September 23, 2010
His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung
Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
C/o The Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
470 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N1
Dear Prime Minister Dung:
In my ongoing concern about fostering the best possible relations between Canada and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, I want to express my deep concern over the arrests of Pham Minh Hoang, Duong Kim Khai, Tran Thi Thuy and Nguyen Thanh Tam. These four people have allegedly expressed dissent with the government because of their expressions of concern for the oppressed and for the cause of social justice in their country.
I urge you to investigate their situation personally and urge you to take appropriate actions to ensure that they are treated fairly and that they are returned to their communities as soon as possible.
As I expressed to you this summer, I congratulate Vietnam’s positive economic development since its WTO accession. The best way to further this development and to promote both unity in your country and trade relationships with other countries is to ensure the highest standards of human rights are being met by your government. In my opinion, the extension and expansion of human rights within any country is directly related to strong economic development and cultural growth.
Very specifically, I would like to advocate for the immediate release of:
- Mr. Pham Minh Hoang, 55 years old, lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, arrested on August 13, 2010 in Saigon.
- Pastor Duong Kim Khai, 52 years old, member of the Mennonite Church of Vietnam, arrested on August 10, 2010 in Saigon.
- Ms. Tran Thi Thuy, 39 years old, merchant, arrested on August 10, 2010 in Dong Thap.
- Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, 57 years old, farmer, arrested on July 18, 2010 in Ben Tre.
As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Vietnam is expected to respect and uphold civil and political rights of individuals, including the most basic of rights – freedoms of speech, press, expression, religion, and assembly.
I am always open to speaking to officials in your Embassy here in Ottawa regarding this or other issues of mutual concern.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Oliphant, M.P.
Don Valley West
