Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 17:43:58 -0800 (PST)
> From: Stephen Denney <sdenney@OCF.Berkeley.EDU>
> To: vnnews-l <vnnews-l@coombs.anu.edu.au>
> Subject: Hoang Minh Chinh interviewed by Radio
> Free Asia
> 
> 
> Interview of Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh By Radio Free Asia
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh has bean threatened by police
> with "the law of the jungle"
> 
> Date: November 23rd, 2005- Heard direct from Doi
> Thoai.
> 
> Introduction:
> 
> At 10 am, in the residence of the daughter of Mr. &
> Mrs. Hoang Minh Chinh, > where he has been
convalescing since his operation in the USA. Police
and 
> local authorities attended to resolve the matters of
> registration of temporary residence as well as
explanation of the incident during which a 
> neighbor had splattered water mixed with acid into
> the house last Monday.
> Before leaving police has relayed a message to the
> veteran revolutionary Hoang Minh Chinh that they
would not protect those "who betray and people 
> and the country". They warned him that if he left
> his residence he should be responsible for his own
safety.
> 
> What happened during the working session this
> morning?
> In his exchange with Viet Hung, Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh
> recounted the story as follows:
> 
> Doithoai(www.doi-thoai.com )
>   Doi Thoai has reproduced the interviews from
> various RFA radio programs. Our aim is to forward to
readers interviews expeditiously in written form. 
> We apologize for any defects or errors. We invite
> our readers to listen again to the broadcast and
correct any errors before usage.
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> At 10 am today two local policemen and their chief
> came to see my daughter 
> Tran Thi Minh Thanh. The parties exchanged views on
> the temporary 
> residence for me and my wife, and the unlawful act
> of Mrs. Hai who lives 
> opposite Thanh's family.
> The local policeman Ngo Van Nam said: "The people
> are very angry about Mr. 
> Chinh's trip to America, and his badmouthing of the
> Vietnamese government, 
> injuring the honor and sentiments of the people. Now
> even the Cu Chi and 
> Hoc Mon veterans want to know the whereabouts of Mr.
> Chinh, that is to say 
> the residence of Ms. Minh Thanh, in order to come
> and protest against Mr. 
> Chinh for having gone to America and defame the
> country. Our country is 
> now politically stable and his action is tantamount
> sabotage and 
> detrimental to the country."
> This means that they informed us that even the
> veterans in other areas, 
> including the veterans in Hoc Mon, where the war was
> most intense, now 
> wish to come to this place to protest against me and
> disturb the 
> livelihood of the family of my daughter.
> 
> Viet Hung:
> 
> Sir, this policeman, did he inform you officially of
> this matter?
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> He went straight into the house and said so to my
> daughter and my wife. 
> This policeman is the local policeman by the name of
> Nam. He also said:"The other day Mrs. Le Hong Ngoc
said Mr. Chinh joined the revolution when revolution
> when he was 13, 14 years old, and in the street the
people including children would bow their head 
> with respect. This should be the case. But now, if
> he goes to America and abuse the country, defame the
regime, on the street,the people including the
children would spit on him and verbally abuse him. 

We are the police. We only protect the private
properties of citizens.  We do not protect 
> those who betray the people and harm the government.
> We warn Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh that if he leaves his
house, he must protect himself. We do not know what
may happen. He is responsible (for his own safety). We
do not protect him. We do not have responsibility for
the
protection of Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh.  It was the local
policeman by the name of Nam who officially declared
so 
> to my wife and daughter. 

Viet Hung:
> 
> Back to the issues of registration of temporary
> residence, temporary absence for yourself and your
family. Today is 23rd,which is the deadline 
> allowed by the sub-district authorities. This
> morning, did the police address these issues?
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> No, what they said means that my wife, my family
> have completed the application for the continuation
of our residence. 

