Dear Mr. President,
We, the Vietnamese who are seriously worried about our nation’s position and fate, who have been following closely events and evolutions of what’s happening in our country and in the world, would like to express some of our thoughts on the occasion of Your Excellency’s visit to the United States as follows:
1. Your Excellency’s mission to the U.S takes place under the context of busy and intense international agenda and activity in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Asia-Pacific and around the world, notably the private talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Obama, then your official visit to China and the signing of the Vietnam-China joint statement.
While the ink of the signatures on the commitments made in the Joint Statement is still wet, almost instantly on the EastSea, the Chinese marine surveillance vessels chased and assaulted cruelly vessels of Vietnamese fishermen who were fishing inside Vietnam’s territorial waters near the Paracels islands. This aggressive act coincided with the event that the Chinese authorities officially issued ID certificates and residence permits for their people in so-called “Sansha City”, an illegal administrative unit that immediately at its formation by China, Vietnam did clearly state that this act had seriously violated Vietnam’ sovereignty over Paracels and Spratlys islands and therefore, totally illegal and invalid.
This is a well calculated act that clearly shows the plot and cunning tricks of Beijing, so it is not possible to expect anything positive from the statement by Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry spokesman that “… once the hot line is activated, the two sides will be able to quickly and timely exchange information and handle unexpected incidents that arises in fishing activities”. How can we trust the Chinese authorities when they say one thing but actually do something different? Therefore, we will absolutely not let those “commitments”, “statement” with China in the past affect negatively Your Excellency’s trip to the United States.
As long as Vietnam’s leaders are still trapped in the grip of the “sixteen-word“, “four-good-point” principles that cover tricks of the “Greater Sino expansionism”, Vietnam is still being pushed into China’s orbit of influence, our country is still in an impasse. If Vietnamese government still relies on solutions like so-called “hotline”, it would invalidate and annul efforts of those patriotic people who tirelessly fight to expose dark and malicious conspiracy of the Chinese aggressors. Similarly, the under-the-table agreements only weaken and undermine the indomitable will of our people who indignantly point out the evil tricks and fool of China.
2. Your Excellency’s trip to the U.S. also takes place in the context that the country is facing several difficulties and hardship. The economic situation is very worrisome. Many business and production activities are stagnant. Many businesses go bankrupt. Workers and labors are unemployed. Farmers and fishermen encounter numerous obstacles. Living conditions of the people in general, especially the poor and those who live in remote areas are extremely difficult. A few solutions have been recommended and actively implemented. Of which, the expected participation into the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) should be considered as an important direction and a key solution. This is a notable issue in the agenda of your talks with the U.S. President.
However, the eligibility for a TPP membership requires not only certain economic commitments but also demands on democracy and human rights issues. In recent days, U.S. media covers a lot on these topics. U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam David Shear did not hesitate to say that: “There will be many people in the U.S. Congress who questioned on the issues of democracy and human rights in Vietnam when we submit a proposed agreement on Vietnam’s joining TPP. We cannot avoid that political reality“. However, the statement by Rep. Frank Wolf (Republican) is still very tough: “The Vietnamese people and frankly millions of Vietnamese-Americans deserve better than what Ambassador Shear and this administration have given them. The Obama administration has failed every citizen of Vietnam and every Vietnamese-American who cares about human rights and religious freedom”.
Whether or not it is also why recently, two bills on human rights for Vietnam were urgently prepared and submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In these documents, there are provisions that non-humanitarian aids for Vietnam are bound by the conditions on democracy and human rights, at the same time advocating tougher attitude in the field of human rights and religious freedom. In addition, there is provision that requires the freezing of assets and prohibitions on certain transactions related to property and interests of those who violate this law. Reporters Without Borders has just released a list of 35 bloggers imprisoned in Vietnam as a warning about the outright violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when Vietnam submits her candidacy to the United Nations Human Right Council: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. Also, it is not by chance that the UN Secretary General once said “All of the victims of human rights violations can rely on the Human Rights Council as a forum and a springboard for action.”
Yet, while economic picture is bad, the Vietnamese authorities intensify the arrest and cracking down the patriotic activists. Those who express peacefully their opinions against the Chinese aggression are still severely persecuted and threatened by article 258 of the Penal Code, which has created a unnecessary strain on society. As long as the so-called criminal count “… abusing democratic and freedom rights to infringe upon the interests of the State, the rights and legitimate interests of organizations and citizens“, which is still enforced widely and arbitrarily, has not been removed, then the face Vietnam, in terms of democracy and human rights, cannot be improved as seen by the public opinion in the region and around the world. The authorities should not make it ambiguous when comparing the concept of “humanity” as covered by state-controlled media and the practical exercise of human rights and democracy. This practice cannot make the path to the TPP smooth.
3. The above mentioned analysis shows the two biggest obstacles that Your Excellency are facing. However, this is also an opportunity for you to act, in your capacity as the Head of the State, to demonstrate the bravery of the person who takes full responsibility before the nation and the people. And this is also an excellent opportunity to promote the just cause of “de-sinicizing’ that several generations of our people have long fostered, with the determination to escape China’s orbit of influence in order to integrate into the democratic and civilized world. Our ancestors have ever said that if a good chance for the nation is missed, it would be the worst miss that the nation would have to pay dearly for that mistake. That was also why more than five centuries ago, Nguyen Trai had ever warned: “Time to act! Time to act! Do not miss out on such opportunity”. We hope that Your Excellency, our president, will act in a way that meets the long lasting expectations of our ancestors and the increasing demands of our people who are attentively watching Your Excellency’s important trip.
Yours truthfully and respectfully.
Translated by Nam Việt