News

VOA : US Diplomat Visits Vietnamese Dissident Monk

    Eric John speaks to reporters in Hanoi, 10 Apr 2007 Hanoi, 10 April 2007 (VOA) – A senior U.S. diplomat has visited Vietnamese dissident Buddhist monk Thich Quang Do in the pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City where he is under house arrest. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of …

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AFP : US delegation visits Vietnam dissident monk, say supporters

HANOI, 9 April 2007 (AFP) – A US State Department delegation on Monday paid a rare visit to a dissident Buddhist leader who is under “pagoda arrest” in communist Vietnam, the monk’s overseas supporters said. The reported visit comes as pressure is rising in Washington for Vietnam, a former US …

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US State Department Delegation visits Thich Quang Do in Saigon

PARIS, 9 April 2007 (IBIB) – A delegation from the US State Department, including Mr Eric G. John, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, Mr Seth D. Winnick, U.S. Consul General and members of staff paid a visit to prominent dissident Venerable Thich Quang Do, …

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The Trial of Father Nguyen Van Ly : Role and Responsibility of the Democratic Community

PARIS, 4 April 2007 (Vietnam Committee on Human Rights) – The trial of Roman Catholic priest Father Nguyen Van Ly and his colleagues, condemned to prison sentences of up to 8 years for “conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” (1) is a culmination of the total failure of Western …

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Vietnam repeals Decree 31/CP on “Administrative Probation” but continues arbitrary detention of dissidents under Ordinance 44

GENEVA, 30 March 2007 (Vietnam Committee on Human Rights) – In a move praised by Western diplomats as a step towards the rule of law, Vietnam this week announced the abolition of Decree 31/CP on “Administrative Probation”, a measure routinely invoked to detain dissidents and government critics without trial. However, …

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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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