Public statement by Amnesty International on the political prisoners in Vietnam, which have increased since acceptance as a full trade partner in APEC. Amnesty International requests that traditional release of prisoners on April 30 include recent political prisoners. A list of prisoners is appended to the statement.   more »

Statement from Kok Ksor, President of the Montagnard Foundation, Inc. The Degar Church and its people who have been commonly known under the French colonial term “Montagnard” state clearly that they do not wish to overthrow the Vietnamese government and nor do they seek to establish an independent state. We reiterate that even if we so desired such it is impossible for a population of less than a million and without armed forces to overthrow a government with a population of over 80 million who has also hundreds of thousands of fully armed soldiers at its command. We state the Degar people who are house church Christians, traditional animists or Catholics living throughout the Central Highland region are indigenous tribal people and we cannot understand how anyone could believe such allegations perpetrated by the Vietnamese authoritarian government. Statement published on "Peace and Freedom, Polcy and World Issues" blog by John E. Carey.   more »

Just at the time people in Vietnam are experiencing a governement "crackdown" and even imprisonment for expressing their views in their own country, foreign Vietnamese students actively participate in antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco wearing the Communist flag and painting the yellow star on their banners. Attached photos of rally in San Francisco in September 2005 shown on www.zombietime.com in "Anatomy of a Photograph."   more »

An April 24, 2007 letter from California Congresswomen Zoe Lofgren and Loretta Sanchez suggests to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Vietnam be returned to the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)   more »

(Ha Noi - April 23, 2007) - The Ha Noi government has continued to increase terrorizing tactics on Vietnamese Dissidents prior to meeting the United States regarding human rights issue on April 24, 2007 in Washington DC. - On April 23, at around 5:50 pm Mrs. Vu Thuy Ha, Dr. Pham Hong Son's wife was on her way to meet United State Ambassador Michael Marine. Mrs. Ha was hit by plain-clothed police car, her health condition is unknown at this time. Ha Noi authorities are well known for using plain-clothes police disguised as thugs to terrorize dissidents and their family members. This message is in English and Vietnamese for readers of VietAm Review. It is originated by the People's Democratic Party in Vietnam.   more »

WASHINGTON, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A resolution authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) calling for substantial human rights reforms in Vietnam was overwhelming approved today by the House Foreign Affairs Committee during their first mark-up since Vietnam's kangaroo court conviction of Father Nguyen Van Ly.   more »

Washington, D.C. - Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) has called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to list Vietnam as one of the State Department's Countries of Particular Concern (CPC). In a letter to Secretary Rice, Rep. Lofgren outlined her concern that Vietnam's record on religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights has only worsened since receiving Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status with the United States. Complete text of letter.   more »

Interim Representatives of Bloc 8406 Earnestly call on the United Nations, the Holy See, the governments and Congresses of democratic countries, and international human rights organizations to continue speaking out to condemn this barbaric trial and its jungle-law verdict, and to apply pressure to the totalitarian Communist party, by only accepting relations and trade with Vietnam under strict conditions on human rights and democracy. We earnestly call for the U.S. government to re-designate Vietnam in the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” regarding religious freedom, and call for the political parties in America, Australia and Europe to prevent their governments from providing economic and military support to Communist Hanoi because any support will only be used to oppress dissidents inside Vietnam. We earnestly call for all Vietnamese in Vietnam and abroad to unify behind the human rights activists, support the domestic pro-democracy movement, and remember the many families of prisoners of conscience facing many extreme difficulties because of their dissident family members’ fight for justice for all Vietnamese. We earnestly call on intellectuals and religious leaders, who have the advantage of knowledge, prestige, talents, power and means, … please accept the mission to become patriots and defenders of justice, please speak out regarding these current oppressions, and lead the people in their struggle for freedom and democracy for Vietnam; in this way you will deserve the admiration of the people. On this occasion, Bloc 8406 also happily congratulates a Hero, Ly Tong, a member of the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam and an enthusiastic supporter of Bloc 8406, on his release on the morning of April 3rd, 2007. This is a victory for all Vietnamese freedom-lovers around the world. Bloc 8406 respectfully invites Vietnamese and International Friends to earnestly celebrate the first year anniversary of Bloc 8406 on April 8th, 2007, as well as to participate regularly in DEMOCRACY DAY FOR VIETNAM, THE PEOPLE’S DAY OF THE WHITE SHIRT – the 1st and 15th of each month. Sincere thanks. Written on April 4th, 2007 in Vietnam. Interim Representatives of Bloc 8406: Do Nam Hai, engineer, Saigon Tran Anh Kim, former military officer, Thai Binh Phan Van Loi, Catholic Priest, Hue   more »

Throngs of happy Vietnamese Americans welcomed Ly Tong home from prison in Thailand after serving seven years for renting a plane in Thailand and flying to Vietnam to drop anticommunist leaflets over Saigon.   more »

The Communists are running amok! That is the opinion of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of the 16th District, San Jose, when asked about the convictions and imprisonment of Father Ly and other bloc 8406 dissidents in Vietnam last week. Rep. Lofgren stated that she had warned those who supported the PTNR, normal trade relations with Vietnam, last year the world would see any leverage removed to support human rights in Vietnam. Lofgren, a strong supporter of Vietnamese Americans and human rights in Vietnam, is drafting a letter asking Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to return Vietnam to CPC (Countries of Particular Concern) status.   more »