Bloc 8406 Advances the high tide to boycott the single-party Vietnamese National Assembly Election 2007
(9 Month Anniversary of the Manifesto)
(9 Month Anniversary of the Manifesto)
Viet Nam, 8 January 2007
Dear respected fellow-countrymen inside and outside Viet Nam,We, Bloc 8406, composed of 2,189 domestic Peaceful Democratic Fighters (PDFs) and almost 4,000 PDFs abroad as official signatories, as well as thousands of Citizens inside and outside Viet Nam who have also signed in support, concludes that:1. Elections under a single-party regime are always a fraud to legalize the regime’s totalitarian government. For the last 60 years, the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) has deviously used the puppet National Assembly (NA) and the People’s Councils at all levels to rule the country with a false democracy. The majority of the Vietnamese people clearly recognize this; however, for the last 60 years, due to fear and lack of direction and method of struggle, they need to be silent and cover their eyes to the fraudulent nature of these elections. The electorate does not even bother to care which candidates they should vote for. The People realize that at the end of the election day, no one knows what happens to the ballots except a few top officials of the CPV. Everyone knows, but no one dares to speak up. Which Representatives will be “fraudulently elected” is too well predicted by almost everyone.2. Despite the fact that the Vietnamese Communist Regime always asserts that National Assembly Elections and Nominations are very important and legitimate rights and obligations of every Citizen, in order to elect representatives with their voice at the highest organ of State power, the “only organ with constitutional and legislative powers… exercise the supreme control over all activities of the State” (Article 83, 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.) On the other hand, Article 4 of the same Constitution states: “The Communist Party of Viet Nam, the vanguard of the Vietnamese working class, the faithful representative of the rights and interests of the working class, the toiling people, and the whole nation, acting upon Marxist-Leninist doctrine and Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, is the force leading the State and society”. Obviously, these two articles (4th and 83rd) within the same Constitution completely contradict one another. 3. In reality, from 1945 to 2002, eleven NA elections, self-orchestrated by the CPV, have followed only one principle “the Party nominates, the People elect”, meaning that all candidates from which the People can choose, are all members of CPV, or pre-chosen by the CPV. Therefore, after being “fraudulently elected”, they do not serve as the Representatives of the People (the People’s Representatives), but rather as Representatives of the CPV (the Party’s Representatives), shameful hirelings of the CPV instead of glorious People’s Representatives. Thus, the NA is nothing but a tool of the CPV, it is certainly not an independent organ with a legislative power and the “highest organ of State power”. 4. Again in reality, for more than 60 years under the Communist Regime, casting ones’ vote is always forced upon all of the Vietnamese People through threats, forcing relatives to cast their votes for them, and especially many arbitrary and cruel retaliations against anyone who dares to refuse to vote due to their conscience and their realization that these basic rights and obligations have been degenerated and taken advantage of by the CPV to perpetuate and bolster their totalitarian regime.5. Article 4 of the Constitution and the above-stated reality render ineffective Article 6 and 7 and 146 of the Constitution: “The people make use of State Power through the agency of the National Assembly and the People’s Councils, which represent the will and aspirations of the people, are elected by them and responsible to them... Elections to the National Assembly and the People’s Councils are held in accordance with the principles of universal, equal, direct and secret suffrage… All other legal documents must conform to the Constitution.” Thus, in its intrinsic nature, since its birth, the 1992 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam has been unconstitutional, since it is self-contradictory. 6. The reality of NA Elections in Viet Nam until now has not resulted in any fair Rule-by-Law system, an actual Democracy, or true Freedom for the Nation; has not created any Representatives that are only responsive to the People’s wishes, only responsible to the People and only basing their strengths on the strength, the respect and the honor earned from the People when exercising their legislative power. Thus, Viet Nam is still full of deceptions, corruptions, injustice, abuses of power, depravation, backwardness, lack of any freedoms such as Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Religious Freedom and Freedom to Stand for Election and to Vote, … and can not reach the level of Human Condition and Human Rights of civilized democratic countries.Therefore, on the 9th month anniversary of the birth of Bloc 8406 1. We adamantly demand again that the CPV, for the authentic Democracy and Civilization of the Nation, let the current puppet NA remove article 4 of the 1992 Constitution, the source of current national shame and disaster to our Nation. 