New Horizon Radio (Chan Troi Moi) by Nguyen Hoang Thanh Tam
Saigon, July 10, 2007
This is Nguyen Hoang-Thanh Tam, saying hello with a special report regarding the land protest of the citizens of Tien Giang and neighboring provinces, taking place in Saigon, in front of and around the National Assembly building II.
To this date, the protest has been going on for more than two weeks. The aggrieved citizens, who were already poor to begin with, are in even worst financial situations since what money they had is continually robbed from them by the local authorities over the past many years.
To answer the call for help in the past days, many overseas Vietnamese collected donations to help cover the cost of food and other necessities for the protesters. Not only overseas, but even right inside Vietnam, many citizens of Saigon have also helped out wholeheartedly. In today’s special report, we invite you to listen in on my conversation with Mr. Do Nam Hai, an engineer and Board member of Bloc 8406 as well as the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam, along with Ms. Cao Que Hoa, who can be considered a representative of the aggrieved citizens present in Saigon.
NHTT: Mr. Do Nam Hai, on the line is Ms. Cao Que Hoa, whom one could say is the leader of the land grievance movement, protesting with everyone in front of the National Assembly building II.
Do Nam Hai (DNH): Hello, Ma’am, this is Do Nam Hai speaking to you from Saigon.
Ms. Cao Que Hoa: I am an aggrieved citizen from Tien Giang. The Tien Giang authorities have taken advantage of their powers to rob me of my property, and with my determination – a good citizen who has lived and fulfilled her duties to the government – I will reclaim my legal rights which have been violated. Along with me are many people who suffer the same frustration and who have sought justice for many years. However, we have all been deceived by the Tien Giang provincial authorities. Specifically, before the Tenth Party Congress, and after that, before APEC in November, the Tien Giang authorities have promised to resolve our land issues, but still we wait tirelessly for a resolution. This time, we know the twelfth National Assembly – which is the Assembly of the WTO will soon convene. This is our chance to express our frustration.
NHTT: Ms. Cao Que Hoa, as far as I know, Mr. Do Nam Hai has been finding ways to come see you and the other protesters, but the police has prevented him from doing so. Mr. Do Nam Hai, I have a representative of the aggrieved citizens on the line, you can directly send a message to Ms. Cao Que Hoa.
DNH: It’s not just today, but for last two weeks, since hearing the news of the Tien Giang citizens and, later on, the citizens from neighboring provinces, I have wanted to come visit and meet everyone. I want to tell you, and ask you to tell others, that I live not too far from where you are protesting, but I can not come there because, for a few years now, whenever I set foot outside, I am followed by 3 or 4 plain-clothed policemen. I’ve passed by Hoang Van Thu street several times, but the policemen would edge their motor bikes up next to mine, so I cannot drop in. The location of your protest is the very same location which I have frequented hundreds of times, to question about my demand for freedom and democracy for Vietnam. So today, having this opportunity to speak with you, I want to say that we, the activists for freedom, democracy, and human rights for Vietnam, will always support the demand for just and lawful rights of the people in every way. I call upon citizens inside and outside of Vietnam as well as officials of the international community to promote news of the protest and to take supportive actions. In 2006, the Human Right Watch, the international Human Rights organization in New York, awarded me with the Human Rights Award. They’ve sent me $900 and have retained the rest. I’d like to take this opportunity to donate $600 to the protesters, I’m asking Nguyen Hoang-Thanh Tam to contact Human Rights Watch and ask them to send this amount, which is part of my award, to share with my people in this time of difficulty.
Ms. Cao Que Hoa: With your generosity in helping us through these difficult days of fighting for our rights here at the Second National Assembly building, I thank you on behalf of the protesters. I’m not a leader, I’m just one who has done some research on the law so that when I confront to the government, they can not undermine me like they do to some others, and thus the protesters have come to trust and appreciate me. But that, in turn, brings unwanted attention from the police, and has also caused me much misery. I welcome the support of international organizations and the kind hearts of the Vietnamese people in and outside of Vietnam. On behalf of every aggrieved protester here at the Second National Assembly building, I give thanks to the kindness and the compassion you have shown us in the days we have struggled to reclaim our lawful rights. We give thanks and are grateful to these kind hearts.
NHTT: Mr. Do Nam Hai, you are one of the leaders of the democratic movement in Vietnam, and being present right here in Saigon, what would you like to say to the land protesters as a representative of the democratic movement?
DNH: First of all I’d like to make a slight correction. I’m a member of the Administrative Board of Bloc 8406, the group which issued the Declaration of Freedom and Democracy on April 8, 2006, and I’m also a Board Member of the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights for Vietnam; thus I am one of the leaders of these two groups. But as for leader of the democratic movement in Vietnam in general, I can not accept that title. Along with the Vietnamese people in and outside of Vietnam, as well as friends in the internation community, I send my support in the spirit of “the haves helping the have-nots.” I hope that our people will continue to have faith. Surely this government will find ways to surround, to divide and create conflicts, but if everyone stays focused and determined to demand your lawful rights, then the authorities will not be able to do anything. We must be unified and solidified force. I believe that with your composure and confidence, along with the support of our people from inside and outside of Vietnam, your struggle will no doubt find victory.
Ms. Cao Que Hoa: Thank you for your concern for the protesting citizens here. We hope that with the help of the media and the many kind hearts, we will achieve a favorable outcome.
NHTT: On behalf our listeners tuning in right now, I would like to thank Mr. Do Nam Hai and Ms. Cao Que Hoa for speaking with us today.
Ms. Cao Que Hoa: Thank you.
DNH: Goodbye my friend, Nguyen Hoang-Thanh Tam, and goodbye everyone.
NHTT: You’ve just listened in on our conversation with Mr. Do Nam Hai and Ms. Cao Que Hoa. It is ironic that these characters not only both live in Saigon, but are both in the Phu Nhuan District area, yet they cannot meet in person to converse and show support to one another, but must speak through a third-party phone line from abroad, just because the police are too afraid to allow them to meet.
Per Mr. Do Nam Hai’s request, I will contact the Human Rights Watch headquarter in New York to ask that the remaining money from his 2006 Human Rights Awards be donated to the aggrieved citizens, who have been experiencing shortages in food and necessities in the past days. I believe that with this contribution from Mr. Do Nam Hai, as well as the contributions from overseas Vietnamese in previous days and the future, material shortages are only momentary difficulties, while in spirit they will always find warmth in our compassionate gestures.
Goodbye for now, see you in the next special report.
