Radio New Horizon (Chan Troi Moi) by Nguyen Hoang Thanh Tam
Saigon, July 5, 2007
This is Nguyen Hoang Thanh Tam saying hello with a special report regarding the protest currently taking place in Saigon. The citizens of Tien Giang and neighbouring provinces are gathered again today in front of the National Assembly Office II to demand their confiscated land back from the Vietnamese Government.
In the three previous reports, we’ve sent you news of the demonstrators’ activities during the day while there’s daylight. Today, we invite you to experience the evenings with these aggrieved citizens. Youths as well as elders are sleeping in the outdoors on the sidewalks and slopes. Some of them only have their jackets to lie on while others have a thin sheet of nylon as a blanket.
On Thursday July 5, 2006, we were able to reconnect with the demonstrators in Saigon and speak with many aggrieved citizens present there. The first is a conversation with Ms. Thao, a youth from Saigon.
Nguyen Hoang-Thanh Tam (NHTT): Hello Ms. Thao, it is currently 10 PM in Vietnam. Can you please let us know the situation of the people in the area at this late time of night?
Ms. Thao: Thank you, and thanks to all the Vietnamese people overseas. All the protesters were removed from the premises today. They had to move out into the courtyard and were prohibited from using the restrooms. They were told it was a violation of official space, even though the National Assembly is a public place. Currently, people are putting up tarps to sleep outside. It was a misfortune earlier in the afternoon when it rained. Everyone was drenched. A lady was so anguished she screamed out in protest and suddenly collapsed. She had to be carried away. And it’s heart-wrenching to see the old ladies. They are shrinking into themselves as small as they can since there is not enough space. The courtyard has already been closed. The rain has stopped and things are looking a bit better. In the afternoon there were 2 sprinklers watering the grass, but even those are turned off now. They’re not giving us any water, and the restrooms have been closed since morning. It’s quite ruthless.
NHTT: You mentioned a lady who collapsed in the afternoon, what is her situation like currently?
Ms. Thao: It seems she’s always had a heart condition. When highly upset, she collapses and her body goes into convulsions. She couldn’t speak, but tried to question why the restrooms were locked against the people and why the officials were trying to kill the people by refusing them access. Her words couldn’t come out, she collapsed and people helped her up.
NHTT: So how is her condition and where is she now in this time of night?
Ms. Thao: The people let her rest for a little while, and then they took her to a doctor. We are currently sitting under a sloping overpass because there is no more space. There is an old man lying on a tarp, but he keeps sliding down due to the steep slope. Don’t you think that’s awful?
NHTT: You mean, you’re all lying out in the streets?
Ms. Thao: Some provinces are out in the streets, some are in the courtyard.
NHTT: It must be cold to be outside this late in the night, what is situation like in terms of blankets for everyone?
Ms. Thao: Some brought jackets with them, and have been using those as blankets. Some brought plastic tarps and have used those. What ever they’ve brought, that’s their blanket. Just a while ago, some older women lit candles to pray that it will not rain. If it does, these people will continue to suffer. I don’t know what to say when I hear the moans and grievances of these people in the past days, and yet they received no attention whatsoever. I have a gentleman here who would like to speak with you.
NHTT: Hello sir, can I have your name please?
Mr. Nhuan: My name is Nhuan.
NHTT: Can you let us know which province you’re from?
Mr. Nhuan: I came from Phu Dong village, Go Cong district, Tien Giang province. It’s been 15 days since I’ve come here to protest, and no one has spoken to us. We’ve come in large numbers and have endured many hardships. The authorities have been very brutal to us. No one speaks to us and we are now having a very difficult time with our eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene. We don’t know how to reclaim our human rights and our freedom.
NHTT: Mr. Nhuan, we cannot be there at this moment to be able to see clear picture of your situation and all the aggrieved citizens’ situation. Can you describe to everyone what has happened to day, since morning ‘til this very moment; what you have done; and what was your food and shelter like today?