2. We have demanded many times that the Vietnamese government must hold NA Election 2007 based on the principles of Multi-party, Freedom to Stand for Election, and Freedom to Elect similar to that of civilized countries, openly monitored by International Organizations. However, in reality, until now, the Vietnamese Communist Regime has not shown any sign of preparation to pass any appropriate Bills or Laws which would create an opportunity for non-Communist, democratic political parties and independent candidates to participate in a fair competition. There is no sign of or suitable conditions to realize a Multi-party Democracy, there is no hope that freedom to stand for Election and freedom to elect will actually come true, just as in the last eleven fraudulent NA Elections. Thus, we urgently push to advance the high tide to call for all People inside Viet Nam, belonging to any circle, any profession, any function, any segment, who yearn for Democracy and Civilization for our Nation :BOYCOTT THE SINGLE-PARTY NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2007 3- Human dignity and a citizen’s conscience will not let us participate in this deceptive and forced activity any longer. The boycott of the fraudulent NA election is a basic yet most effective action to create a necessary pressure on CPV so that our Country soon have a truly free and fair multi-party NA election, ending the Communist totalitarian regime, and opening a bright future for Viet Nam among the Democratic International Community. The main goal of the boycott is not to cause the puppet NA Election 2007, singly-orchestrated by the CPV, to fail, but to strike a mortal blow at that puppet NA, even after it is formed. If only 50% of the electorate are terrified and to go to the polling places, the Communist Regime will declare a “great victory”. To choose to vote or not to vote is the right of every citizen, which can not be threatened or forced by any tyrannical power. However, in Viet Nam today, the electorate have not enough courage to overcome the heavy oppression of the Viet Nam’s totalitarian government and bravely refuse to cast their vote. The majority of the people are still too afraid of retaliation and oppression : About three hundred problems can not be resolved by the Communist Government without the "Family Register" (So Ho Khau) !!!The boycott of the fraudulent NA Election 2007, is intended to expose the truly fraudulent and mandatory nature of the NA Election, to render the Representatives of that puppet NA 2007 to feel ashamed that they can not falsely claim proudly that they are the “prestigious Representatives chosen by all People” as they have done eleven times over the past 60 years; instead these “Party chosen” and “fraudulently elected” Representatives will realize that the Domestic and International Public Opinion knows too well that they are just shameful servants of the CPV (and in particular that they are merely hirelings of the Political Bureau of the CPV).We do not need to wait for the NA election day; if Public Opinion understands the goal of this boycott and only a few thousand PDFs, some number of Scholars and Intellectuals, and some number of Religious Leaders have the courage to abstain from voting, then this boycott is already a success: the puppet NA 2007 will naturally become a “cancer” and a “putrid turmoil”. The cancer must die, and for the sake of the International Community, the turmoil must be avoided. Indeed this boycott is and will be create needed pressure so that these “fraudulently elected” Representatives will themselves feel a need for an New Interim Constitution to usher in the first truly Democratic, Multi-Party NA Election, the first of its kind after 60 years of fraud.4. We urge all Vietnamese and anyone who has good will in this cause to wear a white shirt, white scarf, white hat, … on the 1st and 15th of each month to boycott the false democratic election, as well as to demand Freedom and Democracy for Viet Nam in the eyes of the International Community. If one fears too much the threats, and have no choice but to vote, then please at least wear a white shirt, and tear the ballot or leave it blank. 5. We urge CPV members or anyone pre-chosen by the CPV to stand for this fraudulent NA Election 2007, in the name of conscience and honor, please decline to participate in this deception, because this act of being “fraudulently elected”, of becoming the obedient servants of the CPV, is only to prolong the 60 year long pitiful plight of the Vietnamese People without opening up any future for our nation.6. We respectfully call for all Vietnamese abroad, International Human Rights Organizations, National Assemblies and Governments of many countries, especially those members of the United Nations, to enthusiastically find appropriate and effective ways to help Viet Nam to implement a Multi-party, Free, Democratic National Assembly Election, in accordance with international standards. We would like to thank all Vietnamese, and everyone who has the good heart and good will inside and outside Viet Nam to form a multi-party democratic political system for Viet Nam.Interim Representatives of Bloc 8406
composed of 2,189 Peaceful Democratic Fighters and tens of thousands of Citizens inside Viet Nam and abroad :
Citizen Do Nam Hai, Engineer, Sai Gon.
Citizen Tran Anh Kim, Former Military Officer, Thai Binh.
Citizen Nguyen Van Ly, Catholic Priest, Hue
