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Vietnam: Eight Vietnamese Writers Receive Prestigious Human Rights Prize
Writers Banned, Censored, Harassed, and Jailed
(New York, July 22, 2008) – Eight Vietnamese writers are among a diverse group of 34 writers from 19 countries to receive Hellman/Hammett awards this year in recognition of the courage they showed when facing political persecution, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Hellman/Hammett awards, administered by Human Rights Watch, are given annually to writers around the world who have been targets of political persecution or human rights abuses. The grant program began in 1989 when the American playwright Lillian Hellman willed that her estate be used to assist writers in financial need as a result of expressing their views.
This year’s prize winners from Vietnam include Father Nguyen Van Ly, one of the leaders of the democracy movement in Vietnam. He has been repeatedly imprisoned during the last 30 years for his written appeals calling for human rights, religious freedom, and freedom of expression. At his most recent trial in March 2007, in which he was sentenced to another eight years in prison, police placed their hands over Father Ly’s mouth to prevent him from speaking.
“The Vietnamese phrase for censorship, ‘bich mien,’ means to cover the mouth,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “There is no stronger image of the dismal state of freedom of expression in Vietnam today than the photograph of police physically muzzling Father Ly during his trial.”
The Vietnamese authorities have used both official and unofficial sanctions to silence this year’s Hellman/Hammett award winners from Vietnam. Dissident writers have been harassed, assaulted, indicted, jailed on trumped-up charges, dismissed from their jobs, socially isolated, detained and interrogated by police, publicly humiliated in officially orchestrated “Peoples’ Tribunals,” and injured by officially sanctioned mobs or targeted traffic “accidents.”
“Many people around the world do not know that Vietnamese writers are being locked up for simply expressing their views,” said Adams. “That makes it more important than ever to recognize the brave writers who have suffered persecution or sacrificed their freedom in order to push for a free press, human rights, and a multi-party system in Vietnam.”
Human Rights Watch has administered the Hellman/Hammett awards since 1989, awarding nearly 700 writers over the 19 years of the program. The Hellman/Hammett program also makes small emergency grants to writers who have an urgent need to leave their country or who need immediate medical treatment after serving prison terms or enduring torture.
Short biographies of seven of the eight Vietnamese writers who can be safely publicized follow below:
***click link to read*** Writers Banned, Censored, Harassed, and Jailed ... more -
Visit To Vietnam: Saigon, The Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels
Vietnam is everything I could have asked for and nothing I expected. I was born during the Vietnam war and wanted to see what the country is really like-- 30 years later. I got a taste of this fantastic country while visiting Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and south Vietnam.
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Miss Venezuela Crowned Miss Universe 2008
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Miss Ao Dai Globe 2008 at Vietnam
The áo dài is a Vietnamese national costume for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk dress worn over pantaloons. Together with a nón lá hat, it creates an ensemble that is instantly recognizable as Vietnamese. Áo dài is pronounced "ow yai" in the South, and "ow zai" in the North. Áo is derived from a Middle Chinese word meaning "padded coat" (襖).[1] In modern Vietnamese, áo refers to an item of clothing that covers from the neck down. Dài means "long."
The word áo dài was applied to various garments historically, including the five-paneled áo ngũ thân or "traditional áo dài," a 19th century aristocratic gown. Inspired by Paris fashions, Hanoi artist Nguyễn Cát Tường redesigned this gown as a dress in 1930.[2] In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to produce the version worn by Vietnamese women today.[3] The communists, who have ruled all of Vietnam since 1975, generally disapproved of the dress and argued for utilitarian clothing.[4] In the 1990s, the áo dài regained popularity.[4]
In its most popular form, the dress fits tightly around the wearer's upper torso, emphasizing her bust and curves. Slits on the side extend above the waist and allow a glimpse of her midriff. Although the dress covers a woman's entire body, it is thought to be provocative, especially when made of thin material. Many high schools in the South require female students to wear it as part of a school uniform. The equivalent garment for men, called an áo gấm ("brocade robe"), is still worn on occasion, such as at a wedding. The áo dài is a Vietnamese national costume for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk dress worn over pantaloons. Tog... more -
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The government is testing drugs with severe side effects like psychosis and suicidal behavior on hundreds of military veterans, using small cash payments to attract patients into medical experiments that often target distressed soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, a Washington Times/ABC News investigation has found.
