The People's Democratic Party dangdanchunhandan@yahoo.com http://ddcnd.org/main/ - Regarding the answer of Mr. Le Dung, spokesman of Viet Nam Ministry of Foreign on situation of the arrested pro-democracy activists. Viet Nam – September 27, 2008 – With regards to international news media, inquiring on the situations of the arrests of pro-democracy activists: Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nghia, Tran Van Thach, Ngo Quynh, Pham Van Troi, Pham Thanh Nghien, Nguyen Van Tuc and Tran Duc Thach, here are the development. On September 26, 2008, Mr. Le Dung, spokesman of the Viet Nam Foreign Ministry, answered as followed: “Based on our information, on September 8, 10 and 13, the investigation officials of The Ministry of Security have arrested and detained Mr. Ngo Quynh (Bac Giang, born in 1984), Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nghia (Hai Phong, born in 1949), Mr. Pham Van Troi (Ha Noi, born in 1972), Mr. Nguyen Van Tuc (Thai Binh, born in 1964) and Mr. Tran Duc Thach (Nghe An, born in 1962) due to their violations of Viet Nam’s law. We will conduct our investigation based on Vietnam 's regulation. Ms. Pham Thanh Nghien (Hai Phong, born in 1977) was not arrested.” Mr. Le Dung is either not taking his job seriously or he is not telling the truth. Based on our up-to-date information, the following pro-democracy activists were arrested and still being detained: Arrested on September 10, 2008 including Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nghia in Hai Phong, Mr. Pham Van Troi in Ha Tay, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuc in Thai Binh and Tran Duc Thach in Nghe An. - Arrested on September 18, 2008 including Mr. Vu Hung in Ha Tay and Ms. Pham Thanh Nghien in Hai Phong. - Arrested on September 25, 2008, Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh in Hai Phong and Mr. Nguyen Kim Nhan in Bac Giang. - Mr. Ngo Quynh, arrested on September 10, 2008, and was released on September 26, 2008 but continuing to see security officials for interrogation. The People’s Democratic Party calls upon Hanoi authorities to release these pro-democracy activists immediately, allow them returning to their families. Exercising the freedom of expression is not a crime and to be in line with The Socialist Republic of Vietnam's Constitution in Article 69. Regards, Do Thanh Cong Spokesperson of the People's Democratic Party Đảng Dân chủ Nhân dân dangdanchunhandan@yahoo.com http://ddcnd.org/main/ ********************************************************************** Bản Thông Tin Báo Chí - Về tuyên bố của Phát ngôn nhân Bộ ngoại giao Việt Nam liên quan đến trường hợp bắt giữ các Chiến sĩ Dân chủ. Việt Nam – Ngày 27 tháng 9 năm 2008 – Khi các ký giả ngoại quốc hỏi về lý do giam giữ các nhà dân chủ gồm Nguyễn Xuân Nghiã, Trần Văn Thạch, Ngô Quỳnh, Phạm Văn Trội, Nguyễn Văn Túc, Phạm Thanh Nghiên và Trần Đức Thạch. Ông Lê Dũng, phát ngôn nhân của nhà cầm quyền Hà Nội, ngày 26/9/2008 đã trả lời như sau: “Theo thông tin chúng tôi nhận được, ngày 8, 10 và 13/9/2008, Cơ quan An ninh Điều tra, Bộ Công an đã bắt, tạm giữ Ngô Quỳnh (sinh năm 1984, ở Bắc Giang), Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa (sinh năm 1949, ở Hải Phòng), Phạm Văn Trội (sinh năm 1972, ở Hà Nội), Nguyễn Văn Túc (sinh năm 1964, ở Thái Bình), Trần Đức Thạch (sinh năm 1962, ở Nghệ An) do các hành vi vi phạm pháp luật Việt Nam. Quá trình điều tra, xử lý các đối tượng này sẽ được thực hiện theo đúng trình tự, thủ tục pháp luật quy định. Phạm Thanh Nghiên (sinh năm 1977, ở Hải Phòng) không bị bắt “ Ông Lê Dũng hoặc đã không nắm vững sự kiện, hoặc ông nói dối. Cho đến hôm nay, các chiến sĩ dân chủ đã bị nhà cầm quyền Hà nội bắt và hiện vẫn còn bị giam như sau: - Ngày 10/9/2008 gồm: Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa ở Hải Phòng, Phạm Văn Trội ở Hà Tây, Nguyễn Văn Túc ở Thái Bình và Trần Đức Thạch ở Nghệ An. - Ngày 18/9/2008 công an bắt anh Vũ Hùng ở Hà Tây, chị Phạm Thanh Nghiên ở Hải Phòng. - Ngày 25/9/2008 bắt thêm Nguyễn Văn Tính ở Hải Phòng và Nguyễn Kim Nhàn ở Bắc Giang. - Ngày 26/9/2008 công an đã trả tự do cho Ngô Quỳnh, dù vậy anh Ngô Quỳnh vẫn liên tục phải làm việc với công an. Đảng Dân chủ Nhân dân kêu gọi nhà cầm quyền Hà Nội hãy sớm trả tự do cho những chiến sĩ dân chủ để họ sớm đoàn tụ với gia đình. Như đã nhiều lần minh định, bày tỏ quyền bất đồng chính kiến không có tội và hoàn toàn phù hợp với điều 69, Hiến pháp nước Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam. Trân trọng, Đỗ Thành Công Phát ngôn nhân Đảng Dân chủ Nhân dân    more »

