The Eight-point Appeal of the Vietnamese People

 

 

This appeal is addressed to:

 

§  The President, the Chairwoman of Congress, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

§  All Vietnamese living in Vietnam and abroad.

§  The Secretary General of the United Nations.

§  The International Diplomatic Organizations in Vietnam.

 

Your Excellency/Honorable:

 

100 years ago, a document called Appeal of the Annamese People was prepared by a group of patriots, signed by Nguyễn Ái Quấc, and subsequently sent to the conference being held at the Versailles, Paris, France, by the victorious nations in the aftermath of the First World War.

 

The Appeal was consisted of eight points, urging the French colonial government at that time to immediately carry out, as follows:

 

1.     Release all Annamese political prisoners.

2.     Initiate extensive legislation reforms throughout Indochina, so as the indigenous people are protected by the same laws as European; demand to abolish all special legal institutions used by the colonial government as supporting means to terrorize and oppress the most righteous section of the Annamese population.

3.     Freedom of press and freedom of speech.

4.     Freedom to form associations and freedom to meet in public.

5.     Freedom to live abroad and freedom to travel overseas.

6.     Freedom to study any suitable subjects by individuals, government to initiate and establish technical and vocational schools at the province level for all indigenous people who are interested.

7.     Laws are passed by a legislative body in lieu of decrees.

8.     A group of representatives, elected by the indigenous people, permanently present at the French Parliament to help emphasizing all aspirations of the Annamese people.

 

 In the course of the last 100 years, millions of the best sons and daughters of the nation have perished for those basic rights demanded in that 1919 Appeal.

 

The Vietnamese Communist Party, the only political party with total power in Vietnam today, re-affirms multiple times that Ho Chi Minh, its foremost leader, is indeed Nguyễn Ái Quấc, the one who signed the 1919 Appeal. But, after 100 years, under the Communist totalitarian regime, the majority of the points aforementioned in the 1919 Appeal in reality are not respected, not carried out, although they were officially incorporated in the Constitution of a country that had been declared independent. They are solemnly committed in all international treaties, pacts, agreements, pledges that the Vietnamese government has participated in the name of the country and her people, but the truth is that they have never been carried out to their full extents. In fact, they are overwhelmingly limited, manipulated, even distorted to the point where the end results are opposite.

 

That is the reason why, on the occasion to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 1919 Eight-point Appeal of the Annamese people, we, all Vietnamese living in Vietnam and abroad, who love Freedom, Democracy and Justice, proclaim the 2019 Appeal, as follows:

 

1.     Unconditionally release all political prisoners, all prisoners of conscience, those who merely had expressed their views and jailed by the Communist authority on false charges such as “public disturbances,” “anti-government propaganda,” and “activities aimed to overthrow the People’s government.”

2.     Initiate extensive legislation reforms, so as all people are protected by laws; demand to abolish all special legal institutions used by the government as supporting means to terrorize and oppress the most righteous section of the population, such as those who participate in non-violent demonstrations to express their concerns about issues like environmental protection, national sovereignty; those who criticize and rebuke official policies; those who dissent politically.

3.     Truthfully and sincerely respect the Freedom of Press, Freedom of Speech; must allow private sectors to publish newspapers and produce multi-media products including books; must stop the policy of censorship in any form (including the statutes and ordinances with the aim to restrict information flow on the Internet.)

4.     Issue and seriously carry out laws with the purpose to guarantee the Freedom to form associations and the Freedom to meet in public.

5.     Guarantee the Freedom to travel and settle anywhere within the country, Freedom to migrate and return from overseas.

6.     Guarantee the Freedom to study any subject of choice by individuals, guarantee the autonomy of universities and colleges, and remove all traces of politicization at every educational institution.

7.     All statutes passed by Congress or any legislative body must be genuinely truthful to the Constitution. Once passed, all laws must be respected by the authority. Public referendums to be held on any issue that greatly affects the living conditions of the population or the security of the country. Replace the system of laws dictated by the Communist Party with the one based on legislation to proceed eventually to the system of three independent branches of government: Legislation, Executive and Justice.

8.     Free elections to be held, including the right to self-nominate, in free, fair and transparent protocols. Completely erase the slogan “Nominated by the Party, Elected by the People.”

 

 

We strongly believe that the only path to help Vietnam to get out of the economic doldrums, the political and social corruption, and the danger of losing national sovereignty to foreign powers is the one in which the Vietnamese leadership must undertake and fully implement the eight points as outlined in the Appeal. To do that is to lead Vietnam step-by-step in the development toward the goal of prosperity and national strength, to achieve a democratic and civil society, and to bestow justice for all.

 

We urge all Vietnamese citizens, using his/her constitutional rights, not waiting for any permission from anyone, to step up the pressure demanding the government to issue and implement statutes and laws with the purpose to protect those constitutional rights, and to  prosecute to the full extent any individual or organization that impedes him/her from exercising those sacred rights.

 

We solemnly and urgently call upon the United Nations and all nations that have established diplomatic relationship with Vietnam to pay attention to the aspiration and will of the Vietnamese people, and with your strong and necessary support, we strongly believe that it will facilitate the response to the demands aforementioned in the Appeal.

 

Vietnam, December 19, 2018