His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Vu Chi Cong
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Your Excellency,
The arrest of Fr. Nguyen Van Ly of Phu An by Vietnamese police on May 17th this year has recently been brought to my attention.
On behalf of the Catholic community in Australia, I formally protest Fr. Ly’s arrest and the long campaign of persecution and harassment that he and others working for religious freedom in Vietnam have suffered at the hands of the authorities.
I ask you to convey this protest to the government of Vietnam. I request that Fr. Ly be immediately released from prison.
I will be providing the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs with a copy of this letter, and intend to do all that I can to assist Fr. Ly’s cause in this country and with overseas agencies.
I would be very pleased to receive your response to these concerns.
Yours sincerely,
GEORGE PELL / ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY
(Excerpts)
Dear Archbishop Pell:
...Speaking for Fr. Ly, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your letter, dated July 18th, 2001, to the Vietnamese Communist authorities.
... We are deeply touched especially because, as far as we know, you are the first Catholic bishop in the world to voice his support for Father Ly and his friends in this struggle.
... Your action brings great comfort to Fr. Ly and all of us (the parishioners of Nguyet Bieu and An Truyen and both of us).
... We respectfully request your continued support for people who are bravely standing up for freedom in this country — freedom to be [true] human-beings, freedom to be children of Jesus, children of Buddha.
Respectfully yours,
Rev. Peter Nguyen Huu Giai
Rev. Peter Phan Van Loi