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I think that this is going to be a big story in the coming months. There was an interesting interview / Q&A with the Executive Editor of The Washington Times on C-SPAN this morning, too. The government is testing drugs with severe side effects like psychosis and suicidal behavior on hundreds of military veterans, using ... more -
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Anger flares over China's effort to claim control of two disputed island chains. "Down with China!" and "Long Live Vietnam!"
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Found: Plane
Did you happen to misplace your Boeing 727 at the Hanoi airport?
There is an unclaimed jet that has been sitting at the airport since late 2007. Airport officials think that its from an a defunct Cambodian airline. Either way, if it's not claimed it's going to be sent to the scrap yard. Did you happen to misplace your Boeing 727 at the Hanoi airport? ... more -
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"UFO" explodes over Vietnam
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World Largest Coffee Cup Guinness Record
A new Guinness World Record has been set for the largest coffee cup by Vinacafe Bien Hoa, the biggest coffee producer in Vietnam, with the aim of the record to promote Vietnamese coffee worldwide.
The stainless steel structure was constructed by more than 100 people and is 1.53 meters tall, with a diameter of 2.33 meters.
Weighing in at 1,197 kilos, the cup contained 3,604 litres of coffee made with 801 kilos of instant coffee powder and 4,000 litres of boiled water.
For Full News : http://www.worldamazingrecords.com A new Guinness World Record has been set for the largest coffee cup by Vinacafe Bien Hoa, the biggest coffee producer in Vietnam, with... more -
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Memorial Day 2008: Vietnam Veteran
Vietnam Veteran Ramon Rodriguez, Special Forces, takes time at the National Guard Armory to give tribute to and remember his fellow soldiers. Vietnam Veteran Ramon Rodriguez, Special Forces, takes time at the National Guard Armory to give tribute to and remember his fellow so... more
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Referee banned for changing his mind
A referee in the Vietnamese soccer league has been suspended for four matches for awarding a goal and then changing his mind, local media reported.
Referee Nguyen Xuan Hoa was reprimanded by the country's soccer federation for bowing to pressure from Danang, whose furious players stormed off the field after conceding a goal to Dong Tam Long An last week.
The Danang team returned 20 minutes later after Hoa reversed his decision and went on to win the game 3-2.
In a meeting with the federation's disciplinary committee, referee Hoa insisted no one had influenced his decision, the Thanh Nien Daily reported.
He was suspended for four matches, however, and his assistants banned for three for failing to mention the incident in their match reports.
Danang's coach was fined $495 and banned for four games for interrupting the match
A referee in the Vietnamese soccer league has been suspended for four matches for awarding a goal and then changing his mind, local me... more -
Referee banned for changing his mind
A referee in the Vietnamese soccer league has been suspended for four matches for awarding a goal and then changing his mind, local media reported.
Referee Nguyen Xuan Hoa was reprimanded by the country's soccer federation for bowing to pressure from Danang, whose furious players stormed off the field after conceding a goal to Dong Tam Long An last week.
The Danang team returned 20 minutes later after Hoa reversed his decision and went on to win the game 3-2.
In a meeting with the federation's disciplinary committee, referee Hoa insisted no one had influenced his decision, the Thanh Nien Daily reported.
He was suspended for four matches, however, and his assistants banned for three for failing to mention the incident in their match reports.
Danang's coach was fined $495 and banned for four games for interrupting the match. A referee in the Vietnamese soccer league has been suspended for four matches for awarding a goal and then changing his mind, local me... more
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