His Excellency
President Nguyen Minh Triet
clo Embassy of Vietnam
Bemstorffsvej 30c
OK 2900 Hel1erup
Danmark
Fax: +45 39 18 41 71
Bergen, 6 May 2008
Your Excellency,
The Rafto Foundation is writing to convey our grave concern regarding the ongoing detentions of Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan, Mr. Somsak Khunmi and Mr. Nguyen The Vu for peacefully expressing their political views.
It has been more than five months since their arrests and we have reliable information that they were not granted adequate family or consular visits. They are detained charged with terrorism, although they are promoting peaceful democratic change in Vietnam. We fear that this will affect and prevent them from having a fair trial. We would also underline that despite being under detention, they still have the right to enjoy their basic human rights.
In addition, three of their colleagues, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Van, Mr. Truong Van Ba and Mr. Nguyen Viet Trung who were arrested at the same time and for the same reasons of preparing to distribute nonviolent struggle literature, have already been released. They were released without any formal charges and yet Dr. Nguyen Quoc Quan, Mr. Somsak Khunmi and Mr. Nguyen The Vu are still being detained.
Moreover, we would raise our concern for The Venerable Thich Quang Do, who was awarded the 2006 Rafto Prize. He is deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and has spent more than 25 years in detention for advocating greater religious freedoms and rights. At the age of 60, Venerable Thich Quang Do is still under house arrest.
Vietnam is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We therefore ask for your assurance that these individuals’ rights will be respected and soon to be released as per their colleagues.
Yours sincerely
Ratto Foundation
Therese Jabsen
Executive Director
Arne Liljedahl Lynngard
Chairman of the Board of the Prize Committee