The 2008 Charles B. Burdick Memorial Military History Symposium takes place on Wednesday, April 30, at the Engineering Auditorium (ENG 189) at San Jose State University, from 6:30 - 9 p.m. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. Panelists: Al Conetto, who served for five months in Vietnam during 1965 as a First Lieutenant with both the First Cavalry Division and the 173rd Airborne Bridage. In 1967, he returned as a Captain in the First Cavalry for 12 months, in the field, in logistics and in intelligence. He became the briefing officer to the commander of the division. Mr. Conetto has just completed a manuscript for a book on Operation Hump, the first major American battle with the Vietcong, in which he fought. Quang X. Pham, who is the son of the late Hoa Pham, a South Vietnamese fighter pilot who rescued his family in the American evacuation of April, 1975, but stayed behind because of A Sense of Duty -- the title of his book published by Ballantine Books in 2005 (subtitle: My Father -- My American Journey). Lt. Col. Hoa Pham spent twelve years in the reeducation camp prisons in Vietnam while his son was growing up in the USA, making the decision in 1985 to join the U.S. Marines. Quang X. Pham became the first Vietnamese American marine aviator, serving in combat in Somalia. Jerry Underdal, who joined International Voluntary Services (IVS), a private organization supporting development in South Vietnam, in 1968. He taught English for a year in Quang Nam province and spent a second year on the Saigon staff of IVS as Assistant Team Leader for Education. After the war, Mr. Underdal taught English to Vietnamese refugees and was responsible for the first Vietnamese language program in Northern California. Moderator: Larry Engelmann, Emeritus Professor in the History Dept. at SJSU, and author of Tears Before the Rain: An Oral History of the Fall of South Vietnam published by Oxford University Press in 1990. Welcoming remarks: Jonathan Roth, chair of the History Dept. at SJSU. For further information contact Dr. Roth at 408-924-5505 or jonathanroth@sjsu.edu ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A booksigning by Mr. Pham and Mr. Engelmann will benefit the SJSU History Dept. It is organized by Jean Libby, editor of VietAm Review http://vietamreview.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/4/16/3641930.html   more »

Re: Vietnam uses political prisoners as forced labor to export cashew nuts and shrimp into the U.S. The United States Congress passed a law to prevent Americans from using forced labor linked products and to stop these products from being imported into the U.S. Unfortunately, some of these products are on sale in various U.S. stores. Currently, The Vietnamese prison system employs prisoner forced labor to generate profits. In 2007, tons of cashew nuts were imported to the U.S , as well as various seafood products, much of which was generated from labor exploitation of political prisoners. The practice of forced labor is not only against the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C 1307), section 307 but also violates the U.S. core of labor standards.(1) The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) states: "All goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in any foreign country by convict labor or forced labor ... shall not be entitled to entry at any of the ports of the U.S., and the importation thereof is prohibited." I am writing this letter to ask that you conduct a thorough investigation on the labor practices the country employs as well as the quality of imported products from Vietnam such as seafood, vegetable products and particularly cashew nuts currently on sale in U.S. I also would like to remind you of the importation of Vietnamese forced labor products into the U.S. is illegal according to section 1307 of the Tariff Act of 1930. I would like to call on the United States and global consumers to pay more attention to products bearing the label "Made in Vietnam" and what this may entail. Our food and belongings may have been produced by the forced labor of detained democratic activists, religious leaders and their followers, political prisoners and other prisoners. Vietnam must stop their ill-practices in prison labor exploitation and comply with international human rights standards in the management of their prison systems. We, as part of the human race must say no to totalitarianism and their crimes and not allow ourselves to participate in the exploitation of others as practiced by such regimes. Regards, Do, Thanh Cong, spokesperson of the People's Democratic Party dangdanchunhandan@yahoo.com   more »

Tiếng Vọng Từ Hoả Lò by Bùi Văn Phú in Viet Tribune, November 30, 2007. Summary in English by Jean Libby, editor, VietAm Review. “Echo from Hoa Lo” by Phu Bui, a student at UC Berkeley in 1981 and today a journalist and public school science teacher, was published in the Vietnamese language newspaper Viet Tribune on November 30, 2007. “Tiếng Vọng Từ Hoả Lò” is the story of the original event at Kroeber Hall on May 1, 1981, which discussed the plight of prisoners and the prison system in Communist Vietnam. The students did this by arranging the event with the Amnesty International Campus Network, particularly Laola Hironaka. They invited former prisoners at the reedcuation camps who had made it to the United States as Boat People refugees to come. The students learned that the author of the anonymous poems “Tieng Vong Tu Day Vuc”, (Echo From the Abyss) which had surfaced among Vietnamese exiles in 1980 was Nguyen Chi Thien, still in prison in Hanoi at Hoa Lo. They were the first to publicly proclaim him as the author with a recitation of his poems in Vietnamese and English translation, which was accomplished by Nguyen Khoa Thai Anh, another UC Berkeley student. Some of the poems which had been set to music by Pham Duy were performed by students and Dr. Nguyet Mehlert of San Jose. The author Phu Bui describes his feelings in creating the program just six years after the fall of Saigon. The escape of Boat People had begun in 1978; by 1980 the Refugee Act allowed admission of new exiles who would become Americans but were then suffering from the hardships of refugee camps in foreign Asian countries. Phu Bui has traveled to Hanoi and been drawn to the Hoa Lo prison museum. He writes that the reeducation camps are closed and the inmates relocated to other prisons. There is still need for attention to human rights in Vietnam and for Prisoners of Conscience throughout the world. Original article in Vietnamese: http://www.viettribune.com/vt/index.php?id=1679 translation for the English summary was made by phuocDiem Truong of San Jose. The poster for the May 1, 1981 event from the Collection of Bui Van Phu is attached.   more »

