Washington - Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran announced today that they have written a letter to Dr. Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, nominating Dr. Nguyen Dan Que of Vietnam for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“For more than 30 years Dr. Que has tirelessly fought for human rights in Vietnam,” said Connolly. “His unwavering dedication to human rights, at extraordinary personal cost, exemplifies the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize. It is my hope the international community will honor this heroic commitment to freedom and democracy.”

Named in honor of NED’s principal founders, former president Ronald Reagan and the late congressman Dante Fascell, the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program was established in 2001 with funding from the U.S. Congress to enable democratic practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change.

Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows maintain full-time residence at the International Forum
for Democratic Studies, NED’s research arm located in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to international exchange, the program offers a collegial environment for fellows to reflect on their experiences and consider lessons learned; conduct research and writing; develop contacts and exchange ideas with counterparts in Washington, D.C.; and build ties that contribute to the development of a global network of democracy advocates.

According to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) today, it has reached its 90th birthday. According to its founder Chen Duxiu's words when it was still a small organization, it is already 91 years old. Like the lives of many people, this old party has changed a lot during its lifetime. From its beginning to the present, its image has completely changed. One could even could it has taken on a completely opposite personality. It is indeed different now, as it has turned good into evil.

Now, the image represented by the Chinese Communist Party is so evil it makes it hard for people to admit that indeed in the beginning it was formed by a group of well-meaning idealists. These founding fathers hated social injustice and looked forward to a better social system with equality. They were even willing to sacrifice their own lives to achieve this ideal. The founders in its earliest days, such as Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Zhang Guotao (i.e. Chang Kuo-tao), Mao Zedong, along with others who continuously joined the ranks of devotees, were all passionate young people.

Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act on 24 MAY 11

May 22nd, 2011

The Honorable John Cornyn
SH 517 US Senate
Washington DC 22510
( Attention: Grace Smitham, Megan Moore)

Dear Senator Cornyn:

We would like to express our deep appreciation for your kind sponsorship and your important speech on the 17th Commemoration of Vietnam Human Rights Day in Congress on May 11, 2011. We truly treasure your constant support of our organization as well as the common cause of human rights for Vietnam and Asia.

Anncr: Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government:

Voice: Seventeen years ago, the United States Congress designated May 11 as Vietnam Human Rights Day to highlight U.S. support for protecting and promoting basic freedoms in Vietnam. A ceremony and discussion forum was held today to mark the occasion at the U.S. Capitol, involving members of Congress, labor leaders, non-governmental groups and representatives from Vietnamese communities across America.

The date marks one of the most prominent episodes in domestic advocacy of human rights in Vietnam. On May 11, 1990, a Vietnamese physician, Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, [nuh-WEE-ihn dahn KWAY] and other activists published a “Manifesto for the Non-Violent Movement for Human Rights in Vietnam.” The Manifesto called for peaceful advocacy against repression and called on the government to respect basic human rights, accept a multi-party political system and allow free and fair national elections. Dr. Que and his fellow advocates were arrested and convicted of crimes against the state. Que has been under house arrest since 2005.

Contact: Megan Vu
727-492-8278

For immediate release:

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, May 11, 2011 a ceremony on Capitol Hill will call attention to the deteriorating human rights conditions in Vietnam. This event, held in the Hart Senate Building (Room H216) from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will commemorate the anniversary of the U.S. House-Senate Joint Resolution SJ 168 designating May 11th as the Vietnam Human Rights Day.

The event is especially timely given the revolution in the Middle East and the subsequent worsening of human rights violations across Asia. Despite escalating state aggression, the people of Asia are encouraged by the movements in the Middle East and North Africa, and are organizing for change. The ceremony will be attended by delegations from China, Tibet, Laos, and Burma.