Open letter to President George W. Bush on the occasion of his trip to Vietnam to attend the APEC Summit in November 2006

Vietnam, November 14th, 2006

Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of all Vietnamese people who struggle for democracy and freedom in Vietnam we warmly welcome you to our country on the occasion of your trip to Hanoi to attend the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

When arriving in Vietnam, you will see, in addition to the natural beauty of our country, many high-rise buildings and splendid mansions belonging to the elite of the Vietnamese Communist Party and wealthy businessmen. However, you won’t see the poverty of the majority of Vietnamese people who live in the countryside or in suburban areas. You will not be allowed to see the impoverished farmers who keep on coming to Hanoi to protest against the confiscation of their land year after year, their plight unheard.

Mr. President:

The Vietnamese people have no free elections. In Vietnam, the Communist Party chooses all candidates prior to an election, and people who are not chosen by the Communist system cannot run in an election. Since all candidates are nominated by the Party, from the People’s Committee at the village level to the National Assembly, elections are only a ploy used by the regime to disguise their intentions. This is the reason why people’s legitimate complaints are never addressed.

The Vietnamese people have no freedom of the press, and therefore freedom of speech is severely limited. Although Vietnam currently has more than 600 newspapers, all are owned and controlled by the Party. Until now, no private newspaper has ever been allowed to appear.

Vietnam has one of the strictest systems of control over public use of the Internet in the world. Many web sites with information on freedom and democracy are not available in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese people do not have freedom of religion and worship. Religious organizations which were not established by the state, such as the Unified Buddhist Church of VietNam, the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, the Cao Dai Congregation and the Mennonite Church of Vietnam, are all prohibited from operating. Many Buddhist monks and Christian priests are placed under “administrative restrictions,” i.e. under detention in their own pagodas or churches.

Recently, due to pressure from the United States, the European Union, and other countries and international organizations, the Vietnamese government released some prisoners of conscience. Nevertheless, hundreds of political dissidents are still detained or placed under “administrative restriction” based on Decree 31-CP which allows anyone to be detained up to two years without a court order.

Corruption in the Communist Party of Vietnam is at an epidemic level. Vietnam is classified as one of the most corrupt countries in the world but nobody within Vietnam dares to point that out because we don’t have freedom of the press. The most corrupt people are high-ranking members of the Vietnamese Communist Party themselves.

Despite legal restrictions, the Vietnamese people still seek real democracy and freedom. Among the appeals is the “Call for Democracy for Vietnam” issued by the Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation in 2001, the “Nine Steps towards Democracy in Vietnam” by the Non-Violent Movement for Human Rights in 2005, and most recently the “Declaration for Democracy and Freedom” courageously released on April 8, 2006 by 118 private citizens inside Vietnam.

Mr. President:

You have said many times that spreading democracy is one of your great goals. We found it very encouraging when you said that you always side with those who fight for freedom in the world and will support them in this effort. We hope, therefore, that you will use your forthcoming visit to encourage the Communist leaders of Vietnam to adopt real democracy. In order to implement this policy, first and foremost they would have to discard Article 4 of the Vietnam constitution which gives absolute power to the Vietnam Communist Party, repeal the 31-CP Decree, release all political dissidents currently detained in prisons or under house arrest, and move resolutely in restoring the freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and freedom to form organizations and political parties, and freedom to stand for election.

With our best wishes for a successful trip and for good health and happiness to you and Mrs. Bush, we remain,

Yours most respectfully,