Flying in the "Fish Hook"

PRESS RELEASE

Regarding Nguyen Minh Triet's trip to America

One thousand delegates from throughout the United States and Canada representing 1.4 million Vietnamese Americans will gather at the White House 8:30 A.M. on Friday June 22, 2007 to protest President Bush's hosting of Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet.

The communist regime in Vietnam (SRV) is responsible for the deaths of one million Vietnamese. The repressive regime has recently launched a new wave of "unbridled human rights abuses" the "worst wave of oppression in 20 years", arresting and imprisoning hundreds of nonviolent religious, human rights and democracy leaders in Vietnam.

After President Bush endorsed Hanoi's admission into WTO at APEC in Hanoi, removed Vietnam from listing as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), and granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), the communists took this as U.S. validation of their regime. Thus the communists reverted back to form -- continuing and intensifying their repression of the Vietnamese people, believing they can do so with impunity...

On March 30, Father Ly, Nguyen Phong, Nguyen Binh Thanh, Hoang Thi Anh Dao and Le Thi Hang were imprisoned by a communist "kangaroo court" in Hue for "committing propaganda activities against the government", meaning he was advocating for religious freedom and democracy. Similarly:

On May 10, Dr Le Nguyen Sang, Reporter Huynh Nguyen Dao, Lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen were imprisoned in Saigon..

On May 11, Lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, Le Thi Cong Nhan were imprisoned in Hanoi.

On May 15, Lawyer Tran Quoc Hien was imprisoned in Saigon.

The list goes on; perhaps totaling nearly a hundred arrested, imprisoned or "disappeared" in the last two months. None were allowed defense representation and on Tuesday, June 12, President Bush spoke at the dedication of The Victims of Communism Memorial that honors the memories of those killed in communist regimes. He stated that their deaths should remind the American public "evil is real and must be confronted."

Ironically, on Friday the 22nd, President Bush will honor the President of a tyrannical communist regime that murdered over a million Vietnamese and ethnic minorities with a White House visit during which he has the opportunity to confront that evil.

We Vietnamese Americans call upon President Bush to:

Apply necessary measures to stop this persecutions of the Vietnamese people.

Tell the SRV leaders that if they do not unconditionally and immediately release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience including over 350 Montagnard Christians that relations with the United States will be jeopardized...

Place the SRV back on the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list.

Ensure that the SRV does not get a seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

These sanctions should remain until the begins to behave as a civilized country and treat its people with dignity and decency

The Vietnamese Americans call upon members of the US Congress and the American people to support the Vietnamese people to achieve freedom and democracy. This picture of Father Ly during the communist kangaroo court proceedings tells it all.

CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL: From 8.00 PM to 9:30 PM
Thursday June 21, 2007
Capitol Hill Ground, D.C

DEMONSTRATION : From 8:30 A.M. to 12.00 P.M.
Friday June 22, 2007
LaFayette Park (White House)

Contact persons :

Quyen Le (301)580-7432 email: Quyen.Le@montgomerycounty.md

Anh Do (703)618-5157 email: Anhhongdo@hotmail.com