St. Paul, Minn. (July 5, 2018) — Minnesotans of Vietnam origin are staging a rally in support of the people of Vietnam against special economic zones and a new cyber-security law from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 7, on the front steps of the State Capitol.
The Vietnamese people are fighting for their voice to be heard and for their right to free expression be protected, said Luke Nguyen, an event organizer. The event is to show support for the Vietnamese people who are fighting for national sovereignty and human rights. The event will also serve to voice support for South-East Asia that is becoming more threatened under Red China’s hegemonic policy, just as China has done in Tibet, he said.
The Vietnamese communist government is planning to lease out three strategic areas in Vietnam to the Chinese as special economic zones, Nguyen said. This has angered the people in Vietnam so greatly that numerous protests broke out throughout Vietnam. (Link to news story)
The Vietnamese government also passed the so-called cyber-security law in order to curtail the uproar by frustrated citizens who view the action as land concession to the Chinese ever expansion ambition. Amnesty International wrote about this particular law (link to news story).
It is in one of these protests in Vietnam that Will Nguyen, a U.S. Citizen from Houston, Texas, was arrested, beaten and jailed. His story has been covered by many major news outlet including New York Times and CNN.
The overseas Vietnamese communities worldwide, and here in Minnesota, have been in solidarity with people in Vietnam who continue protesting the actions of Vietnamese government, Nguyen said. The action is detrimental to Vietnam’s national sovereignty and to the environment of the leased coastal areas where many residents are still suffering from lingering effects of polluted water from the foreign-owned factories, he said.
For more information on the event contact Luke Nguyen at 763-229-2941.
Thanks to Asian American Press.
Thank you for the coverage and the care you shown for the Vietnamese Community Asian American Press.