Please join Senator Lou Correa Women's Transitional Living Center, Inc & Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Trafficking Human Trafficking Awareness Event Thursday, October 2, 2008 6:00 - 7:30pm Rose Center Theater All American Way, Westminster, CA 92683 In every country in the world, women, men and children are being deprived of their basic human rights. They are coerced or deceived into conditions of slavery. Many are starving, live in unsanitary conditions, and experience near constant fear for their safety and the safety of their families. The United Nations estimates that there are 12.3 million people living in slavery. Please join this event to learn more about this global and local problem and how to join in the fight against human trafficking! Tammy T. Tran District Director State Senator Lou Correa, 34th District 2323 North Broadway Suite 245 Santa Ana, CA 92706 (714) 558-4400 (714) 558-4111 fax tammy.tran@sen. ca.gov www.sen.ca.gov/ correa   more »

The People's Democratic Party dangdanchunhandan@yahoo.com http://ddcnd.org/main/ - Highlight the Human Rights Situation in Vietnam - Total of 97 years in jail to silence pro-democracy activists Vietnam – September 17, 2008 – In the last week, with the visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte in Hanoi for bilateral talks on human rights and several other issues. Hanoi authorities have cracked down hard on Vietnamese dissidents. Many pro-democratic activists were detained, imprisoned and sentenced for exercising their rights to freedom of expression. On September 10, 2008, Writer Nguyen Xuan Nghia in Hai Phong, Poet Tran Duc Thach in Nghe An, Mr. Ngo Quynh in Ha Noi, Mr. Pham Van Troi in Ha Tay and Mr. Nguyen Van Tuc in Thai Binh, were all arrested and incarcerated at prison B14 in Ha noi. On September 10, 2008, Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, resident of Sai Gon, and also known as the dissident blogger Dieu Cay who has written on the disputed islands of Spratly and Paracel, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for trumped up charges of tax evasion. On September 15, 2008, Mr. Luong Van Sinh, a farmer from the Binh Thuan province, who lost his land and property to corrupted government officials, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment. Mr. Sinh was accused of committing an "act to disrupt the public's security", a violation of Vietnamese criminal code, Article 258. Vietnam is a member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in which the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 19, clearly protects the right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, or through any other media of his choice". In addition, according to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 9, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile" and The Socialist Republic of Vietnam's Constitution itself advocates the "right of freedom expression, right of freedom press, right of freedom exchange information and right to form an association and right to demonstration" in Article 69. The Vietnam Communist Party has ignored these basic human rights; they continue to use harsh sentences in order to suppress and silence their citizens, cracking down on innocent people without showing any sign of political reform. Since 2007 to this date Hanoi authorities have given nearly of 100 years imprisonment to the pro-democracy activists. The People's Democratic Party vehemently condemns the suppression by the Vietnam Communist Party. We urgently call on the U.S. Congressional members to show support and promote freedom, democracy and human rights in Viet Nam. Please pass the Viet Nam Human Rights Act H.R. 3096. Regards, Do Thanh Cong Spokesperson of the People's Democratic Party The article is published in Vietnamese, and a copy of HR 3096, the Viet Nam Human Rights Act of 2007, is attached.---------   more »

