Việt Tân

The Vietnam Reform Revolutionary Party or the Việt Tân ( vi, Việt Nam Canh tân Cách mạng Đảng) is an organisation that aims to establish liberal democracy and reform Vietnam through peaceful and political means.

The organization was founded on September 10, 1982 with Vice-admiral Hoàng Cơ Minh elected as chairman, which operated underground for two decades. On September 19, 2004, then-chairman Nguyễn Kim introduced Viet Tan as a public organization. Viet Tan's activities are rooted in the promotion of non-violent political change in Vietnam.

The organization is outlawed in Vietnam and the government of Vietnam considers it "a terrorist force". The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has described Viet Tan as "a peaceful organization advocating for democratic reform". The U.S. government has stated that there is 'no evidence' that it is a terrorist organization.

Objectives

The Viet Tan aims to establish democracy and reform Vietnam through peaceful means, focusing on empowering the Vietnamese people, supporting the development of civil society, and promoting pluralism in Vietnam. Specifically, Viet Tan seeks to roll back existing restrictions against basic rights by promoting a de facto free media, supporting grassroots movements, training and capacity building and engaging in international advocacy. Viet Tan sees the strength and resources of the Vietnamese people as the impetus for achieving political change and restoring civil rights.

Non-violent struggle

Viet Tan embraces the non-violent struggle approach to reform. The organization believes that change has to come from within Vietnam and come from the bottom up. Human Rights Watch have repeatedly stated that the organization "has worked for peaceful political reform, democracy, and human rights in Vietnam".

The organization has outlined the following steps to democratizing Vietnam:

*Improving Social Welfare & Restoring Civil Rights
*Promoting Pluralism
*Building Collective Strength
*Expanding the Knowledge Base
*Investing in the Future Generation
*Lobbying International Support
*Strengthening the Overseas Vietnamese Community
*Building the Foundation to Reform Vietnam
*Protecting National Interests and Territorial Integrity
*Restoring Truth to Recent History

In a radio interview with Australia Radio station 2SER, Viet Tan representative Phong Nguyen states that "our mission is to promote human rights, democracy and to end social injustice by peaceful nonviolent means based civic participation", though he recognizes that the Vietnamese government regards them as a terrorist organization, despite a lack of evidence.

In a statement released in 2013 following the conviction of Vietnamese dissidents accused of being members of Viet Tan, the organization states that it "believes that gaining an understanding of nonviolent civil resistance, digital security and leadership skills are both empowering and the right of every free individual."

Reactions

The organization is outlawed in Vietnam and the government of Vietnam considers it "a terrorist force". However, the Vietnamese government has never found Viet Tan members carrying weapons.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has described Viet Tan as "a peaceful organization advocating for democratic reform".

The U.S. government, most notably former U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak, has stated that there is 'no evidence' that it is a terrorist organization.

Membership

Viet Tan has members and supporters throughout Vietnam and around the world, its network inside Vietnam comprises intellectuals, university students, and workers. While membership is by-invitation-only, Viet Tan does send out mass emails to people in Vietnam to recruit potential members.

Viet Tan held its 6th Party Congress in September 2006. Members were elected the Central Committee headed by Đỗ Hoàng Điềm as chairman and Ly Thai Hung as general secretary.

History

Beginnings: 1982–2004

On September 10, 1982, the National United Front for the Liberation of Vietnam (NUFRONLIV) was founded by various groups in Vietnam, with Hoàng Cơ Minh elected as president. Two years later, this group was then later reorganized into Viet Tan, when it became a worldwide underground movement. While the former had the primary aim to topple the communist regime through a popular uprising, the latter aims at renovating Vietnam through political and peaceful means.NUFRONLIV was later dissolved due to accusations of financial fraud.

During the period of 1982 to 1987 Hoang Co Minh also served as the organization's chair, until he was ambushed by Vietnamese soldiers while leading a group of members into Vietnam. In the period that followed, Viet Tan remained an underground organization with undisclosed projects and campaigns.

Going public in 2004

On September 19, 2004, in a highly publicized event in Berlin, Germany, the organization stepped out as a public organization, announcing the dissolution of the NUFRONLIV, and a recommitment to establish democracy in Vietnam through peaceful means.

In September 2006, Viet Tan sent members to testify before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in Washington, D.C..

On May 29, 2007, chairman Đỗ Hoàng Điềm was invited by US president George W. Bush together with three other Vietnamese-American activists to the White House on a meeting about Vietnam's increasingly harsh treatment of anti-government activists and an upcoming visit by Vietnam's president Nguyen Minh Triet to the United States. During the 45-minute meeting, Đỗ Hoàng Điềm urged the president to increase pressure on Vietnam to respect human rights and asked for the United States to support openly democratic forces to bring change to Hanoi. During Nguyen Minh Triet's visit to the US, Đỗ Hoàng Điềm also met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shortly before her meeting with the Vietnamese president to stress the importance of raising the issue of Vietnam's poor human rights record.

2009 testimony before Parliament of Australia

On March 19, 2009 Viet Tan members (including Đỗ Hoàng Điềm) also testified before the Parliament of Australia Human Rights Sub-Committee on Vietnam's recent development on worker's rights abuses, religious freedom and arbitrary arrests. This was also followed up in November 2009, when Viet Tan organized a democracy dinner with Australian politicians Alistair Coe and George Lemon who both received honorary member status for Viet Tan given their support and work for the non-violent struggle for democracy in Vietnam

2010 public appearances in Hanoi

On March 14, 2010 Viet Tan members gathered in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Vietnam to assert Vietnam's maritime claims to the Paracel and Spratly Islands. They distributed T-shirts and hats with slogans that were prohibited by the Vietnamese government.

A similar protest against China's actions over disputed maritime territories occurred on October 8, 2010 with approximately 70 members of Viet Tan in attendance in Hanoi, Vietnam