Free Cong Thanh Do

The following petition is in response to the detainment of all cyber dissidents being held for their peaceful expression of political views through use of the internet; specifically the detainment of CONG THANH DO, a United States citizen and non-violent human rights activist currently being held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, without formal charges brought against him by either country. Conclusively then, his detainment is based solely on his non-violent advocacy work for a multi-party democratic political system in Vietnam and his membership in the Peoples Democratic Party for Vietnam.

On August 31st, 2006, 7 p.m (PST) CONG THANH DO declared a hunger strike in protest of his detainment and an the invasion of his privacy by the Vietnamese government after the hacking of his e-mail accounts and personal documents. He has been without food since that date.

While the United States Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City is aware of this matter, it is becoming obvious that a more influential power needs to take action. As the largest foreign economic and political influence in Vietnam the United States government has the thus far unused ability to secure the freedom of CONG THANH DO, showing that the actions of the United States government have been inadequate. In the strong request that this influence be put to use:

WE, the undersigned, urge you to act within your full capacity to ensure that the following demands are made a priority by all enabled parties and that you act with the utmost urgency when dealing with this matter.

1.That CONG THANH DO is to receive immediate medical attention to ensure that his health remains stable.

2.That the United States government use its weight as a political and economic influence (in such the opposition to any new economic treaties to be adopted such as PNTR (permanent normalized trade relations) between Vietnam and the United States until the release of this citizen, CONG THANH DO) in order to insist that the Vietnamese government release CONG THANH DO immediately and unconditionally.

3.That it is known that CONG THANH DOs detainment for the peaceful expression of his political views is a direct violation of Article 96 of the United Nations Charter on Human Rights; that he is being held without any charges brought against him, and that his position is one of non-violence, pro-democracy and pro-human rights.