September 1, 1997

Your support for peasants in Thai Binh



Mo^.t So^' Vie^.c La`m DDe^? Ho^~ Tro+. Cho No^ng Da^n Tha'i Bi`nh

Cuo^.c bie^?u ti`nh cu?a no^ng da^n Ti?nh Tha'i Bi`nh, nay ba('t dda^`u lan
ra mo^.t so^' vu`ng o+? ca'c ti?nh la^n ca^.n, la` mo^'i quan ta^m ha`ng
dda^`u cu?a co^.ng ddo^`ng Vie^.t o+? ha?i ngoa.i trong ma^'y tua^`n qua\.
Ca'c ba'o chi', dda`i truye^`n hi`nh va` dda`i pha't thanh Vie^.t ngu+~ cha.y
tin kha' dde^`u dda(.n va` ca^.p nha^.t. Mo^.t so^' ddoa`n the^? dda~ to^?
chu+'c bie^?u ti`nh o+? mo^.t so^' no+i\. Du` va^.y, va^'n dde^` chu+a
ddu+o+.c tra? lo+`i thoa? dda'ng la` la`m sao dde^? ho^~ tro+. mo^.t ca'ch
thie^'t thu+.c va` hu+~u hie^.u cho no^ng da^n Tha'i Bi`nh.

Theo to^i, ddo'ng go'p thie^'t thu+.c nha^'t hie^.n nay la` nga(n ngu+`a
vie^.c nha` ca^`m quye^`n su+? du.ng ba.o lu+.c dde^? tra^'n a'p cuo^.c tranh
dda^'u cu?a ca'c no^ng da^n kho^ng ta^'c sa('t trong tay\. Muo^'n the^'
chu'ng ta ca^`n pha?i ca`i vu. Tha'i Bi`nh va`o vo+'i ca'c va^'n dde^` ddang
no'ng ho^?i trong nghi. tri`nh la`m vie^.c cu?a Ha`nh Pha'p va` La^.p Pha'p
Hoa Ky`. Vi` ddang ca^`u ca.nh mo^.t so^' quye^`n lo+.i cu?a ngu+o+`i My~,
Ha` No^.i se~ nga.i bu+'t da^y ddo^.ng ru+`ng--ne^'u ba.o ddo^.ng thi`
cha(?ng kha'c na`o tu+. va.ch a'o cho ngu+o+`i xem lu+ng va` ddu+a lu+ng ra
cho ca'c mu~i nho.n nha^n quye^`n tu+` tu+' phi'a dda^m va`o\. Ca'c quye^`n
lo+.i ma` Ha` No^.i ddang muo^'n xin xo? no+i Hoa Ky` se~ tu+. ddo^.ng ro+`i
xa kho?i ta^`m tay vo+'i\.

Ca'c va^'n dde^` no'ng ho^?i na`y go^`m co': ti`nh tra.ng ca'c tu si~ ddang
bi. ca^`m tu`, thoa? u+o+'c ma^.u di.ch, quy che^' to^'i hue^. quo^'c,
chu+o+ng tri`nh Tro+. Giu'p DDa^`u Tu+ Ha?i Ngoa.i (Overseas Private
Investment Corporation, hay OPIC), va` vie^.c gia nha^.p To^? Chu+'c Ma^.u
Di.ch Quo^'c Te^' (World Trade Organization). Ca'c va^'n dde^` na`y se~
ddu+o+.c Ha`nh Pha'p va` La^.p Pha'p Hoa Ky` ba`n tha?o dde^'n trong tho+`i
gian tu+` gio+` dde^'n cuo^'i na(m.

Ra`ng vu. Tha'i Bi`nh va`o chung vo+'i ca'c va^'n dde^` then cho^'t kha'c,
thay vi` ta'ch rie^ng ra va` tho^?i pho^`ng tha`nh mo^.t va^'n dde^` ddo^.c
nha^'t hay no^?i ba^.t nha^'t, co`n co' gia' tri. pho`ng ho+`. Trong
tru+o+`ng ho+.p nha` ca^`m quye^`n Ha` No^.i nhu+o+.ng bo^. trong giai ddoa.n
va` gia?i quye^'t vu. Tha'i Bi`nh mo^.t ca'ch e^m tha('m, du` chi? la` nha^'t
tho+`i dde^? tranh thu? mo^.t so^' quye^`n lo+.i tu+` ngu+o+`i My~ ro^`i
mo+'i ra tay tra^'n a'p trong ha^.u tru+o+`ng, thi` chu'ng ta va^~n kho^ng
bi. "ho^?ng cha^n" va` hu.t ha^~ng--ca'c mu~i nho.n nha^n quye^`n va^~n co`n
nguye^n va` ke^' hoa.ch tranh dda^'u kho^ng he^` bi. lo+~ nhi.p.

