Open Letter
Elk Grove, 4th May 2008
To: Honorable spiritual leaders
Elected Officials in America and around the world
Media and People in America and around the world
Dear Sir/Madam,
First, I would like to inform everyone who has helped the call to free my husband, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan, that the Vietnamese authorities will bring my husband to court this coming 13th of May. I would also like to inform that I have acquired two Vietnamese national attorneys to defend my husband. Their offices have acknowledged me with the trial date.
According to the attorneys, Vietnamese police has earlier notified them that my husband’s documentations have been transferred to the court and my husband has been prosecuted by the Vietnamese Communist regime on charges of “terrorism.”
The Vietnamese authorities have detained my husband for a total of 168 days without trial, during which our children and I have been deeply anxious. I have been restless to get back to Vietnam to acquire attorneys for my husband as well as to attend the trial but the regime is determined not to provide me with an entry visa. Facing those severe mistreatment to myself as well as the wrongful accusation the regime has put against my husband, I have lobbied the US administration and governments around the world to exert pressure on the Vietnamese regime to release my husband.
Consequently, I would like to dearly call for your support of the resolution number 1048 of the US House of Representatives introduced mutually by Congress members Zoe Lofgren, Dan Lungren and Ileana Ros Lehtinen.
To the Vietnamese government and the public, I would like, on behalf of my husband, to affirm to the court and our Vietnamese people inside the country that my husband is a peaceful democracy activist using non-violent means. The fact that the Vietnamese Communist regime still deliberately tries to label my husband with “terrorism” is totally unacceptable. I will continue campaigning for the world’s public opinion and support to demand justice for my husband.
I have also learned that the Vietnamese government will bring Mr. Somsak Khunmi and Mr. Nguyen The Vu to the same court with my husband.
The Vietnamese government arrested my husband, Mr. Somsak Khunmi, Mr. Nguyen The Vu, Mr. Nguyen Viet Trung, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van and Mr. Truong Van Ba on the same day of 17th of November last year. The fact that now they have released Mr. Truong Van Ba, Mr. Nguyen Viet Trung and Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van but bring my husband, Mr. Nguyen The Vu and Mr. Somsak Khunmi to a court is an utmost contradictory and arbitrary act. Once again please lend a hand in supporting resolution 1048 of the US House of Representatives.
With the success of this resolution, you would have helped not only my husband and my family but also many other democracy activists inside Vietnam who have been ill-treated and illegitimately detained.
My sincere thanks to all of you.
Ngo Mai Huong
