Viet Tan

Việt Tân (Vietnam Reform Party) (Vietnamese: "Việt Nam Canh Tân Cách Mạng Đảng" or "Việt Tân" in short) is a network of members inside Vietnam and around the world, that aims to establish democracy and reform Vietnam through peaceful and political means. [cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2008/DiemTestimony080312p.pdf|title=Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-03-12]

The organization has its root with the National United Front for the Freedom of Vietnam (NUFLV), founded on September 10 1982 with Vice-admiral Hoang Co Minh elected as chairman and was operating the underground. On September 19 2004 then-chairman Nguyen Kim resolved the NUFLV and publicly introduced the Vietnam Reform Party cite web|url=http://www.viettan.org/article.php3?id_article=830|title=Reasons for the Public Introduction of Viet Tan|author=Kim Nguyen|accessdate=2008-05-13|language=English] as it is known today.

The organization is outlawed in Vietnam and the government of Vietnam considers it a "terrorist" organization cite web|url=http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/viet-tan/|title=Background Briefing: Viet Tan|author=Carlyle A. Thayer|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-05-05] cite web|url=http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/viet-tan/|title=Pro-reform party coddled in U.S|accessdate=2008-04-15|date=2007-12-17] , but Viet Tan says it promotes non-violent political change in Vietnam. [cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2008/DiemTestimony080312p.pdf|title=Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-03-12] U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak has also stated that there does not exists any evidence that Viet Tan is engaged in terrorism. [cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24593815/|title=Vietnam sentences American for terrorism|accessdate=2008-05-13|date=2008-05-13]

Objectives

Viet Tan aims to establish democracy and reform Vietnam through peaceful means. The organization advocates to rely on the strength and resources of the Vietnamese people themselves to establish a democratic government. Viet Tan wants to improve social welfare and restore civil rights by promoting pluralism in Vietnam.

Outside of Vietnam, Viet Tan explores the political venue and frequently lobbies in Washington, DC or advises organizations on using trade to leverage human rights.cite web|url=http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200702/FOR20070212a.html|title=Use Trade to Promote Rights, Vietnamese Dissidents Urge US|author=Payton Hoegh|accessdate=2008-05-13|date=2007-02-12]

Membership

Viet Tan has a vast membership of Western educated Vietnamese across the globe, including United States, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Australia and other asian countries.cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1665912.php|title=Democracy activism a 'battle without boundaries'|author=Deepa Bharath|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-04-22] The network also extends inside Vietnam with members comprising intellectuals, university students, and workers. cite web|url=http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/viet-tan/|title=Pro-reform party coddled in U.S|accessdate=2008-04-15|date=2007-12-17] While membership is by-invitation-only, Viet Tan does send out mass emails to people in Vietnam to recruit potential members.cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1686037,00.html|title=Vietnam Arrests a New Activist Breed|accessdate=2008-05-12|date=2007-11-20|Author=Kay Johnson]

Viet Tan held its 6th Party Congress in September 2006. Members elected the Central Committee headed by Do Hoang Diem as chairman and Ly Thai Hung as general secretary.

History

Beginnings: 1982 - 2004

On September 10, 1982, the National United Front for the Freedom of Vietnam (NUFLV) was founded by various groups in Vietnam, with Hoang Co Minh elected as president. Two years later, this group was then later reorganized into Viet Tan, when it became a worldwide underground movement cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1665912.php|title=Democracy activism a 'battle without boundaries'|author=Deepa Bharath|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-04-22] . While the former had the primary aim to topple the communist regime through a popular uprising, the latter aims at renovating Vietnam through political and peaceful means cite web|url=http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/viet-tan/|title=Background Briefing: Viet Tan|author=Carlyle A. Thayer|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-05-05] .

During the period of 1982 to 1987 Hoang Co Minh also served as the organization's chair, until he was captured and killed by the Vietnamese officials in an undercover operation in Vietnam on August 28, 1987. In the period that followed, Viet Tan remained an underground organization with undisclosed projects and campaigns.

Going public in 2004

On September 19, 2004, in a highly-publicized event in Berlin, Germany, the organization surfaced as a public organization under the new name "Vietnam Reform Party" and at that time announced the dissolution of the NUFLV and its resistance. Its platform emphasized using peaceful means to establish democracy in Vietnam [cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JA18Ae01.html|title=Democratic pebble in Vietnam's shoe|author=Shawn W Crispin|accessdate=2008-01-18|date=2008-01-18] .