DDa^`u tha'ng 9 Quo^'c Ho^.i la`m vie^.c tro+? la.i sau mo^.t tha'ng da`i
ba~i khoa'. Vie^.c chu'ng ta ca^`n thu+.c hie^.n ngay la` tho^ng tin dde^'n
toa`n the^? Quo^'c Ho^.i dde^? lu+u y' ho. ve^` ti`nh tra.ng o+? Tha'i Bi`nh
va` ca'c ti?nh phu. ca^.n. Cho dde^'n tua^`n le^~ cho't cu?a tha'ng 8, ca'c
uy? ban chi'nh ye^'u o+? Quo^'c Ho^.i va^~n chu+a hay bie^'t gi` dde^'n vu.
Tha'i Bi`nh.

Trong khi cho+` ddo+.i su+. le^n tie^'ng sa^u ro^.ng ho+n, to^? chu+'c Co^.ng
DDo^`ng Vie^.t Nam Vu`ng Hoa Thi.nh DDo^'n, Maryland va` Virginia (TCCDD)
dda~ tho^ng tin cho Tie^?u Ban Quo^'c Te^' Vu. va` Nha^n Quye^`n, Tie^?u Ban
Nga^n Sa'ch Ngoa.i Vie^.n, Tie^?u Ban A' Cha^u va` Tha'i Bi`nh, va` Kho^'i
Nha^n Quye^`n o+? Ha. Vie^.n; Uy? Ban Ngoa.i Giao o+? Thu+o+.ng Vie^.n; Ho^.i
DDo^`ng Co^' Va^'n An Ninh va` Bo^. Ngoa.i Giao\. TCCDD ye^u ca^`u ca'c co+
quan na`y chi? thi. cho Toa` DDa.i Su+' Hoa Ky` o+? Ha` No^.i theo do~i
tha^.t sa't ti`nh hi`nh o+? Tha'i Bi`nh va` ca?nh gia'c chi'nh quye^`n Ha`
No^.i ve^` vie^.c su+? du.ng ba.o lu+.c. To^? chu+'c Vietnam Helsinki
Committee cu~ng vu+`a pho^? bie^'n mo^.t tin thu+ (newsletter) go+?i dde^'n
nhie^`u tra(m da^n bie^?u va` thu+o+.ng nghi. si~ va` ca'c to^? chu+'c nha^n
quye^`n quo^'c te^', trong ddo' co' ne^u va^'n dde^` Tha'i Bi`nh.

Vie^.c la`m na`y chi? co' ta'c du.ng tra'm cho^~ ta.m tho+`i dde^? cho+` su+.
le^n tie^'ng ddo^`ng loa.t cu?a ca'c ca' nha^n, ca'c ho^.i ddoa`n, ca'c to^?
chu+'c trong co^.ng ddo^`ng Vie^.t o+? kha('p no+i tre^n Hoa Ky`. Mo^.t khi
ca'c vi. da^n cu+? ddu+o+.c cu+? tri cu?a ho. nha('c nho+? lie^n tu.c va`
dde^`u dda(.n thi` se~ ra^'t kho' dde^? ho. la`m ngo+\. Ne^'u vu. Tha'i Bi`nh
ddu+o+.c gia?i quye^'t e^m tha('m thi` va^'n dde^` se~ chi? la` mo^.t ddie^?m
cu+o+'c chu' (footnote) trong quye^'t ddi.nh ve^` chi'nh sa'ch bang giao
vo+'i Vie^.t Nam. Ngu+o+.c la.i, lo+~ xa^?y ra ba.o ddo^.ng thi` ngay ca'c
vi. da^n cu+? u?ng ho^. trao ddo^?i ma^.u di.ch cu~ng se~ pha?i xe't la.i
la^.p tru+o+`ng va` tha'i ddo^.. Trong ti`nh hi`nh a^'y, quy che^' to^'i
hue^. quo^'c xem nhu+ ddi ddoong. (Tie^'n tri`nh quye^'t ddi.nh quy che^'
to^'i hue^. quo^'c cho Vie^.t Nam se~ ddu+o+.c tri`nh ba`y trong ba`i sau\.)

To'm la.i, chu'ng ta ca^`n pha?i la`m sao dde^? vu. Tha'i Bi`nh tro+? tha`nh
mo^.t ye^'u to^', kho^ng pha?i ddo^.c nha^'t hay no^?i ba^.t nha^'t, ma` la`
mo^.t trong nhu+~ng ye^'u to^' ma` ca'c gio+'i chu+'c Ha`nh Pha'p va` La^.p
Pha'p kho^ng the^? lo+` ddi trong tru+o+`ng ho+.p co' ba.o ddo^.ng khi ho.
quye^'t ddi.nh chi'nh sa'ch ngoa.i giao va` ngoa.i vie^.n ddo^'i vo+'i Vie^.t
Nam.

