Quê Me Quê Me: Action for democracy in Vietnam & Vietnam Committee on Human Rights

ABC Radio : Vietnamese dissident calls for democracy

One of Vietnam’s most prominent religious dissidents has reportedly issued a nationwide appeal for greater democracy and pluralism. Thich Quang Do, 76, is deputy head of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. The Paris-based International Buddhist Information Bureau says he has directed his call in an open letter to …

Buddhist monk Thich Thien Minh speaks out after 26 years in prison

Thich Thien Minh, secular name Huynh Van Ba, 51, was released in a government amnesty on 2, February 2005. A member of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), former Superior monk of Vinh Binh Pagoda in Bac Lieu, southern Vietnam, Thich Thien Minh was detained for 26 years for …

This post is also available in: French Vietnamese

Cambodian Opposition leader Sam Rainsy stripped of immunity : a step backwards for Cambodian democracy

Forum Asia Democracy is alarmed to learn that Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy and two M.P.s from the Sam Rainsy Party, Chea Poch and Cheam Channy, have been stripped of their parliamentary immunity. The Cambodian National Assembly took the vote on 3 February 2005, after instructing foreign diplomats, ONGs and …

AFP : Vietnam rights record under the spotlight despite dissident releases

  Agence France Presse   HANOI, Feb 1 (AFP) – Vietnam came under renewed pressure over its rights record Tuesday despite announcing the release of a group of dissidents, with critics welcoming the move but saying far more needed to be done to shore up religious and political freedoms in …

Vietnam Committee welcomes amnesty of dissidents and urges Vietnam to release all long-term political and religious detainees

The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights warmly welcomes Vietnam’s decision to release several prisoners of conscience in the coming days in a government amnesty for the Tet (Lunar New Year, 9th February 2005). The organization sincerely thanks the United States, the European Union, the European Parliament, the United Nations and …