PRESS RELEASE Marion Dewar: the greatest friend of the Vietnamese community in Canada It was with great sadness that we learned of the sudden death of former Ottawa Mayor Marion Dewar. To the Vietnamese community in Canada, Marion was a saviour, a great friend, and a constant source of moral inspiration. In the late 70’s, hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese fled the Communist regime which was imposed on South Vietnam after it was taken over by North Vietnamese Communist troops on April 30, 1975. Many of them escaped in small, leaky boats in the treacherous South China Sea. Thousands died of starvation, drowning, or were raped, killed by brutal pirates. Yet when their boats reached the shores of neighbouring countries, they were not allowed to disembark. Worse still, some of the refugee boats were pushed out to the sea. Witnessing the despair of the Vietnamese boat people played out in the news media almost everyday, in May 1979, as Mayor of Ottawa, Marion gathered a group of community and church leaders in her office to map out a plan to rescue them. Thus Project 4000 was born. Thousands of citizens of Ottawa from all walks of life enthusiastically responded by forming hundreds of sponsor groups to welcome the refugees to the city. This grass-root movement, together with the initiatives undertaken in other cities, such as the Operation Lifeline spearheaded by Professor Howard Adelman in Toronto, and the strong urging of then Secretary of State Flora MacDonald, prompted the Government of Canada under Prime Minister Joe Clark to increase the quota for Southeast Asian refugees, most of whom were Vietnamese boat people. The quota thus went from 8,000 in 1979 to 50,000 over the next two years. Thanks to this decision, thousands of Vietnamese refugees were able to come to Canada to rebuild their lives. Over the years, as Mayor of Ottawa, then as a federal Member of Parliament, and as a private citizen, Marion constantly supported the Vietnamese community. As a result, she was honoured at a show held in April 2005 in Los Angeles by Thuy Nga, a video production company well known in the overseas Vietnamese community. Also in April 2005, she was presented with the Howard Adelman Award for outstanding voluntary service by Thoi Bao, the largest Vietnamese newspaper in Canada. Most recently, on August 16, 2008, she was invited by the Vietnamese community in Calgary to give a keynote speech at a presentation of the movie Bolinao 52 about the Vietnamese refugees who were stranded for almost 20 years in the Philippines. In 2007-2008, Marion worked together with a small group of former volunteers of Project 4000 in the preparation of a book on this project and its impact on Canada. As a result, the book Gift of Freedom: How Ottawa welcomed the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees was written by author Brian Buckley. It was published and launched on May 3, 2008 at Ottawa City Hall under the auspices of the Vietnamese Canadian Centre, an affiliated organization of the Vietnamese Canadian Federation. Marion was also a strong supporter of the Vietnamese Boat People Museum Project which was initiated by the Federation, and is currently underway. Marion has passed away, but her spirit will rest forever in our hearts. For immediate delivery: September 16, 2008 Vietnamese Canadian Federation www.vietfederation.ca Press Release in Vietnamese attached   more »