Viet Hung:
> 
Does this mean that the authorities have agreed
(meaning will not restrict the period of time) so that
you and your wife can stay to convalesce, with 
> your daughter?
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> They did not make any decision on the continuation
> of our residence. They said in the present
circumstances, if we stay, all these things may 
> happen. This means that they threaten my life, my
> honor and my family.
> 
> Viet Hung:
> 
> In the circumstances what are your plans?
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> In the circumstances I will inform the government
> leadership, and I protest against all preparations
to violate my personal safety, my honor and the safety
and honor of my family.
> The circumstances indicate to me that this is not a
spontaneous reaction on the part of the local
authorities but it is instigated by higher 
authorities. The circumstances mean that the media
at the centre has already made false allegations
against me. Thus they have stirred anger in 
the people in readiness for violations against my
safety and the safety of my whole family.
Thus they have violated article 71 of the
constitution to the effect that" the government must
respect the lives, properties, honor of citizens". By 
making such threats they openly declare that they
will do what they like regardless (of the law). They
have also mobilized the people, tricked the people
into violating the safety of my self and of my family
and off-springs.
> 
> Viet Hung:
> 
> Before we end this interview have you any other
> concerns to share with the people both inside and
outside the country?
> 
> Mr. Hoang Minh Chinh:
> 
> Yes, I have already written a complaint against the
> government printed press. These media outlets have
received orders from the centre. They have 
> broken criminal laws. They have violated citizens'
> rights. They have defamed me. Thus they have no
respect for the laws of the government which 
> postulates that if a citizen has broken a law, he
> must be prosecuted before a court. You have no right
to defame him, or to mobilize the people and sow
misunderstanding, to create hatred. Myself as this
citizen am completely innocent of any crime. I only
told the truth. They could not respond and thus they
drummed up false allegations against me. I have lodged
a complaint. The complaint is dated 31/10/2005, sent
to authorities at various government levels. But they
ignore it and respond with these threats.
> I hope public opinion inside Vietnam and world
> opinion would understand the truth and protect my
citizens' rights. I have no other requests but 
> due respect of the laws of the land. I appeal to
> public opinion inside Vietnam, impartial public
opinion inside and world public opinion to voice 
> your concerns and request the government to observe
> their own laws, the constitution, citizens' rights,
refrain from allowing their media to make false
allegations, and even to incite the people, with a
view to threaten and violate the livelihood of
citizens. I believe citizens inside Vietnam, those
with conscience inside Vietnam will speak up and
protest.
> The people overseas I think have understood me. I
> believe they will speak up because I said on my trip
overseas that the people had left Vietnam in search of
freedom and democracy. The government is angry because
of this. 
> They say that those who left the country in such
> ways are guilty. But I say otherwise because they
were forced to leave the country. They suffered 
> a lot but they must look for freedom and democracy.
> That is the reason why this government has made
those false allegations against me. I firmly believe
the people overseas will speak up to protect me.
> 
************************************************ 
 
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Independence-Freedom-Happiness

Urgent Report Number 1 from private citizen Hoang Minh
Chinh.

Honorable:

* Mr. Nong Duc Manh - General Secretary of Central
Committee of Vietnamese Communist Party

* Mr. Tran Duc Luong - Chairman of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam

* Mr. Phan Van Khai - Prime Minister of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam

* Mr. Nguyen Van An - Chairman of the Parliament of
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam


Honorable:

* Mrs. Louise Arbour - High Commissioner For Human
Right at The United Nations Human Right Agencies and
Groups in Vietnam and Oversea.

* Parliaments and Governments of Democratic Countries
in the World.

* News Agencies and Newspapers in Vietnam and Oversea.

* Human Right concern friends in the World.

Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am a private citizen of Vietnam, Hoang Minh Chinh,
born on November 16, 1922 in Nam Dinh, Vietnam. 
Former General Secretary of Vietnamese Democratic
Party, former Director of Vietnamese Institute of
Philosophy. 
I wrote this letter to report an urgent incident as
follows:

After more than two months staying in the United
States for two severe cancers treatment, I returned to
Vietnam on November 13, 2005, and I stayed at my
daughter's house for rehabilitation, addressed 96/5 Le
Thi Rieng Street, ward Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi
Minh City.

On November 19, 2005 afternoon, a ward Ben Thanh,
District 1's public security officer said to my
daughter "Since Mr. Chinh returned to Vietnam, 
your neighbors were very agitated, therefore Mr.
Chinh's security is not guaranteed.  You must report
to public security whenever Mr. Chinh leaves home. 
Mr. Chinh and Mrs Ngoc (his wife) have only 10 days to
stay here, they must return to Hanoi by  November 23,
2005"

At 12:15 PM, on November 21, 2005 a nephew of my wife
drove a small car to visit us.  When the nephew was
going to park the car in front of my daughter house, a
neighbor group leader, named Tuat, aged about 60, and
a 
public security officer belong to Section 3, ward Ben
Thanh, District 1 approached and said no parking here
(actually there are many cars that park here
everyday).  Then a small group of people came and
circled the 
house, the situation was tense.  A lady over 50 years
of ages, named Hai,resides on the same street, at 96/2
Le Thi Rieng, threw eggs at my nephew's car and tried
to cut my daughter's house door with a large knife.

