Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam Supporting Committee – San Diego Chapter

Responding to the Call “SOS.” of Tien Giang’s Aggrieved Citizens

According to Dinh Thien Vu, June 23, 2007 at 7:00 am, citizens from Tien Giang province rallied to protest in front of the Congressional Office II, located on 194 Hoang Van Thu Street, Phu Nhuan District, Saigon. The 300 protesters were quickly increased to thousands, after other aggrieved citizens from Binh Phuoc, Vung Tau, Baria, An Giang and Dong Thap joined the protesting to demand the local officials to return their confiscated lands. Despite the harsh weather conditions and physical exhaustion, the protesters are determined to continue their demonstration until their requests are honored in an acceptable way. The protest has been on going for 14 days and demonstrators are increasing facing threats and physical forces by the police.

Why are the Tien Giang’s citizens protesting?

  1. Direct Reason: Tien Giang’s officials confiscated the citizens’ lands and paid them with a small amount in “compensation,” deceiving the local people that an industrial site or hospital will be developed on their lands. Instead, the Tien Giang’s officials are expecting to resell the lands to the Vietnamese Red Capitalists at an extremely higher price. The Tien Giang’s officials are attempting to profits themselves, while leaving empty promises to the local people.
  2. Indirect Reason: Because of the dictatorships of the Vietnamese Communist Party, its members are protecting themselves by passing the citizens complaints from one office to another. Tien Giang’s protesters have made two complaints to the Party since 1995. The first time was made at Mai Xuan Thuong Center at Hanoi. The second was made in 2006, during APEC conference in Viet Nam. The government made promises to resolve the matter, but nothing has ever done to solve the problem.

Ever since the protesting began, the police are attempting to isolate the peaceful demonstration by cutting off any source of communication line, such as power and mobile phone from the local people. Furthermore, anyone who speaks to the media will be immediately arrested or later be detained by officials.

Therefore, the Supporting Committee / San Diego Chapter decided to perform the following tasks:

  1. All members of the Committee send an email, describing the reason of the protest and the frustrated situation of the Tien Giang’s citizens, to the Embassy of the United States and other Embassies in Hanoi, Viet Nam.
  2. All members of the Committee voluntarily contributed about $500.00 dollars to buy foods, water and other necessary things for the protesters.
  3. The Supporting Committee has been connected to the network of the Vietnamese organizations oversea to issue an alert to urge the Vietnamese Communities everywhere to take action by providing humanitarian aids to these peaceful protesters.
  4. The Supporting Committee / Chapter San Diego is ready to join the Vietnamese Communities oversea to protest against the Vietnamese Communist Dictatorship Government who ignores the misery of the Tien Giang’s aggrieved citizens.

San Diego – California, July 06, 2007

Tieng Van Tran
President of the Supporting Committee – San Diego Chapter
Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Viet Nam