Even though Viet Tan has gone public in 2004, the organization keeps a majority of their operation secret to protect the security of the members. cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1665912.php|title=Democracy activism a 'battle without boundaries'|author=Deepa Bharath|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-04-22]

In September 2006, Viet Tan sent members to testify before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington, DC.

On May 29, 2007, chairman Do Hoang Diem was invited by US president George W. Bush together with three other Vietnamese-American activists to the White House on a meeting about Vietnam's increasingly harsh treatment of anti-government activists and an upcoming visit by Vietnam's president Nguyen Minh Triet to the United States. During the 45-minute meeting, Do Hoang Diem urged the president to increase pressure on Vietnam to respect human rights and asked for the United States to support openly democractic forces to bring change to Hanoi. [cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Vietnam.php|title=Vietnamese-American activists call for US to pressure Vietnam on human rights|author=Associated Press|accessdate=2007-08-27|date=2007-05-29] During Nguyen Minh Triet's visit to the US, Do Hoang Diem also met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shortly before her meeting with the Vietnamese president to stress the importance of raising the issue of Vietnam's poor human rights record. [cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1738986.php|title=Orange County pushes discussion on Vietnam|author=Kathrine Schmidt|accessdate=2007-08-27|date=2007-06-20]

2007 arrests

On November 17, 2007 three Viet Tan members, US citizens Nguyen Quoc Quan, a mathematics researcher, and Truong Van Ba, a Hawaii restaurant owner, and Frenchwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, a contributor to Viet Tan's Radio Chan Troi Moi radio show were arrested in the southern suburb of Ho Chi Minh City cite web|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i3XTHOK_u0l8P89KYOkWMiERJ-iA|title=Six activists arrested in Vietnam, says dissident group|accessdate=2007-11-24|date=2007-11-20] cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Dec12/0,4670,VietnamUSDissidents,00.html|title=Vietnam Frees 3 U.S. Citizens|accessdate=2008-04-15|date=2007-12-12] At the time, they were leading a "democracy seminar" and preparing pro-democracy pamphletscite web|url=http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/viet-tan/|title=Pro-reform party coddled in U.S|accessdate=2008-04-15|date=2007-12-17] cite web|url=http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=578&catID=9|title=Doing time for democracy in Vietnam|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-05-07|author=Tran Angelina Do|language=English] , when 20 security officers raided the house. [cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1686037,00.html|title=Vietnam Arrests a New Activist Breed|author=Kay Johnson|accessdate=2007-11-24|date=2007-11-20|language=English] In addition, Thai citizen Somsak Khunmi and two Vietnamese nationals, Nguyen The Vu, a trader, and his brother Nguyen Trong Khiem were also arrested Three days later, on November 20, 2007, Vietnamese security police arrested Nguyen Viet Trung, a Vietnamese citizen, in Phan Thiet. Born 1979, Nguyen Viet Trung is a businessman and younger brother of Nguyen The Vu. The arrests were not officially confirmed by the Vietnamese government until November 22,2007. During the press briefing, officials declined to state which laws the detained individuals have broken, nor released any information about Nguyen Quoc Quan, whose whereabouts remained unknown for a week. [cite web|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=123843|title=Vietnam confirms secret arrest of Thai activist
accessdate=2007-11-24|date=2007-11-23|language=English]

In response to the arrest, Viet Tan has launched a worldwide awareness campaign under the name of Free Them Now that includes a petition to request the US, French and Thai government for assistance in demanding an immediate release of the individuals. Coinciding with the International Human Rights Day on December 10, rallies are also planned in Paris, Sydney and Washington, DC.

On November 24, 2007, Vietnamese security police released university student Nguyen Trong Khiem after detaining him for a week without cause. On December 12, 2007, after weeks of protests and appeals by US lawmakers and international pro-democracy movement, Vietnam released three of four detained American citizens shortly after the U.S. ambassador Michael Michalak demanded to see evidence of terrorism or other charges to justify their detentioncite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Dec12/0,4670,VietnamUSDissidents,00.html|title=Vietnam Frees 3 U.S. Citizens|accessdate=2008-04-15|date=2007-12-12|language=English] [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/12/ap/asia/main3609084.shtml Vietnam Frees 3 U.S. Citizens] , CBS 2007-12-13] . As of today, Nguyen Quoc Quan remains detained in Vietnam, with the U.S. Consulate allowed to visit him once per month. However, family visits have not been allowed.cite web|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/vietnamese_rights_activists_pr.html
title=Vietnamese rights activists press Congress to act|accessdate=2008-04-04|date=2008-03-12|author=Mark Silva|language=English] cite web|url=http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=578&catID=9|title=Doing time for democracy in Vietnam|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-05-07|author=Tran Angelina Do|language=English] . His wife was granted a visa to visit him in January 2008, though the Vietnamese consulate revoked the visa one week prior her scheduled trip.cite web|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/vietnamese_rights_activists_pr.html|title=Vietnamese rights activists press Congress to act|accessdate=2008-04-04|date=2008-03-12|author=Mark Silva|language=English]