Author Nguyen Chi Thien's booksigning in San Jose on November 17, 2007, revealed that he had intervened for a young girl (age 19) who was sentenced to death for burning a harassing policeman and his family in their house in Hanoi in the 1980s by helping her write to Truong Chinh, General Secretary of Vietnam, for clemency. This had never been granted before by Truong Chinh Dang Xuan Khu (1907-1988), who was a founder of the Communist government with Ho Chi Minh. The New York Times obituary by Glenn Fowler is quoted which states Truong Chinh had personal responsibility for killing as many as 50,000 of at least 200,000 killed by the Communist government during the Land Reform of 1953-1956. The story excerpt of "The Moon and Waters of the Red River" with the character of the young woman and another prisoner who was later executed was read in his written dialogue for the author at the event. A presentation of poetry reading was made by two Vietnamese Americans who are now teachers about their translation on May 1, 1981 at UC Berkeley, when they were students. The booksigning was organized by Internet Bookselling--Multicultural Perspectives. Jean Libby, editor, VietAm Review.   more »

On Saturday November 17, final Vietnamese American Authors Book Fair. It is scheduled at ViVo, (Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation, Inc.) 2260 Quimby Road, San Jose 95122 from 1 to 5 p.m. The Internet Bookselling Collection of books by Vietnamese American authors are listed on the attached order form. They may be ordered by mail as well as at the event at ViVo on November 17. The collection is also featured online at www.atozproductions.com/Vietnamese_Titles.html . There will be a Vietnamese language literary program of readings of the work of Nguyen Chi Thien beginning at 2 p.m. This is followed by a major speech by the author Nguyen Chi Thien about Human Rights in Vietnam Today, which will begin after 3 p.m. The readings and Mr. Thien's speech are in Vietnamese language which will be briefly translated. Please join me in honoring the author with his new work published by Yale University Council on Southeast Asia Studies, the Hoa Lo/Hanoi Hilton Stories. This is English translation of the original Vietnamese Hoa Lo published by Nguyen Ngoc Bich in 2001. Mr. Bich is one of the volunteer translators. The others are journalist Saroyan Vann Phan, Tran Van Dien (the father of Assemblyman Van Tran of Garden Grove), and Nguyen Kiem Phong of Canada. Both hardback and paper editions will be available for signing by the author. Sincerely, Jean Libby Internet Bookselling proprietor Editor, VietAm Review   more »

Program for Vietnamese American Authors Book Fair #2 Saturday, November 3, 2007 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Launching HOA LO/HANOI HILTON STORIES by Nguyen Chi Thien** published by the Southeast Council of Asian Studies at Yale University ** to be featured at the Asian American Studies Conference in Atlanta, 2008 English translation by Nguyen Ngoc Bich, Vann Saroyan Phan, Tran Van Dien, Nguyen Kiem Phong Foreword by James C. Scott, Sterling Professor of Anthropology, Yale University Preface by Jean Libby, editor, Viet-Am Review Tully Community Branch Library community room 880 Tully Road San Jose 95111   more »

Vietnamese American Authors Book Fair at San Jose City College on Thursday, October 18, 2007 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. features authors Andrew Lam (Perfume Dreams, Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora, Heyday Books 2005); Andrea Nguyen (Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors, Ten Speed Press 2006); Nguyen Chi Thien, dissident poet (two bilingual softcover editions by Allies for Freedom Publishers in Palo Alto and VICANA in Virginia). Amnesty International regional coordinators will introduce Mr. Thien, who was a prisoner of conscience from 1986 - 1991, when he was successfully rescued from 27 years of imprisonment in Communist Vietnam. Two titles by Nguyen Ngoc Bich (Tet! the Vietnamese New Year and classical Vietnamese literature Cung Oan Ngam Khuc, Complaints of an Odalisque translation of Nguyen Gia Thieu (1741-1798) with illustrations by Mai Lan). The event is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor of the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District (Rosa Perez), the Office of the President of San Jose City College (Michael Burke), Internet Bookselling--Multicultural Perspectives (Jean Libby) in cooperation with the San Jose City College Bookstore, and the Vietnamese Community Heritage and Cultural Advisory Committee (Cary Pham, Nguyen Xuan Vinh). Merylee Shelton, professor Communications is chair for the event, which is a returned Community Arts and Lecture Series. Events from 12:30 - 5 p.m. digest: Andrew Lam at 12:30 - 1:30 Andrea Nguyen at 2 - 3 p.m. Nguyen Chi Thien at 3:30 - 5 p.m. Ms. Andrea Nguyen is introduced by the Asian American Women's Alliance; Mr. Nguyen Chi Thien is introduced by Amnesty International.   more »

