Letter of Appreciation
to the Government of the United States of America
and to Our Compatriots
Following the Visit to U.S.
Made by President Nguyen Minh Triet
to the Government of the United States of America
and to Our Compatriots
Following the Visit to U.S.
Made by President Nguyen Minh Triet
Vietnam, June 26, 2007
-- Dear Your Excellency President George W. Bush, and the Honorable Congress of the United States of America
-- Dear Compatriots Worldwide, Especially those in the United States
The President of the Vietnam Communist has just been due back from his trip visiting the United States. In the interim capacity as a representative of the Bloc 8406 (made up of thousands of the Vietnamese peaceful democratic demanded activists inside and outside Vietnam committed to confronting the autocratic communist led regime for bringing about democracy, liberty that is governed by multi-parties better representing the people of Vietnam by non-violence means.),We would like to respectfully present below our appreciative comments to the Honorable President George W. Bush, the Honorable Congress of the United States of America and to our compatriots worldwide. I. First and foremost, our utmost gratitude:
We truly are grateful to the words and actions undertaken by Your Excellency President George W. Bush in support of the democratic movement for Vietnam so as to meeting the activists in May 29, 2007 at the Oval Office of the White House, showing support for Rev. Nguyen Van Ly (one of the founders of the Bloc 8406) while at Praha on June 05, 2007. By bringing home to the need for the practice of the freedom of religion and freedom of speech when you declared “I also made it very clear that, in order for the relations to grow deeper, that’s important for our friends to have a strong commitment to human rights and freedom and democracy,” and you further stated “I explained my strong belief that societies are enriched when people are allowed to express themselves freely or worship freely.”, such was further accompanied by way of the greeting given him in light of their increasing repression of the pro-democracy activists and religious leaders, we are sure have driven home the message.
We also appreciate the support we have received from so many Honorable Congressmen and Congresswomen of the United States Congress by way of your active leadership in democracy for Vietnam, such as was from the beginning of the year your voices made in direct support of the pro-democracy movement in Vietnam, one which we expressed our gratitude in our letter of June 19, 2007. Closer to home was on the meeting with President Nguyen Minh Triet on June 21, 2007 by six Congress members of the United States Congress, led by the Speaker of the House, Honorable Congresswoman Pelosi, who directed a series of inquiries on the very subject of democracy progress in Vietnam to such a point that left him far less opportunities to address matters connected to trade. The fact that this meeting was preceded by a meeting the Honorable Speaker of the House and the Honorable Congress woman Loretta made available to the three pro-democracy for Vietnam activists for account of the condition and environment the pro-democracy activists in Vietnam faced demonstrated your genuine concern of the democracy in Vietnam, the absence of which creates far more risks for foreign investments in Vietnam; on the other hand, there could hardly be fruitful result to the people of the two countries when dealing with Vietnam when the country is run by communist driven, single-party autocratic rulers, whose power used for further corruption and focused in religious and pro-democracy repression. On this occasion, we would also like to express our most appreciation to the many friends in United States, the lovers of peace and liberty for Vietnam, who have steadfastly held their support to the cause of pro-democracy that we have pursued.
We are truly grateful to our worldwide compatriots an especially to those in the United States who have demonstrated their voices of concerns for democracy in Vietnam and who have shown up to make such voices apparent to President Triet, who otherwise would not have acknowledged the existence of such a voice, at locations he came to on his trip to include: Washington D.C, New York, Los Angeles and so many other active demonstrations by way of bringing to light of the present repressions of religion and pro-democracy in Vietnam to the public media, making known of the image of Rev. Nguyen Van Ly being treated at trial when armed public officers closed his mouth preventing his verbal expression at trial, prayers for peace and democracy, fasting for democracy and the mass demonstrations capable of leaving such an impression on the mind of the Vietnamese communist President Nguyen Minh Triet of concerns of democracy and freedom, he would never otherwise been made aware of when he was at home. Your support indicates that these communist rulers have not represented the people of Vietnam and their presence in the United States was for purpose of trade enhancement, the growth of which increases their power base firmly grasped and protected by those few in the communist ruling party against the mass of the their people, against whose interests they played for their own benefits whereas the playground setup such as that of a pseudo congress, faked judicial body, deceptive elections all was created as an illusion intended to deceive the world stage on the expense of the people of Vietnam.
II. Next, our statement:
The statement made President Nguyen Minh Triet at New York to the press corp concerning the freedom of speech and freedom of religion in Vietnam are contrary to the fact:
In Vietnam there cannot exist a difference in political view. If one ever existed, the communist system will use its iron-fist hand to handle on an immediate basis. The single-party rulers of Vietnam have constantly arrested, tried those whose difference in polictial view as criminals with the trumped-up criminal charges, and put them away from the public by a long-term prison. One could be subject to however long a prison term not just for holding a different view, but merely for as simple a reason as request for consideration of unfair infringement on their land, request in labor abuse practice or a personal friction with one of the party officials. There are a few tools that this communist led system would not dare put into its disposal for dealing with those they see as re-actionists, perceived as a threat to its power.