6 nhà đấu tranh dân chủ bị CSVN bắt ngày 10-11/9/2008 Chúng tôi vừa nhận được tin: ngoài hai nhà đấu tranh dân chủ bị bắt như bản tin đã gửi dưới đây, tối hôm 10/9 rạng 11/9, còn có 4 người khác bị bắt. Tính đến lúc bản tin này được viết (1230 trưa 11/9 giờ VN) có ltất cả 6 nhà đấu tranh dân chủ ở miền Bắc bị công an CSVN bắt là: 1. Nguyễn Xuân Nghĩa (Hải Phòng): bị bắt lúc 12g00 đêm 10/9/2008 2. Phạm Văn Trội (Hà Tây): bị bắt lúc 11g30 đêm 10/9/2008 3. Phạm Thanh Nghiên (Hải Phòng): bị bắt lúc sáng 11/9/2008 4. Nguyễn Văn Túc (Thái Bình): bị bắt ngày 10/9/2008 5. Ngô Quỳnh (Bắc Giang): bị bắt ngày 10/9/2008 6. Trần Đức Thạch (Hà Tĩnh): bị bắt ngày 10/9/2008 CSVN một đằng "đội trên": sẵn sàng nịnh bợ và làm tay sai cho Trung Quốc, kẻ thù truyền kiếp của dân tộc; một đằng "đạp dưới": sẵn sàng hiếp đáp dân mình, kể cả những kẻ phản đối Trung Quốc xâm lăng đất nước mình. Bộ mặt "tay sai Trung Quốc" của CSVN đã quá rõ ràng rồi. Việc bắt bớ này cho thấy CSVN đang lâm vào thế yếu của một chế độ độc tài phi nghĩa đến thời suy tàn. CSVN đang bị hốt hoảng trước sự mất tin tưởng và chống đối của người dân trong nước. Mục tiêu của họ khi bắt bớ các nhà đấu tranh dân chủ bất bạo động này: -- một đằng là để đối phó một cách bị động đối với phong trào đòi tự do dân chủ, dân sinh dân quyền đang ngày càng dâng cao trong lòng dân tộc, -- đằng khác là để lấy lòng quan thầy Bắc Kinh. Nhưng những hành động đàn áp và khủng bố nhân dân này sẽ không thể làm cho dân tộc chùn bước, mà còn làm cho những mâu thuẫn vốn có trong nội bộ đảng CSVN ngày càng trầm trọng và sâu sắc. Những sự kiện này báo hiệu mùa xuân của dân tộc đang đến gần. Chúng tôi xin mượn lời của anh hùng dân tộc Nguyễn Trung Trực năm để xác định rằng: "chừng nào nước Nam hết cỏ thì mới hết người Nam chống độc tài độc đảng". Câu này của người xưa vẫn còn nguyên giá trị cho công cuộc đấu tranh chống giặc nội xâm CSVN hôm nay. Xin mọi người có khả năng hãy kêu gọi chính giới các nước tự do phản đối CSVN và áp lực CSVN phải phóng thích 6 nhà đấu tranh dân chủ này. Phóng viên dân chủ Khối 8406.   more »

Human Rights Watch Asia details arrests of democracy activists, especially blogger Dieu Cay who was sentenced to more than two years in prison for tax evasion coinciding with his anti-China protests. HRW Asia correlates these arrests with the visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte   more »

Arrests and detentions of pro-democracy activists Pham Van Troi, Ngo Quynh, Poet Van Duc Thach, Nguyen Van Hai (blogger Dieu Cay), writer Nguyen Xuan Nghia are cited by the People's Democratic Party with a call for action to the Vietnamese government. The date September 14 is likely to be a time of protest in Vietnam by prodemocracy activists.    more »

