Explanation on the recordings of Nguyen Ngoc Quang’s interrogation by the Public Security of Communist Vietnam
To the members of the media and audience overseas,
The communist regime in Vietnam published a White Paper on Human Rights in Vietnam for the international community. Throughout this paper, the communist regime deceived the international community that Vietnam has freedom, democracy and human rights, and there are no prisoners of conscience, no political and religious prisoners.
From through this deceptive statement, we need to have at least one evidence to debunk the so called “Vietnam has democracy, freedom and human rights” view. The interrogation by the Public Security of us is the opportunity to collect evidence to expose these lies.
On two consecutive days (August 3 and 4, 2006), the communist regime interrogated Pham Ba Hai who successfully recorded the interrogation and provided the audio to Radio Free Asia and overseas media. However, these facts are not sufficient in painting the true face of the communist regime in Viet Nam. The opportunity to collect more evidence came to me on August 4, 2006 when I received a summons of the Public Security (with the purpose of meeting the local command of the ward 6, district 8 Public Security to discuss my temporary residence). I knew that I would encounter many more difficulties in recording the interrogation because the Public Security had known that the two previous interrogations with Pham Ba Hai were recorded and distributed widely.
One disadvantage for pro-democracy activists is that our phones are constantly eavesdropped, and we know this fact clearly. In the meantime, after the first interrogation, there were many phone calls from the media from overseas to interview me. There was a call in the morning of August 6, 2006 that took place right before I came in for the second interrogation. I did not remember which media it was that asked me if I had recorded the interrogation. At that time, I had to lie that I did not record the interrogation and never intended to record the interrogation so that I could in reality record the upcoming interrogation because I knew my phone line was tapped. Thus, I had to continue to lie when reporter Tra My of RFA and other media asked me later the same question.
I am not afraid to confirm that I am the one who recorded the interrogations because I have the right to do this for self defense, but I could not publicly confirm this when the interrogations had not finished. Therefore, I forced myself to lie to the media, the audience overseas, and those who care for the struggle to regain basic human rights that have been guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I hereby confirm that it was I who recorded the interrogations sessions, and there is no one else involved.
Through these words of explanation of how I was forced to lie about the recording of the interrogation, I sincerely apologize to the media, audience, readers and all those who are concerned for this National Shame of our country today. Please understand and forgive me for my “wrong doing” under the circumstances.
Sincerely,
Nguyen Ngoc Quang
(August 28, 2006)
