March 24, 2011
His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung
Prime Minister of Vietnam
c/o Embassy of Vietnam
1233 20th Street, NW #400
Washington, DC20036
Dear Prime Minister:
We write today to express ou concern about the detention of three United States citizens who were detained during a peaceful demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday, March 14, 2011. We are relieved to hear that Mr. Nguyen Ly Trong of California, Mr. Nguyen Quang Khanh of Colorado and Ms. Jennifer Truong of California have been released and are being reunited with their family members.
We are however extremely concerned about the continued detention of other individuals imprisoned for their democracy advocacy. We previously corresponded with your governement that requested the immediate release of Ms. Tran Thi Thuy from Dong Thap, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam from Ben Tre and Pastor Duong Kim Khai of the Mennonite Church who have been detained since July 2010. Other land rights activists including Pham Ngoc Hoa, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Pham Van Thong have been denied legal representation and visits from their family members.
Their activism is a basic right of every human being and Vietnam acknowkedged this by its signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Your government has expressed its commitment to maintaining international standards of human rights. We ask that you demonstrate your commitment by allowing family members of the individuals named above to visit their loved ones, by providing them access to their legal representatives and ultimately to your setting them free.
We anticipate your prompt response to this letter and for your willingness to cooperate.
Sincerely,
Dana Rohrabacher, MC
46th Congressional Distric-CA
Edward Royce, MC
40th Congressional Distric-CA