Congress of the United States
Washington DC 20515
May 9, 2008
Ambassador Le Cong Phung
Embassy of Vietnam
1233 20th Street NW #400
Washington, DC 20036
Dear Ambassador Phung:
On the occasion of Vietnam Human Rights Day we are writing to express our serious concern regarding the Government of Vietnam s arrest and detention of United States citizen Nguyen Quoc Quan. Dr. Quoc Quan was arrested on November 17 2007 along with other peaceful democracy activists Somsak Khunmi and Nguyen The Vu for distributing pro-democracy literature.
We have been informed by the U.S. State Department that these three activists will be brought to trial on May 13, 2008 and that according to press reports they will be charged with’ terrorism.” According to international covenants on human rights, to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a signatory political expression is a basic freedom not an act of terrorism. These men should not have been arrested for promoting democracy through peaceful non-violent means. Their ongoing imprisonment is a worrisome sign for your government’s commitment to human rights.
We are also concerned with the precedent this trial may create for other United States citizens visiting Vietnam, particularly Vietnamese Americans who have experienced increased harassment from Vietnamese authorities in recent years. Since 2006 the Government of Vietnam has detained six American citizens and falsely accused them of crimes.
We hope that the trial on May 13 will b conducted in a fair and open manner with the presence of friends and relatives of the defendants, the diplomatic community, and foreign media. We trust that under int mational standards-and Vietnamese law-peaceful political expression is not a crime.
We look forward to the imminent release of Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan Mr. Nguyen The Vu and Mr. Somsak Khunmi so that they can be reunited with their families.
Sincerely
Loretta Sanchez
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Tom Davis
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Zoe Lefgren
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Chris Smith
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus
Cc: The Honorable Michael Michalak, US Ambassador to Vietnam