If Nick Schou ("A Vietnam War in O.C." in L.A. Times Sept. 6, 2007) investigated how many are voting American citizens among the people he calls “Vietnamese exiles” he might think again about his knee-jerk reactionary rhetoric. This is the regime that is supported by the publisher of Viet Weekly, Le Vu. He has been caught red-handed cutting and pasting articles from the Communist papers into his own. His Spring 2007 trip to Hanoi to cover the police manhandling of women outside the Ambassador’s residence in the presence of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is a good example. On the previous day the former Ambassador Michael Marine had written a powerful op-ed essay criticizing the Vietnam government and political imprisonment of Father Nguyen Van Ly... There was a demonstration of 2,000 people in Saigon only a month ago who demanded redress for their losses in the aftermath of communist victory. They were forcefully dispersed into the countryside in military trucks. One elderly woman demonstrator died. An African news agency says there were more. It’s not about yesterday that 1,000 Vietnamese Americans in Orange County are peacefully assembling and protesting within the law, it’s about today. Jean Libby's response is based on experience with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi press office, which has done the same obfuscation technique with Nick Schou. As an investigative journalist with a recent book on the alliance of the CIA with the cocaine traffic that was exposed by Gary Webb in the San Jose Mercury in 1996, and then denied by that newspaper, the OC Weekly investigative editor has done little investigative reporting for this story. He prefers to vilify and ridicule the Orange County Vietnamese American population.   more »

Vanessa Hua of the San Francisco Chronicle has received the AAJA print journalism award for a story on cyber-dissident Cong Do, an American citizen and San Jose resident who was imprisoned in Vietnam in 2006. The December 10, 2006 story of his arrest, imprisonment, and rescue through the efforts of his family who quit school and jobs to mobilize support from the larger community, including Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is excerpted and linked.   more »

Published works of the dissident poet Nguyen Chi Thien, whose Hoa Dia Nguc won international recognition while he was imprisoned for twenty-seven years in Communist Vietnam between 1961 and 1991. The author immmigrated to the USA in 1995, and is a US citizen. List updated in July 2007. Compiled by Dan Duffy, director of the Viet Nam Literature Project; Jean Libby, editor, VietAm review; Vietnamese editing by Nguyen Thi and Thuy Anh Truong. This listing may be found on the webpage of Nguyen Chi Thien, poet at www.vietamreview.net    more »

“Writers on writing aim for the heart” by Mark Panek. Review of Beyond Words, Asian Writers on their Work in the Daily Yomiuri Online, December 23, 2006. A quotation: “When writers get it right, the particular becomes the familiar, and suddenly we find ourselves, say, locked in a dark prison cell somewhere in Vietnam secretly composing an anthology of poems in our heads along with the political prisoner-poet Nguyen Chi Thien.” Article on Vietnamese American Achievement blog cites experience of creating the autobiography by Nguyen Chi Thien--his first original work in English--with Dan Duffy, director of the Viet Nam Literature Project, Jean Libby, editor of Viet-Am Review, and Brent Fujinaka of Manoa Magazine.   more »

Last Saturday, July 29, the renowned poet Nguyen Chi Thien spoke before a packed audience (some standing outside in the sun) about his poetry and his life which has been dedicated to freedom for the Vietnamese people. He was joined by five men who survived the Communist prisons in North Vietnam with him and now live in Orange County, California. His next booksigning of Hoa Dia Nguc is in Houston on Sunday, August 6, at Little Saigon Radio, 6250 Westpark Drive.   more »

An interview with the poet Nguyen Chi Thien will be broadcast on SBTN July 28 at 3:30 p.m. and July 20 at 9 a.m. His topic is his lifework of poetry, Hoa Dia Nguc, which has recently been published in complete form, by the East Coast USA Vietnamese Publishers Consortium. There is a booksigning at Little Saigon Radio, 5781 Brookhurst St., Suite 101, Westminster, CA 92683 from 2 to 5 p.m.   more »

The head of the political section of the British Embassy in Hanoi, Paul Gaskell, reponds to July 16, 2006 message from Jean Libby, editor, Viet-Am Review that "We are aware of the story of the 'Flowers from Hell' manuscript and continue to support freedom of expression in Vietnam. Respect for human rights is a fundamental element of UK foreign policy not just in Vietnam but globally."   more »

Jean Libby, editor of Viet-Am Review, writes to British Embassy press officials in Hanoi on the anniversary of the manuscript of "Hoa Dia Nguc" (Flowers of Hell) brought to the embassy on July 16, 1979 by the dissident poet Nguyen Chi Thien. He was arrested and imprisoned for another twelve years at the "Hanoi Hilton" and worse camps after the delivery, but his manuscript was published as he asked.   more »