Liên Hội Người Việt Canada Vietnamese Canadian Federation Fédération vietnamienne du Canada 249 Rochester Street Ottawa, ON; K1R 7M9 CANADA Tel.: (613) 230-8282; Fax: (613) 230-8281; Email: vietfederation@bellnet.ca Website: www.vietfederation.ca April 8, 2009 The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade 125 Sussex Drive Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Re. Persecution of Lawyer Le Tran Luat Dear Sir: I’m writing to request your intervention in the case of a human-rights lawyer who is being subject to persecution by the Vietnamese Communist government. The lawyer in question, Mr. Le Tran Luat, had agreed to defend 8 Catholics of Thai Ha District in Hanoi who participated in the prayer sessions for the return of the Catholic Church’s land illegally confiscated by the government. In addition, he also agreed to defend, free of charge, some political dissidents who were involved in a peaceful movement for democracy and freedom in Vietnam, including Messrs. Nguyen Xuan Nghia, Pham Thanh Nghien, Pham Van Troi, and Vu Hung who have been detained without trial for several months. In response to Mr. Luat’s actions, Vietnamese authorities at present subject him to a plan of constant harassments including the following incidents: - On February 25, 2009, his office in Saigon was searched by the police who took away his photocopiers and computers to execute a decree in favour of a competing law firm in a private dispute; - On March 3, 2009, he was prevented from taking a flight from Saigon to Hanoi to meet his clients. Subsequently he was detained for interrogation at the police station for the whole day. - His associates Hung and Dat and his assistant Ta Phong Tran were also summoned by the police for questioning. Specifically, Ms. Ta Phong Tran was interrogated 10 times over 10 consecutive days. - On March 25, 2009, the police delivered to his office a notice of termination of its operation permit. Consequently, he had to suspend all the services that he had committed to his clients and to return the retention fees that he had received. - Since then, his office has been kept under watch by a group of about 20 secret police agents, and everyone who visited this office was searched and interrogated afterward. - In order to prepare for his eventual disbarring, the government has mounted a vicious campaign in the state media to denounce him as a crook and a criminal. The Investigation Bureau has submitted to the Ministry of Justice a request to withdraw his legal practice permit. All the above incidents point to the possibility that Mr. Luat will be prevented from practicing his profession as a lawyer and will be subject to detention and eventual imprisonment. The persecution of Mr. Luat by the Vietnamese government is an insult to Canada’s commitment to help Vietnam improve the administration of justice and increase knowledge of, and access to, the legal system in the current $12 million legal development assistance project. I would therefore like to suggest that you suspend it until Vietnamese authorities show their own respect of justice by ending all their harassments against this courageous lawyer. Trusting that our request will receive a favourable response from you, I remain, Yours sincerely, (Original signed by) Ut Ngo President, Vietnamese Canadian Federation c.c. The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism   more »

Global Day of Action Against Bauxite Mining in Vietnam's Central Highlands On Earth Day, let's Save Tây Nguyên! In honor of Earth Day, we will blanket everyone's status on Facebook and raise public consciousness about the Vietnamese government's proposed bauxite mining. This will be done to draw attention to the vast environmental devastation and economic consequences to Vietnam's beautiful Central Highlands, known as Tây Nguyên. Background: The government of Vietnam has been quietly cooperating with China to exploit bauxite in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Not only is this a serious disregard to the ethnic minorities in the area, it is exploitation of an ecologically-rich agriculture region in the name of development. Bauxite mining poses a negative impact to the local economy and a long-lasting environmental impact that will undoubtedly affect generations to come. For more information, visit http://www.viettan.org/savetaynguyen JOIN IN ON THE GLOBAL ACTION! It's Easy! All YOU have to do ► ► ► 1) On April 22, DONATE YOUR FACEBOOK STATUS to bring awareness to the issue. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95045267743 2) HOST OR JOIN A TEACH-IN on the subject of bauxite mining. Let's raise the public forum on this issue, not just within the online community, but to your communities at your local universities, workplace, and cities. The more people know, the more action that can take place!! We will post teach-in guides and all the materials for a successful event. 3) CALL OR E-MAIL VINACOMIN AND CHINALCO, the two state-run companies exploiting bauxite in Vietnam's Central Highlands. Ask them what their plans are to protect the local environment and ethnic cultures. Vinacomin (Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group): +84-4 4-35180.141 info@vinacomin.vn Chinalco (Aluminum Corporation of China): China Jane Lu Tel: +86 10 8229 8367 Fax: +86 10 8229 8339 Email: Jane_lu@chinalco.com.cn United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 7379 5151 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7379 6161 Email: ghudson@maitland.co.uk / lmorley@maitland.co.uk Australia Jim Kelly / Amanda Lee Tel: +61 (2) 8298 6100 Fax: +61 (2) 9251 0716 Email:jim.kelly@fdthirdperson.com.au / amanda.lee@fdthirdperson.com.au There will be many more direct actions to come, so stay tuned! Everyone invite your friends to this global event! Raising awareness for Vietnam's Central Highlands will go on beyond Earth Day, but let's start NOW. Khai thác bô xít Tây Nguyên: 3 vấn đề, 3 kiến nghị Gs. Nguyễn Ngọc Trân Các bài liên hệ: Ngang ngược quá đáng và hậu quả Nắm cho vững! Bám cho chặt! Tiếng thét: ngừng ngay lại! Bôxít - stop! Bức màn bauxite, âm mưu Tây nguyên !!! Để gia tăng tối đa khối kiến thức từ nhiều góc cạnh về vấn nạn Bô-xít Trung Nguyên hiện nay, chúng tôi đang và sẽ tiếp tục cố gắng thu thập ý kiến của các chuyên gia ngoại quốc cũng như Việt Nam về các hậu quả lên môi sinh và con người quanh vấn đề này. Ban Biên Tập Web Việt Tân ********************************************************************************** A letter from the Vietnamese Canadian Federation to M.P. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, is attached. It gives an excellent account in English of the issues regarding bauxite mining in Vietnam    more »