PARIS, 28th December 2007 (IBIB) - In the wake of widespread demonstrations staged by students and young people outside Chinese Embassies in Hanoi and Saigon, and strong protests by the Vietnamese community overseas, the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do, prominent dissident and Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has issued a strong statement on the controversy over the disputed Paracel and Spratly archipelagos. Sent clandestinely from the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon, it was received by the International Buddhist Information Bureau in Paris today. Writing on behalf of the UBCV’s Bi-Cameral leadership (the Institute of the Sangha and the Institute for the Dissemination of the Dharma), Thich Quang Do called on the Hanoi authorities to “pass the reins of power to the people in a society based on the separation of the three powers, multi-party democracy and the rule of law” as the best way to safeguard Vietnam’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Because “three million Communist Party members and a 500,000-strong army have neither the authority nor the power to defend the homeland by military means, nor sufficient prestige and courage to expand political and diplomatic efforts to mobilize international support in our defence… they need the full participation of the 85 million Vietnamese population and the support of the Vietnamese Diaspora worldwide”. As a first step, Hanoi must “immediately abrogate Article 4 of the Vietnamese Constitution [on the political monopoly of the Communist Party], and enable all sectors of the Vietnamese population, including all religious and political families, to freely and fully participate in the process of national salvation”. The UBCV Deputy leader also called on Hanoi to summon the people for a “Dien Hong” Conference for the XXIst century” to initiate a process of reconciliation and democratic change. Thich Quang Do emphasized the role of Buddhism as an essential element in this process : “With our responsibility as Vietnamese citizens, and as representatives of a religion that has contributed to the foundation and development of our nation over the past 2,000 years, the Council of the Bi-Cameral Institute of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam cannot stand by silently whilst our country is in danger. We therefore solemnly appeal to the Vietnamese intelligentsia, inside and outside Vietnam, to stand together and rally forces to save our nation. The Council of the Bi-Cameral Institute of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam pledges to give its active support to every peaceful effort to protect our homeland and our people”. Interesting historical documentation from the Chinese Yuan Dynasty period. Conclusion: With our responsibility as Vietnamese citizens, and as representatives of a religion that has contributed to the foundation and development of our nation over the past 2,000 years, the Council of the Bi-Cameral Institute of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam cannot stand by silently whilst our country is in danger. We therefore call upon the Vietnamese intelligentsia, inside and outside Vietnam, to stand together and rally forces to save our nation. The Council of the Bi-Cameral Institute of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam pledges to give its active support to every peaceful effort to protect our homeland and our people.   more »

Description of history of invasions of Vietnamese archipelagos by China, particularly 1974 (South Vietnam) and 1988 (Socialist Vietnam). Protests secret treaty by Communist government. Praises demonstrations in Hanoi and Saigon. Signed by Bloc 8406 Acting Representatives - Do Nam Hai, Engineer, Saigon, Vietnam - Nguyen Chinh Ket, Professor, Saigon, Vietnam (On duty in overseas) - Tran Anh Kim, Former Officer of Armed Forces of Vietnam, Thai Binh Province, Vietnam - Peter Phan Van Loi, Roman Catholic Priest, City of Hue, Vietnam - Nguyen Xuan Nghia, Novelist, Hai Phong Province, Vietnam English version by Viet Si, San Jose, California, dedicated activist for Democracy & Human Rights in Vietnam   more »

The Vietnamese Canadian Federation, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Human Rights Association of Ontario, and the Vietnamese communities in Quebec and Ontario, will hold a demonstration in front of the embassies of China (515 St. Patrick St.) and Vietnam (470 Wilbrod St.) in Ottawa, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., on Saturday, December 22, 2007, to protest against the take-over of the Vietnamese archipelagoes of Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) and Truong Sa (Spratly Islands) by the Chinese government with the collusion of the Vietnamese Communist government.   more »

Vietnam Currents by Hai V. Tran returns to publication with the topic of students demonstrations in Vietnam in opposition to Chinese hegemony and historical roots in Communist takeover of Vietnam in 1975 and executions by Ho Chi Minh in the Land Reform of 1955-56. Articles in Vietnamese by [Fr] Phan Van Loi in Hue and Bloc 8406 dissident Vietnamese cite this history and encourage the students in Vietnam with spontaneous demonstrations.   more »