Nobody disagrees that “each country, thanks to its own history, its own customs and its own uniqueness would select a government model that best supports its own demand.” But, to leap frog from such a pretext to a question that “why should Vietnam be compelled into any pre-defined model?” and a statement ensued that the government of Vietnam is one freely elected by the people of Vietnam is an obvious insult to those who closely observe. President Nguyen Minh Triet himself and his party cohorts have compelled the entire country into a single-party system, awkward, obsolete and irrelevant and proven system failure, one adopted from Russia, who themselves have walked away from the system it originated. The systems in use, while benefiting some few, has brought Vietnam backward in times to at the very least a half a century backward, while its neighbors have far fostered in advancement in almost all aspects.
The statement made by President Triet to a group of selective audience in Los Angeles proves to be both deceptive and dishonest in fact:
He has no right to personalize the communist led system with the mother’s image with open arms receiving her children. This mother has dropped tireless tears seeing millions of millions of her children putting their life at risk losing it at sea for the sake of their freedom that their homeland refused them, and this mother has been far more in pain seeing millions of millions others of her children being placed in open prison all over the country by the so- called socialist republic of Vietnam. Isn’t it such a nice name? This open prison is not limit to any particular fixed boundary, but it is all over the entire country, under which its entire population is being imprisoned, and the prison is warded by the iron-fist ward. He should not forget that the thousands of people marching to greet him at Dana Point have not forgotten the homeland they left behind, and mobilized by the love of the motherland they have joined to show him their statement, the statement they know full well their other compatriots at home could never have been able to so express.
He had enough gut to say that “On the way here, I have seen a number of our compatriots seem to oppose me. Frankly, I felt so much like to have a shake hands with them, I wanted to invite them to our meeting, so that we could have a frank, open discussion. Our party and our country would never have prejudiced about the difference they may share. We would listen, be ready to engage in dialogue even they represent the difference, in hopes of gaining their participation, their contribution to build a strong country supported by the people united in whole to foster our country.” No testimony is as evident as what has happened in Vietnam in the past 32 years. Nothing else shows better of the deception in speech and the dishonesty in fact than what his system has pervaded in Vietnam over the past 32 years. “Do not listen to what communist may state, let’s look at what communist delivers.” Contrary to what Triet has said, his group in fact has well hidden themselves from the compatriots overseas, going out from the backdoor, and camouflaging their communist symbolic flags and raised it overtly only in location surely surrounded by their owns.
III. Next, we would call on our compatriots:
To continue your support in calling the attention to the government ensuring that the democratic principle be a condition precedent to any economic concession with the Vietnamese communist run government. Economic development cannot be achieved without corresponding political stability and political stability cannot be firmly grounded when there is not liberty, no freedom of speech or no freedom of religion. How can creativity ever be there, which is an underlying support for products enhancement capable of bringing about the best in human capital, when human repression is prevalent. Emphasis is essential in assuring that each promise, commitment made by the Vietnamese communist led government in safeguarding or in instituting human rights be monitored, tracked and measured for assurance that it is being implemented.
To stay in unity in love for liberty, peace and freedom for Vietnam as demonstrated by through such strong statements expressed by your demonstrations in support of democracy for Vietnam.
To continue spreading the words of democracy Vietnam needs, its people craves for and bring home the message of freedom and how freedom is practiced in the free-world. Such sentiment will soon spread the light of freedom throughout Vietnam.
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin was caved down in part thanks to the breakdown of the information control giving rise to information permeation and such information was made available by people traveling between the two parts of the country. Likewise, similar pattern may make changes to happen in Vietnam someday and even if that day is far in the future, which we hope to the contrary, is still worth to pursue.
IV. In the end, we the Bloc 8406, calls on the government of Communist led Vietnam:
To cease the power grasping and deceitful practice. These two will probably at best bring short term benefits to individuals practicing them, but in the long-run will subject these individuals to irreversible punishment by justice and history. The advancement in communication has grown and permeated through the globalization and thereby brings massive information in touch with people who need them and in that process how long will it take before the Vietnamese communist government face with the people the are surrounded by who are fully armed with knowledge and who then were too fed up with the tyranny they faced leading to perhaps far less than perceptible consequences. If nothing else is gained from the trip, perhaps the tumultuous U.S. trip should serve as a lesson-learn experience.
To cease all repressions against the pro-democracy activists by ceding erratic arrests, stopping the trumped-up charges against those who love the freedom as if they were criminal; cease spreading lies to the free-world that there is no political prisoners in Vietnam; cease holding other countries citizens hostage when declaring that they violated the nation’s sovereignty for later using them as chip in negotiation game.
To engage in dialogue with the pro-democracy activists, to listen to victims of injustice- experienced by workers, to respect the voices of the religious leaders bringing possible openness to freedom, multi-party driven democracy the people have long awaited for and the trends demand such a practice to better benefit the country and to all.
In submission on June 26, 2007
Representative of the Bloc 8406
Do Nam Hai, Engineer, Saigon
Tran Kim Anh, Former military officer, Thai Binh
Phan van Loi, Reverend, Hue
