Meeting with Norwegian Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs

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April 23, 2008

Honorable Members of Parliament,

First, I would like to thank you for inviting us here today. It is truly an honour for us to represent the Vietnam Reform Party or Viet Tan at this very special occasion. And on behalf of Viet Tan, I would like to extend our warmest greetings to all of you.

For many years, we always remember the Norwegian government’s invaluable and committed support to our struggle for freedom and democracy in Vietnam. The Norwegian people have also been very generous in helping the Vietnamese refugees who came to this country to find freedom and refuge from the communist regime. Today, on behalf of Viet Tan and as a fellow countryman of the Vietnamese refugees, I would like to take this very unique opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all of you and your great country, Norway, for the continuous support and generosity given to the Vietnamese people and our quest for freedom and democracy.

Unfortunately, despite such generosity from Norway and other nations, and against the aspiration of our people, Vietnam today continues to be a bastion for a dictatorial and corrupt regime. The communist government of Vietnam retains absolute control by ruthlessly prohibiting any political freedom and severely violating all basic human rights. They remain in power for more than 50 years and rule Vietnam by fear and intimidation. Just last year in February, they unleashed a brutal crackdown against democracy activists, the worst in the last 20 years, in hope of crushing the defiant democracy movement.

Numerous democracy leaders have been imprisoned; others put under house arrest or subjected to constant harassment by the police. But despite the crackdown, dozens of independent and pro-democracy groups continue to exist and openly challenging one-party rule in Vietnam. Although badly battered, these groups are still hanging on and building coalitions from both overseas and inside Vietnam.

In addition, by opening trade with the rest of the world during the last 20 years, the Hanoi regime has amassed huge wealth due to corruption and their monopoly on power. However, because of the pervasive corruption, social discontent in Vietnam has risen to an unprecedented level. This is shown by widespread protests by farmers and labor unrest. People are organizing themselves to defend their rights. The communist party’s failure to address grievances is undermining its legitimacy and claim to be sole representative of farmers and workers.

It is clear that what is happening in Vietnam today is very unusual and significant. After more than 50 years in power, for the first time, the Vietnamese Communist Party is facing numerous and unprecedented challenges to its rule. The desire for real changes in Vietnam is stronger now than ever before. In response, the regime is using terror tactics to silence opposition, and severely violate human rights of not just political dissidents but also internet bloggers, farmers, workers, students or whoever dares to question the regime’s authority.

The Vietnamese democracy movement is now facing both an important challenge and a tremendous opportunity. Our challenge is to survive this current crackdown at all costs. The Vietnamese government has gone all out to eradicate all independent organizations, especially political parties. However, if we can survive this crackdown the next six months, a year or even beyond that, then it will truly be a turning point for the democracy movement. Instead of being silenced again, if we can continue to push forward, then it will be the point of no return for democratic changes inside Vietnam.

For the rest of the world, we believe an excellent opportunity also exists because it has become more and more obvious in this day and age that: the wider the reach of democracy across the world community, the firmer the guarantee of security in each member country. We firmly believe that a free and democratic Vietnam will prove to be a much more reliable and competent partner for long-term cooperation on all fronts especially economic, regional security and containment of any threat of aggression.

At any time, as their economic conditions allow, the dictatorships of Asia could unite and destabilize the security of the entire region, if not the world. With its strategic location and a population of more than 80 millions people, a free and democratic Vietnam can be a crucial stabilizing force in Southeast Asia. More importantly, a victory for democracy in Vietnam will have a tremendous impact on political openness and respect for human rights throughout the region.

Viet Tan is committed to bringing democracy and human rights back to Vietnam, and thus contributing to the lasting security of the region. To all Viet Tan’s members, this task is a necessity, a required first step in order to pursue our ultimate objective. And that objective is to put an end to the deterioration of our social fabrics and moral values, to end the profound social injustice that has impacted the Vietnamese people from all walks of life. To put it simply, our ultimate objective is to right what has been wrong for so long in a land that has been plagued with suffering and misery.

But how do we get there? We believe the first priority is to build a civil society in Vietnam; a society where any ordinary citizen can actively voice his opinion and has direct control over issues that impact his life, a society where the citizenry can form autonomous groups which act to promote and defend their interests. We work with our people in organizing themselves, pushing for social changes, and demanding political freedom from the government.

For so long, our people see no alternative. Now they can see that there is a way out, and that they are empowered to be a part of that alternative. The balance of power actually rests with the people, and only through non-violent means can we empower Vietnamese to take back control of the country. The communist regime knows that and they are afraid.

While achieving democracy must be foremost an effort by the Vietnamese people, but we also know that we are not alone in our struggle. We look to Norway for support in two key areas: promoting human rights and supporting democratic change in Vietnam. By speaking out against human rights violation and demanding freedom for imprisoned democracy activists, you can provide much needed help to our people. By engaging democratic groups and independent grassroots organizations, you can help to build a civil society and facilitate democratic change in Vietnam.

We sincerely hope that this occasion will set the foundation for a long and meaningful relationship between the democracy advocates and the human rights idealists of our two beloved countries. More than that, I hope this will mark the beginning of a true friendship not just between political parties or officials but between our two people, the Norwegian and the Vietnamese.

Once again, on behalf of Viet Tan, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the opportunity to meet with you today, and to share with you the Vietnamese people’s burning desire for freedom, democracy and human rights.

Diem H. Do
Chairman of Viet Tan

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