Official letter condemning the hostile practices currently being used approaching their May election
SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblyman Travis Allen sent a letter to the Secretary General of the Communist Party, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, urging him to immediately order a cessation of all anti-democratic activities and unfair campaigning in their upcoming May election.
“In the United States and other freedom-loving nations, all eligible citizens are free to run for elected office as long as they are qualified by various objective criteria. The voters can freely choose their own representatives without government intervention,” said Assemblyman Travis Allen. “The heavy-handed conduct of the Vietnamese government in this election shows that the government is clearly working against the ideals of democracy, flagrantly violating the fundamental freedom of its own citizens.”
Currently, there are 48 independent candidates running for the National Assembly. These candidates face many problems and difficulties, such as defamation of their character through government controlled media. Moreover, the Vietnamese government allows a number of senior officials to freely slander the activities of these independent candidates by characterizing their candidacies as being perpetrated by “hostile forces" who are “pulling the strings”.
“The success of many Vietnamese-American elected officials in the United States is a shining example for Vietnam in what truly constitutes free elections. The citizens’ right to vote and to stand for election represents the basic criteria of ensuring democracy and justice in building a strong foundation for a nation’s social stability,” said Assemblyman Travis Allen. “As a California State Assemblyman with the largest constituency of Vietnamese individuals in the United States, you can be certain that I, along with the Vietnamese community, will watch the May election for any undemocratic or unfair actions against the aspirations of the Vietnamese people in Vietnam and abroad.”
Vietnam has also joined the World Trade Organization with binding human rights conditions that the nation must follow. However, at this time, Vietnam has not complied with these terms. Vietnam continues to repress the populace, imprisoning dissidents and democracy advocates who are peacefully calling for the respect of fundamental human rights. Recently, Vietnam also has signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or the TPP, which requires respect for human rights and the right to form free trade unions. The TPP only takes effect after it receives approval by the US Congress. If Vietnam does not democratize its own political system and continues to wage a subversive war against its own citizens, then the TPP could be jeopardized.
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