On March 12, 2008, chairman of Viet Tan, Do Hoang Diem, appeared before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs along with Nguyen Quoc Quan's wife to appeal to lawmakers to confront the issue.cite web|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/vietnamese_rights_activists_pr.html|title=Vietnamese rights activists press Congress to act|accessdate=2008-04-04|date=2008-03-12|author=Mark Silva] [cite web|url=http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2008/DiemTestimony080312p.pdf|title=Testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-03-12]

During a behind-closed-doors trial in Vietnam on May 13, 2008 [cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-06-2008/0004807851&EDATE=|title=Vietnamese Government to Bring to Trial American Activist Nguyen Quoc Quan and Two Other Democracy Promoters|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-05-06|language=English] [cite web|url=http://www.humanrightshouse.org/dllvis5.asp?id=6512|title=Pro-democracy activists to be charged with terrorism in Vietnam|accessdate=2008-05-07|date=2008-05-05] , Nguyen Quoc Quan was sentenced to 6 months in prison, but since he has already served that time, was released on May 17 2008 and deported back to the United States.cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24593815/|title=Vietnam sentences American for terrorism|accessdate=2008-05-13|date=2008-05-13|language=English] cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/19/BAE010OO4M.DTL|title=Vietnam deports American democracy activist|author=Demian Bulwa|accessdate=2008-05-20|date=2008-05-19|language=English|Publisher=San Francisco Chronicle] Nguyen The Vu was released immediately, and Somsak Kunmi will server another three months before he will be released.cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24593815/|title=Vietnam sentences American for terrorism|accessdate=2008-05-13|date=2008-05-13|language=English] Other than the sentences, the presiding judge would not release any further detail of the trial.cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24593815/|title=Vietnam sentences American for terrorism|accessdate=2008-05-13|date=2008-05-13|language=English]

2008 arrests

Following the 2007 arrests, three additional Viet Tan members, Nguyen Thi Xuan Trang, a medical doctor from Switzerland, Mai Huu Bao, an electrical engineer from the United States and past Executive Board Member of the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California as well as Nguyen Tan Anh, a manager of a health-care non-profit from Australia, attempted a visit of Nguyen Quoc Quan in Saigon. On April 4, 2008, the three Viet Tan members visited the Ministry of Public Security detention center in Saigon, but were detained by security police. [cite web|url=http://www.viettan.org/article.php3?id_article=5432|title=Vietnamese police detain Viet Tan members for visiting imprisoned colleagues|accessdate=2008-04-04|date=2008-04-04|language=English] The three were released two days later and expelled from Vietnam. [cite web|url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/197418,vietnam-expels-three-foreign-activists.html|title=Vietnam expels three foreign activists|accessdate=2008-04-09|language=English] .

Programs

New Horizon Radio / Radio Chân Trời Mới

Since 1992, Viet Tan operates a daily radio broadcast to Vietnam under the name "Radio Chân Trời Mới" (New Horizon Radio). The program airs every night from 8:30pm to 9:00pm on AM 1503 cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1665912.php|title=Democracy activism a 'battle without boundaries'|author=Deepa Bharath|accessdate=2007-08-03|date=2007-04-22|language=English] . Despite efforts to jam the broadcast by the government, it can be heard in most areas of the country.

Notes and references

See also

* Hoang Co Minh
* Nguyen Quoc Quan
* Do Hoang Diem
* Ly Thai Hung

External links

* [http://www.viettan.org Viet Tan Official website] , [http://www.viettan.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=42 English Portal]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/stories/s977284.htm Member of Viet Tan in Vietnam interviewed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation]
* [http://www.radiochantroimoi.com/ Radio Chan Troi Moi - Viet Tan's internet radio program]
* [http://www.freethemnow.net/ Free Them Now - international campaign to release Viet Tan members]
* [http://radiochantroimoi.wordpress.com/ Viet Tan's blog on Radio Chan Troi Moi]