PARIS, 21 st September 2006 (IBIB) – The Rafto Foundation in Bergen, Norway, announced today that Venerable Thich Quang Do, second-ranking leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), has been chosen to receive the 2006 Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for his contribution to the cause of …
Read More »Agence France Presse OSLO, 21 September 2006 (AFP) – Thich Quang Do, a Vietnamese monk currently under house arrest, has been awarded the annual Norwegian Rafto human rights prize for his work in promoting democracy and freedom of expression. The 77-year-old monk, researcher and author had “devoted his …
Read More »OSLO, 21 September 2006 (Reuters) – A Norwegian human rights body, which has four times anticipated the choice of the Nobel Peace Prize winner with its own award, chose a Vietnamese monk on Thursday to receive its annual prize. The Thorolf Rafto Foundation for Human Rights honored Thich …
Read More »The board of the Rafto Foundation has decided to award the 2006 Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize to one of Vietnam’s most prominent defenders of democracy, religious freedom and human rights: Venerable Thich Quang Do. He receives the prize for his personal courage and perseverance through three decades of peaceful …
Read More »His Royal Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Kingdom of Thailand Transmitted by the good offices of H.E. Thana Duangratana, Ambassador of Thailand in Paris Paris, 11th September 2006 Your Majesty, On the day you were hospitalized for a grave operation in July 2006, I was in Bangkok on a stop-over to …
Read More »Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights and Vice-President of the International Federation on Human Rights (FIDH) sent an Open Letter to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urging him to take the opportunity of the ASEM 6 Summit to announce radical measures to …
Read More »The Very Venerable Thich Quang Do, Deputy leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) sent the International Buddhist Information Bureau today an exchange of letters between himself and Hanoi dissident Hoang Minh Chinh, VCP veteran and former Dean of the Institute of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy in Hanoi. Although …
Read More »Hanoi, 30 Aug 2006 (dpa) – Newly freed Vietnamese internet dissident Pham Hong Son vowed hours after his release Wednesday that he would continue to call for free elections in communist-ruled Vietnam despite remaining under house arrest. “I will speak and exchange opinions freely and openly,” Son, 37, …
Read More »Agence France Presse HANOI, Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – Human rights and press freedom watchdogs welcomed Tuesday the release of Vietnamese dissident Pham Hong Son, but asked the communist government to free other political and religious activists. Vietnam’s ministry of public security said Monday that Son, a businessman …
Read More »PARIS, 28 August 2006 – Vietnam’s Vice-Minister of Public Security has announced that 5,313 prisoners will be released on 2 September, Vietnam’s National Day, including two prisoners convicted of “national security” offences, one of “espionage” and one of “undermining the policy of national unity”. These prisoners reportedly include cyber-dissident Pham …
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Quê Me Quê Me: Action for democracy in Vietnam & Vietnam Committee on Human Rights