Government of Free Vietnam

APRIL 25, 1999

AMBASSADOR PETER PETERSON

UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN HANOI

7 LANG HA, BA DINH DISTRCT

HANOI, SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

DEAR AMBASSADOR PETERSON,

I AM WRITING TO BRING TO YOUR PERSONAL ATTENTION A MATTER CONCERNING A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM. AS A SIGNATORY TO THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER AND THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM HAS PLEDGED ITSELF TO ADHERE THE UN CHARTER AND TO RESPECT BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 22, 1999 OFFICIALS OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, HAVE ONCE AGAIN VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND THE WISHES OF ITS PEOPLE, BY ARRESTING MR. NGUYEN, HUU CHANH AND THREE ASSOCIATES IN THE CAN-THO PROVINCIAL AREA OF VIETNAM.

MR. NGUYEN HUU CHANH, MR, TRAN VAN PHUONG, MRS. NGUYEN THI HUE AND MR. TRAN VAN TY, ALL MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF FREE VIETNAM, WERE TRAVELING IN THE AREA AND WERE ARRESTED SOLELY FOR THEIR PEACEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE. THE DETAINED GROUP WERE LAST REPORTED AS BEING MOVED TO SAIGON FOR INTERROGATION.

THE GOVERNMENT OF FREE VIETNAM WAS ESTABLISHED AND RATIFIED IN VIETNAM ON APRIL 30TH, 1995 BY THE VIETNAMESE POPULATION DESIROUS OF REPLACING THE CURRENT VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST RULE OF OPPRESSIVE POWER. FROM THAT DAY FORWARD, THE GOVERNMENT OF FREE VIETNAM HAS CHAMPIONED HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM FOR ALL VIETNAMESE AND THE VIETNAMESE NATION.

AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF FREE VIETNAM, AND OF THE PEOPLE OF VIETNAM, MR. NGUYEN HUU CHANH AND ASSOCIATED HAVE RIGHTS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAWS, TO A FAIR HEARING IN AN OPEN COURT OF LAW, AND FULL HUMANE TREATMENT WHILE IN CUSTODY.

THE GOVERNMENT OF FREE VIETNAM, ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES OF MR. NGUYEN HUU CHANH, MR, TRAN CAN PHUONG, MRS. NGUYEN THI HUE AND MR. TRAN VAN TY, URGENTLY CALL UPON YOUR OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE THE ARREST OF THE ABOVE LISTED INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK THEIR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM PRISON. FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS MUST BE PRESERVED IN ALL NATIONS. WE ASK YOU TO PERSONALLY INTERCEDE IN THE IS MATTER IN THE NAME OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IN VIETNAM.

SINCERELY,