An open welcoming letter to the new Ambassador
of the United States
to Vietnam
Vietnam, August 16, 2007
His
Excellency Michael W. Michalak
Ambassador
of the United Sates of America
to Vietnam
Hanoi, Vietnam
Dear
Mr. Ambassador:
We
the undersigned are the interim representatives of Bloc 8406, who represent
tens of thousands of those who have signed the Manifesto on Freedom &
Democracy for Vietnam, released
on April 8, 2006, to openly confront the Communist dictatorship in a
non-violent struggle for a democratic, free, and pluralistic Vietnam.
We
know that you have received the credentials vested upon you by President George
W. Bush to represent your country in Vietnam, replacing former
Ambassador Michael Marine.
We
also know that you have met on August 10 a number of our compatriots in Washington, D.C. You indicated at this meeting that when you
assume your position in Vietnam,
you shall focus your attention on the issues of human rights, economic
development, as well as education in Vietnam. We believe that these are the real issues
currently facing our country. They are
inter-related since there is a serious lack of respect for human rights and the
Vietnamese people have lost all freedoms and are thereby unable to contribute
fully to the economic development of the country. This, in turn, results in a stagnated and
backward education system.
With
the democratic tradition of the United States,
a country widely known throughout the world as land of the free, home of the brave, we hope that you will be able
to contribute -- in a speedy, resolute, and effective way -- the return of
democracy and freedom to Vietnam. We also hope that you will provide strong
support to the democracy advocates in Vietnam who are bravely fighting
for democracy and freedom for the whole Vietnamese people.
With
our best wishes for a successful mission, we remain,
Yours
sincerely,
Interim representatives of Bloc 8406:
Do Nam
Hai, engineer, Saigon
Tran Anh Kim, former officer of the
Vietnamese Armed Forces
PhanVan Loi, Catholic priest, Hue
Nguyen Xuan Nghia, writer, Hai Phong
