Free Vietnam Alliance / Australia Chapter

Press Release

On October 19, while the world is focusing on the international fights against terrorism, the Vietnamese government quietly brought Father Nguyen Van Ly to a trial behind closed-doors without defense lawyers, or independent witnesses. Father Ly was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 5 years of house arrest simply because he had peacefully called on the Vietnamese government to respect religious freedom.

This harsh sentence is part of an escalating pattern of religious and human rights violations on religious leaders and the people of Vietnam. Of particularly noted are, The Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang detained for over 20 years; The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do under house arrest since May, of the Unified Buddhist Church and Mr Le Quang Liem, leader of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church who has been placed under house arrest and subjected to various form of harassment.

In collaborating with the Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Committee/ Victoria Chapter, Free Vietnam Alliance in Australia has raised this issues and received numerous supports from Members of Parliaments of the Commonwealth of Australia and States, who jointly signed below, to call on Vietnamese government for:

• The immediate release of Father Nguyen Van Ly, The Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, The Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, Mr Le Quang Liem and other prisoners of conscience.
• The immediate cessation of all forms of threat, harassment and
• Respect for the basic human rights and practices of religious freedom.

Jointly supported by : Christine Campbell ( Labor) State Member for Pascoe Vale, Victoria. Minister for Community Services; Annette Ellis (Labor) Federal Member for Canberra, Canberra. Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services; Marise Payne ( Liberal) Federal Senator for New South Wales; Laurie Ferguson ( Labor ) Federal Member for Reid, New South Wales; Jim McKiernan ( Labor) Federal Senator for Western Australia; Tsebin Tchen ( Liberal) Federal Senator for Victoria; T Samios ( Liberal) State Member for New South Wales; Jeanette Powell ( National Party) State Member for North Eastern Province, Victoria; Reba Meagher (Labor) State Member for Cabramatta, New South Wales; D Allen ( Labor) State Member for Benalla, Victoria; Geoff Howard ( Labor) Member for Ballarat East, Victoria; Dr. Peter Wong ( Unity Party) Leader of the Unity Party; M Gould ( Labor) Member for Doutta Galla, Victoria; R Best ( National) Member for North Western Province, Victoria; John D'orazio. Member for Ballajura, Western Australia; Leonie Burke ( Liberal) Member for Prahran, Victoria.

Canberra

January 4th, 2002.

Free Vietnam Alliance/ Australia Chapter.