs, are inhuman. These actions constitute violations of the human rights guaranteed by the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Vietnam had ratified.
At present, Vietnam has some of the most grievous violations of human rights in the world. The Vietnamese government uses the so-called "administrative detainment" under the unlawful Directive 31/CP issued by Ministry of Interior to arrest, harass, and detain dissidents without trial for up to two years.
We, Texas Friends For A Free Vietnam Committee, representing the freedom-loving people in the State of Texas:
1. Strongly support the demands of Dr. Nguyen Thanh Giang, as requested by his letter dated on October 14, 1999 to Vietnamese leaders. The Vietnamese government should immediately return all seized properties to Dr. Nguyen, stop the illegal search of his home, stop the harassment of his family, and stop the retaliation against his children.
2. Strongly protest the Vietnamese Government for violations of basic human rights and strongly condemn the oppressive actions against Dr. Nguyen and his family.
3. Urgently call on the Congress and the President of the United States to hold up the Trade Agreement with Vietnam until the Vietnamese Government respects basic human rights and rescinds the unlawful Directive 31/CP.
4. Urgently call on all freedom-loving countries, international organizations and the media in the world to use their influence to stop the harassment and terrorism of dissidents by Vietnamese authorities.
Contact: David Stockman, Executive Director
P.O. Box 262323, Houston, Texas 77207 - USA Tel: (713) 640-4268 Fax: (713) 991-1721
Email: TexasFriends@pdq.net