THE DEMOCRACY CLUB FOR VIETNAM
URGENT ANNOUCEMENT ON DR. PHAM HONG SON
Hanoi/California: March 29, 2002 - We urgently
inform all media outlets, electronic forums, Overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese
inside Vietnam on the situation of Dr. Pham Hong Son as follow:
1. Above is Dr. Pham Hong Son's picture before Hanoi Police's search of his house, confiscation of his computer, search of his personal papers and his disappearance. Dr. Pham Hong Son is the translator of the English article "What is Democracy" on the web site of the US Embassy in Vietnam. On March 25, 2002, The Secret Police Unit P4-A25 illegally confiscated all of his personal belongings. On March 27, 2002, he was asked to report to the Police Station so he could be interrogated about the translation. After having released an open letter to protest the illegal search and seizure to the overseas media on March 27, 2002, the Democracy Club for Vietnam has received news that Dr. Pham Hong Son's family has lost all contacts with him.
2. The Democracy Club for Vietnam releases these developments to ask the media
to forward them widely to international human rights agencies, to organizations
that struggle for freedom and democracy for Vietnam, the US legislature branch,
and most of all the US Embassy in Vietnam to ask them to immediately pay
attention to Dr. Pham Hong Son situation. The communist government of Vietnam
must be held completely responsible for the safety and the life of Dr. Pham Hong
Son.
3. Similar to the situations of Mr. Le chi Quang and Mr. Tran Khue, the
terrorizing of Dr. Pham Hong Son explicitly illustrates that Hanoi Government
has obstinately increased its oppression of any dissident at home. We urge all
organizations that struggle for freedom and democracy for Vietnam at home and
abroad, all human rights organizations to immediately contact:
the US Embassy in Vietnam at 7 Lang Ha Street, telephone number 844-772-1500, fax number 844-772-1510 or the Public Affairs Section at 6 Ngoc Khanh, 3rd Floor, Hanoi Vietnam, telephone 844-831-4580, email address: <mailto:irchano@pd.state.gov.>
to ask for an investigation, advocacy and intervene for Dr. Pham Hong Son. He has been terrorized and kept in incommunicado with his family because he dared to translate materials on democracy, which was openly available on the US Embassy's web site.
Thank you for your support.
The Democracy Club for Viet Nam
contact: thedemocracyclubforvietnam@yahoo.com