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STATEMENT BY HON.
EMMA BONINO AND HON. MARCO PANNELLA, MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND FOUNDERS OF THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY (TRP), ON THE OCCASION
OF THE VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS DAY. WASHINGTON, 9 MAY 2003
Delivered by Mr. Marco
Perduca, United Nations Representative for the TRP
Honorable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, friends:
Let us at the outset thank Dr. Quan Nguyen for his kind invitation. We
salute his efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Vietnam.
Today's event wants to pay tribute to all those that care about the
life and well-being of Vietnam. We commend in particular the activities
of Dr. Que Nguyen, a fellow nonviolent activist, who on March 17 of
this year was arrested, once again, by the Communist regime of Hanoi.
Dr. Que's situation, should be of great concern to all those that are
active to promote freedom and democracy in Vietnam, whether
institutions or individuals. Recently, in our capacity as Members of
the European Parliament, we questioned the European Commission on the
fate of Dr. Que. The the lack of information contained in the answer
received is only aggravating the general situation. (the text of the
question and answer are available here today).
The Transnational Radical Party is a non-governmental organization in
Consultative Status with the United Nations. Through nonviolent means,
it promotes human, civil and political rights prescribed by
international human rights laws all over the world in dialogue with
international and national institutions.
Since its birth in 1988, the TRP has focused its nonviolent activities
on countries characterized by authoritarian and dictatorial regimes.
Vietnam is of course one of those countries.
Over the past years we have brought to the attention of European
institution the grave situation of Vietnam, the one of Dr. Que, the
persecution of the Unified Buddhist Church, the martial law imposed on
the Montagnards living in the Central Highland, because the European
Union extensively funds Vietnam. In fact, in 1997, a Cooperation
Agreement was signed for more than $160 M, which legally obliges
Vietnam to respect human rights and allow democratic reforms.
Under the Cooperation Agreements that tie the European Union and
Vietnam, the respect of democratic principles and human, civil and
political rights, and consequently the respect of the principle of
legality by the authorities of Vietnam cannot be considered anymore as
a matter concerning Vietnam only, but it must be a matter of concern
for the European Union and its citizens directly.
As Representatives of European citizens, who are convinced in the
importance of a solid transatlantic alliance to promote freedom and
democracy, we firmly believe that no more money should be given to
dictators or to regimes that do not want to open up to democracy.
Over the years we have supported:
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Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, a physician, who on
May 1990, acting as representative of the Non Violent Movement for
Human Rights, published a manifesto asking the Hanoi Regime to
respect basic Human Rights, to accept a multiparty system and to
restore the Vietnamese People's right to choose their own form of
government through free elections. A distinguished activist that for
his work as been imprisoned many times
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the appeal of leader of the
Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam Thich Quang Do in favor of
democracy in Vietnam that would allow the realization of a true
democratization. That petition was endorsed by numerous international
dignitaries as well as of more than 300.000 Vietnamese.
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The Appeal to the Hanoi Government,
undersigned by 21 Vietnamese dissidents that was calling on the
National Assembly to respect the fundamental rights guaranteed by the
Constitution".
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The Venerable Thich Tri Luc, member of
the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam.
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Nguyen Truc Cuong and of Nguyen Vu
Viet, nephews of Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly arbitrarily arrested.
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The Very Venerable Thich Huyen Quang,
Patriarc of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the Venerable
Thich Quang Do.
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Father Nguyen Van Ly imprisoned on May
17th 2001 for having practiced his own religion as well as believers
of "non-recognized" Churches, and in particular Chao Dai Church, Hoa
Hao Church and the Protestant Churches of our Degar friends in the
Central Highlands.
Over the last two years, in cooperation
with a variety of groups and in particular with the Montagnard
Foundation, we have carried out a series of activities to promote civil
liberties in Vietnam. In particular, on September 21, 2002, on the
occasion of the "World day of nonviolent struggle for Freedom and
Democracy also in Vietnam", dozens of nonviolent demonstrations of
Vietnamese, European and American citizens were held all over the
world, in front of diplomatic representations of Vietnam - the largest
of which here in Washington, DC - where Dr. Quan Nguyen and Mr. Kok
Ksor, who are both here with us today, and some 800 members of the
Montagnard community from North Carolina participated paying also a
tribute to Gandhi Memorial.
Since November 2002, with Mr. Kok Ksor, we have launched an initiative
aimed at registering the basic personal data of dozens of thousand of
Montagnards, who support the Montagnard Foundation in the Central
Highlands, but who also want to join our organization, exercising, in
this way their right to freedom of association. This census comprises
more than 40.000 Degar. We will use such information to protect them
from Hanoi and to keep international institutions constantly informed
on their whereabouts and living conditions.
For all these activities the Consultative Status that the TRP enjoys
with the UN is under the attack of the Vietnamese Government in these
very days in New York.
We, Europeans and Americans, need to be vigilant and work together to
urge national and international institutions to abandon the attitude to
tolerance toward the constant worsening of the political, social and
institutional situation in Vietnam that, according to the promises
made, should have evolved toward a bigger respect for basic freedoms
and of civil, political and human rights.
Democratic countries and their politicians should commit themselves, in
every institutional for a and in their bilateral relations, to urge
Vietnam's respect of national and international legality on matters
pertaining to basic human rights, sting from civil and political rights
to make sure that all the Vietnamese citizens enjoy freedom and
democracy. These are our common principles and values that we need to
globalize.
Thank You.
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