Sau dda^y la` mo^.t so^' vie^.c kho+?i dda^`u ma` co^.ng ddo^`ng ngu+o+`i
Vie^.t o+? ca'c no+i ca^`n pha^n co^ng nhau thu+.c hie^.n tha^.t nhanh va`
tha^.t ro^.ng:

1. Pha't ddo^.ng mo^.t chie^'n di.ch thi?nh nguye^.n thu+ go+?i dde^'n ca'c
da^n bie^?u va` thu+o+.ng nghi. si~ o+? ca'c ddi.a phu+o+ng co' ngu+o+`i
Vie^.t sinh so^'ng. Vie^.c na`y pha?i do ca'c ca' nha^n hay to^? chu+'c o+?
tu+`ng ddi.a phu+o+ng thu+.c hie^.n va` pho^'i ho+.p vo+'i nhau\. Mo^.t la'
thu+ ma^~u dda~ ddu+o+.c tha?o sa(~n va` ddi'nh ke`m o+? cuo^'i ba`i\.

2. Go'p tie^`n vo+'i nhau dde^? dda(ng mo^.t loa.t gia'c thu+ tre^n to+`
Washington Times, la` to+` ba'o co' nhie^`u ddo^.c gia? ma` gia' bie^?u la.i
pha?i cha(ng. DDie^`u na`y ca^`n thie^'t vi` gio+'i truye^`n tho^ng Hoa Ky`
dda~ kho^ng cha.y tin ve^` vu. Tha'i Bi`nh.

3. La`m vie^.c cha(.t che~ vo+'i ca'c uy? ban ta.i Quo^'c Ho^.i, ca'c to^?
chu+'c nha^n quye^`n, ca'c nghie^.p ddoa`n lao co^ng, ca'c ho^.i ddoa`n to^n
gia'o dde^? nha^n ca'c buo^?i ddie^`u tra^`n, ho.p ba'o, va` ho^.i tha?o ve^`
nha^n quye^`n sa('p to+'i dda^y cu?a ho. ma` pho^? bie^'n tin tu+'c ve^` vu.
Tha'i Bi`nh dde^'n co^ng lua^.n Hoa Ky`.

Tre^n dda^y chi? la` ba vie^.c la`m dda(.t ne^`n ta?ng cho nhu+~ng bu+o+'c
ke^' tie^'p, co' khi pha?i quye^`n bie^'n theo vo+'i die^~n tie^'n cu?a ti`nh
hi`nh o+? trong nu+o+'c.

Nguye^~n DDi`nh Tha('ng
Nga`y 1 tha'ng 9, 1997

=================
Thu+ ma^~u:

Ghi chu': ddi.a chi? chung cho ca'c da^n bie^?u Ha. Vie^.n la` U\.S. House of
Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. DDi.a chi? chung cho ca'c thu+o+.ng
nghi. si~ la` U\.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.

Dear Congressman ...:

We would like to request your intervention in a matter of great urgency\. A
3-month old and spreading demonstration in North Vietnam has reached a
critical level and the situation may turn explosive any moment. The Communist
leadership considers this display of people's will as a direct challenge to
its authority and may resort to violence\.

Since May peasants in Thai Binh Province have demonstrated against rampant
corruption and the exploitative fiscal policy of the government. The
government has deployed 1,200 anti-riot policemen and has arrested some 100
demonstrators, labelling them "trouble-makers." The demonstration has
nevertheless spread to 52 communes in Thai Binh and has spilled over to
neighboring provinces such as Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Phu Tho, Ha Dong and Thanh
Hoa\. According to latest news reports by Reuter and the Associated Press,
foreign journalists have not been able to visit the area\.

Vietnam is negotiating a trade agreement with our government and is seeking
Most Favored Nation status and privileges associated with Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC). Vietnam is a long way from meeting the free
emigration requirement under Jackson-Vanik and from honoring basic workers
rights as required by OPIC. Last month the Communist government further
tightened its control over the press. It continues to repress all independent
Churches. It has yet to release over a thousand religious and political
prisoners from its system of labor camps, prisons, and house imprisonment. In
light of such a dismal human rights record, the unrests in Thai Binh and
neighboring provinces are inescapable\.

We would like to request your raising this issue in Congress and initiate a
sign-on letter to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, requesting that the
U\.S. Embassy in Hanoi closely monitor the situation and inform the
Vietnamese leadership of U\.S. concerns and interest in a peaceful
resolution. International attention, especially from the U\.S. Congress and
Administration, may stave off a bloody crackdown similar to the one that the
world witnessed in Tienamen Square eight years ago\.

Your strong and prompt action is very much needed and respectfully requested.


Sincerely,