When my nephew drove the car away, a group of people
followed.  Among them, the neighbor group leader said
"Are you a son of a central committee member?  You
must not have a relationship with a man who is against
the 
people and the country".  My nephew patiently replied
"This is a relative relationship.  I knew my uncle and
my aunt got sick so I visit them. Everybody, even if
he is in a jail, others can also visit him" 
Immediately after that, Mrs. Hai circled the knife and
attacked at the face of my nephew.  He kept silence
and left the place, because he knew this was their
intentional challenge.  A couple of minutes later,
Mrs. Hai 
brought twice, each time with a chemical solution
container then pour them at my daughter's house (over
the closed iron fence gates).  Her act caused 
damages to a motor-cycle and a pot of inside tree
(attached pictures to show the damages).

The seat of the motorcycle was burned by the acid in
the container.Leaves of the tree on the right corner
were burned by acid and turned yellow.

Leaves of the tree on the left corner are still green
because no damages caused by acid.

Mr. Nghe, Hai's husband, even though he did not
directly act the same way as Mrs. Hai,  supported the
illegal acts of his wife through his words in front of
witnesses.

After Mrs. Hai poured acid, my wife and my daughter
ran to the door and saw a white smoke that appeared
with a dangerous acid odor (probably Chloride Acid). 
All members in my daughter's house inhaled the fume
and 
got sneezing, running nose, and dizzy.  Especially, my
son in law, who inhaled this dangerous fume, got
stomach ache, nausea and he must see a doctor.  In the
afternoon of the same day, a security officer of the
ward came and made a report.  At first, he said "Maybe
this is one kind of dish washer soap".  But he was
silenced after seeing the crime scene.  After he 
wrote a report of the incident, he brought it with him
and said he only made one report.

Next, about 8:00 PM of the same day, a group of 10
young men from 20 to 30 years of ages came to my
daughter house and rang the bell, and then knocked on
the door loudly, but we strongly refused to open the
door. They said aloud "Mr. Chinh must  return to
Hanoi, he cannot stay with his daughter".  They left
for a while then returned and said the same thing and
went away.

Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen,

In a period that I stayed in the United States (from
August 31, 2005 to November 12, 2005) newspapers and
TV stations have began a wave of attacking to me
starting on October 14, 2005.  The purposes of the
attacks 
were to smear my honor, false accusation, personality
assassination, and violate the laws and morality as
mentioned in my lawsuit dated October 31, 2005 (see
website http://www.doi-thoai.com/baimoi1105_017.html
for my lawsuit).  When I returned to my country, my
friends told me that they took all the articles which
attacked me in the newspapers and they read them on
public speaker days after days for a month.

Media in the country and around the world, all have a
question "Why do newspapers and TV stations in Vietnam
not allow to be published an entire article that Mr.
Hoang Minh Chinh  read at Harvard University and his 
statement to The Foreign Relation Sub Committee at
Lower Chamber of Congress, so the readers have enough
information to make an objective evaluation?"

Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen,The Constitution of
Vietnam - article 69 states: ".each citizen has the 
freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of
communication."  Article 71 states: "each citizen's
life, honor, virtue are protected by the laws. 
Prohibit any act of violating a citizen's honor and
virtue."

Based on the Constitution and laws of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam Government, I have submitted a law
suit aimed at 7 newspapers on October 31, 2005 as
mentioned above, but I did not receive a reply. 
Currently, the acts of smearing, false accusation, and
violating citizen's rights of mine and my family are
happening in Saigon and Hanoi, in the past, now and 
maybe in the future.  Therefore, as private citizen
Hoang Minh Chinh, I urgently ask with respect:

1. Vietnamese government at all levels, must respect
the Constitution, the laws of Vietnam, must have a
measure to prevent and punish any one who violate the
Constitution and the laws against me and my family
according to the laws.

2. High Commission of Human Right of United Nations,
all Human Right agencies and groups in the country and
overseas, Parliaments and Governments of Democratic
countries in the World, news agencies and newspapers
in the country and oversea, friends who paid attention
to my difficult and dangerous situations.  I express
deeply my thanks to all.

Ho Chi Minh City, November 21, 2005

Sincerely,

Hoang Minh Chinh

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^