PARIS, 2nd September 2008 (Vietnam Committee on Human Rights) – From 25-29 August 2008, Vo Van Ai, President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights and International Spokesman of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) met European Commission officials and members of the European Parliament in Brussels to press for stronger measures on human rights and democracy in the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that the EU is currently negotiating with Vietnam. This will replace the 1995 agreement which contains a "human rights clause", but no effective mechanisms to assess human rights improvements – or the lack of them - in Vietnam. On Monday 25 August, Mr. Vo Van Ai addressed a Hearing on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia at the EP Sub-Committee on Human Rights hosted by its Chairman, Ms Helene Flautre and attended by numerous MEPs from the different political groups and EU officials. For the first time, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the EU, Mr. Nguyen Manh Dzung and the Cambodian Ambassador were present, and made presentations to the Sub-Committee's hearing. In his speech, Mr. Ai highlighted the failure of Vietnam's development policy which couples unbridled economic opening with systematic suppression of human rights: "Today, Vietnam is undergoing a serious economic crisis. This crisis marks the total failure of Vietnam's policy of "doi moi" (renovation) – economic liberalization under authoritarian control. Under this policy, Vietnam treats its people both as source of cheap labour and an enemy of the regime." With the rocketing cost of living, "hunger riots are brewing" and popular discontent is exploding in every domain, including worker strikes, farmers and peasants' demonstrations against State confiscation of lands ("Victims of Injustice") etc. Mr. Ai accused Vietnam of "waging a war against its own people" by stifling the people's protests instead of seeking real solutions for their problems. He submitted a detailed report to the EP on current violations of social and political rights in Vietnam, including violations of religious freedom against the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, Internet restrictions and serious abuses of press freedom, with the recent arrests of journalists or withdrawal of their press cards simply for reporting on cases of official corruption (see full text of Vo Van Ai's speech on http://www.queme.net/eng/docs_detail.php?numb=1096 and the report "Economic crisis and political repression in Vietnam" on http://www.queme.net/eng/docs_detail.php?numb=1095   more »

Xin trân trọng kính mời quý độc giả quan tâm theo dõi diễn biến tiếp theo của sự việc, thông qua các bản tin sắp tới của nhóm Phóng Viên Dân Chủ Khối 8406 chúng tôi. Việt Nam ngày 26/08/2008. Nhóm Phóng Viên Dân Chủ Khối 8406   more »

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued its Vietnam Policy Focus today. The report, which includes findings from the Commission's 2007 trip to Vietnam , highlights government-sponsored harassment, detention, and imprisonment faced by individuals and leaders of diverse religious communities. In light of these severe and widespread violations of religious freedom, the Commission calls on the U.S. State Department to re-designate Vietnam a "country of particular concern" (CPC), under the terms of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. The CPC designation is reserved, under law, for nations that engage in severe violations of religious freedom. "The U.S. government still needs to press Vietnam 's leaders to make immediate improvements to end religious freedom abuses, ease restrictions, and release prisoners," said Commission Chair Felice D. Gaer. The Commission has found that religious freedom conditions in Vietnam continue to be mixed, with improvements for some religious communities but not for others; progress in some provinces but not in others; reforms of laws at the national level that are not fully implemented or are ignored at the local level; and still too many abuses of and restrictions on religious freedom affecting most of Vietnam's diverse religious communities. Some important changes were implemented and prisoners were released after the U.S. government designated Vietnam a CPC. However, in view of the uneven pace of reforms and the continued detention of religious prisoners of concern, The Commission again recommends that Vietnam be designated a CPC. The Commission has identified numerous prisoners of concern and restrictive, abusive practices of the Vietnamese government. During its 2007 trip to Vietnam , the Commission met with religious freedom activists Nguyen Van Dai and Li Thi Cong Nhan at Cau Dien Prison in Hanoi . In March 2007, Dai and Nhan were among the first arrested and sentenced to long-term detention as part of a larger crackdown on democracy, free speech, and human rights advocates. Their cases are among those highlighted in the Vietnam Policy Focus. Activities of ethnic minority religious groups, such as the Montagnard and Hmong Protestants, are often vigorously restricted by the Vietnamese government. Long-term administrative detainees from the Catholic Church and the United Buddhist Church of Vietnam, including Thich Quang Do and Fr. Phan Van Loi, and numerous religious "prisoners of concern" from the Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, and Khmer Buddhist communities remain in custody in retaliation for their advocacy of religious freedom. The Commission has consistently called for the release of all prisoners of conscience in Vietnam . "Improved conditions for some only emphasize the inexcusability of ongoing abuses endured by others," notes Gaer. "The State Department should not diminish its categorization of Vietnam as a severe violator until the Vietnamese government demonstrates a countrywide, non-discriminatory commitment to religious freedom and human rights for all." The Vietnam Policy Focus is available at: http://www.uscirf.gov/images/PolicyFocusPublications/vietnam%20policy%20focus%20-%20summer%202008.pdf   more »