Mr. Nhuan: All day today we waited for the officials to speak to us. We’ve come to reclaim our democracy and human rights. No officials have spoken to us. Upon seeing that we are poor citizens, some bystanders brought us sandwiches, and they were brutally beaten by the police. I think that’s just too heart-breaking.
NHTT: You just said that there were people who have brought sandwiches to the demonstrators, are they from Saigon?
Mr. Nhuan: Yes, he’s from Saigon but I don’t know where. He saw our disadvantaged circumstances and brought a sandwich cart to help us…
NHTT: You’ve just heard Mr. Nhuan, a farmer from the Tien Giang province who came to protest, tell the story of a young gentleman who brought a sandwich cart to feed the protesters. Who was then harassed by the police and then had his sandwich cart confiscated. When I asked further questions, a number of folks present at the scene told me that when the police came and confiscated the sandwich cart, a crowd of protesters swarmed the policemen and reclaimed the cart. The young sandwich cart owner was then freed from the police.
We then spoke to Ms. Hue, a woman also from Tien Giang, who reported to us the current living conditions of the protesters as following:
Ms. Hue: Food wise, those who had extra have shared with those in need. Plus we have meals which we’ve received from overseas Vietnamese, but from yesterday ‘til now there have been some folks who did not have enough to eat, and some who went home. You can help by requesting everyone to help Mr. Bui Van Ba, from Tan Thanh village. Mr. Ba has been detained for 1 month and 10 days now and we have not seen him. They took his land, summoned him to the Police station and then just detained him. Now his wife is crying relentlessly. It’s such a pity. Can you please help him legally? Many of the folks here have run into legal problems with the courts, all of us here are very grateful to you. Here is his wife.
Ms. Hien: Hello, sir.
NHTT: Hello, ma’am. May I have your name please?
Ms. Hien: My name is Vo Thi Hien.
NHTT: I’ve just heard of your situation and about how your husband has been detained. Can you give us more detailed information on the matter?
Ms. Hien: The land we own has always been 700 square meters. Then a woman came out of nowhere to demand our land. The village authorities just gave it to her! They have now detained my husband for 40 days. I haven’t seen him in the past 20 days. Not only have they taken our land but they won’t release him either!
NHTT: Ma’am, is your husband detained here?
Ms. Hien: He’s at the Go Cong detention camp.
NHTT: And when did you arrive in Saigon?
Ms. Hien: It’s been several days since I’ve been here.
NHTT: What was your food and shelter situation like yesterday and today?
Ms. Hien: I slept in the open. I sit in the open during the daytime and sleep in the open at night.
NHTT: How about food?
Ms. Hien: I go to the market and buy just enough to eat to get by. I’m deprived of everything right now. With my husband in jail, I’m finding life very difficult.
NHTT: Is there anything you want to share with our listeners right now?
Ms. Hien: I just want to say please help my husband return to our family and let everyone be content with their land situation, so that our families can be together again. That’s all.
NHTT: To our listeners, the weather condition in Saigon has been rather extreme, with scorching sun during the day and rain at night. The protesters sleep on tarps on the sidewalk and use nylon sheets for blankets. When the Government that is supposed to care for the people, does not give a care, the citizens must then turn to the heavens, light their candles, and pray to Mother Nature and the almighty Creator to not make rain, so that the night can be less unbearable.
And yet, on this very night, many of us are safe and warm in our beds. We should aske ourselves “What can we do to lessen our people’s burdens?”.
And to end this special report, I’d like mention some optimistic news. After the news of the protest aired in the past couple days, we have received word from San Diego, USA, that a few of the folks there have started some fundraising efforts to support the Tien Giang protesters. From Melbourne, Australia, a generous supporter says he has gathered donations from his friends and will send me $300 Australian dollars to transfer to the protesters. A Vietnamese person in France has also sent an email saying he has asked his relatives in Saigon to bring raincoats and straw mats to the protesters.
We have shared the above news with the protesters in Saigon. They were extremely moved by the support shown by the overseas Vietnamese community. May we all join in with the on-going support effort by using every means that we can and in every way that we can.
Nguyen Hoang-Thanh Tam, signing off. See you with the next special report.
