News

Vietnam pursues crack-down on religious and political dissent : UBCV Buddhists Le Cong Cau, Thich Chi Thang and Thich Thien Minh face arrest

PARIS, 19 March 2007 (IBIB) – As Vietnam pursues its crack-down on pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders, it is stepping up repression against the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). l UBCV leaders in Hue sent an urgent appeal today to the International Buddhist Information Bureau reporting that 30 …

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Buddhist leader Thich Quang Do speaks out on the arrest of Rafto Foundation representative Therese Jebsen in Saigon

Therese Jebsen(Photo IBIB & Rafto Foundation) On 15th March 2007 at 9.00am, Therese Jebsen of the Rafto Foundation came to the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon to meet Venerable Thich Quang Do and hand him the Award Certificate of the 2006 Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize for Human Rights Defenders. …

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AFP : Vietnam police arrest Norwegians at dissident monk’s monastery

HANOI, March 15, 2007 (AFP) – Vietnamese police on Thursday arrested three Norwegians as they tried to visit a dissident Buddhist monk being held under house arrest, diplomats and activists said. Therese Jebsen of the Rafto Foundation and two compatriots were arrested at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in the …

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Reuters : Vietnam police arrest 3 Norwegians on visit to monk

HANOI, March 15, 2007 (Reuters) – Three Norwegians were briefly detained by Vietnamese police as they arrived at the monastery of an activist Buddhist monk in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, the Norway embassy said. The arrests were not immediately confirmed by authorities in communist-run Vietnam, who last month …

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Therese Jebsen of Rafto Foundation is arrested whilst visiting Thich Quang Do in Saigon

Therese Jebsen(Photo Rafto Foundation) PARIS, 15 March 2007 (IBIB) – At 9.00 (Vietnam time) this morning, Thursday 15th March, Ms Therese Jebsen of the Norwegian Rafto Foundation was arrested as she came to visit Venerable Thich Quang Do, Deputy leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) at the …

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Vietnam crackdown on pro-democracy activists : Lawyers Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan arrested in Hanoi

PARIS, 6th March 2007 (Vietnam Committee) – The Vietnam Committee on Human Rights is informed that Security forces raided the home of Nguyen Van Dai, a Hanoi-based lawyer and pro-democracy activist this morning and placed him under arrest. His current whereabouts is not yet confirmed, but Hanoi sources believe he …

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Statement by Vo Van Ai, UBCV International Spokesman, on the visit of Thich Nhat Hanh and the International Delegation of Plum Village to Vietnam

PARIS, 20 February 2007 (IBIB) – I feel shocked that Thich Nhat Hanh and over a hundred members of the International Delegation of Plum Village are allowed to travel freely to Vietnam, organize public events and preach openly throughout the country, whilst at the same time, leaders of the Unified …

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Vietnam’s Boom Found Backfiring on Women

A month after a booming Vietnam joined the WTO, a U.N. committee flags violations of women’s rights, especially in rural areas. Democracy activists plan to broadcast the findings in underground media and lobby Vietnam’s trade partners. (WOMENSENEWS)–Vietnam, which joined the World Trade Organization in January and boasts a booming economy, …

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AFP : Vietnam refuses visa for Norwegian rights activist

Agence France Presse HANOI, 14 February 2007 (AFP) – Vietnam has refused to issue a visa to the head of a human rights foundation who wanted to visit the communist state to give its annual prize to a Buddhist monk, according to activists. Arne Liljedahl Lynngaard, chairman of the Rafto …

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AP : Vietnam denies human rights group’s request to present award to dissident

    HANOI, 14 February 2007 (AP) – Vietnam has rejected the request of an international human rights group to present an award to a leading dissident, the organization said. Arne Liljedahl Lynngard, chairman of the Norway-based Rafto Foundation, had sought to visit Vietnam to present the group’s annual human …

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