Appendix F: Declaration by Dr. Vu

[Published on the website Bauxite Vietnam on April 4, 2011, before the trial of Dr. Vu] [197]

To:

• Website boxit.wordpress.com Vietnam;
• Voice of America (VOA)
• Radio Free Asia (RFA)
• Journalist Tram Oanh (Germany)
• The website Dan Luan
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Radia France Internationale (RFI)
• Deutsche Press-Agentur (DPA)
• Other domestic and international media

Authorized by my brother, Doctor of Law Cu Huy Ha Vu, who was indicted by the Hanoi People’s Procuracy for “propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam according to article 88, item 1, point c of the Penal Code of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” I, Cu Thi Xuan Bich, would like to send you the following declaration from my brother regarding his case. This is to ensure the rights of my brother to have equal chance to express his own views in regard to the case with the judiciary agencies of Vietnam. I sincerely thank you.

— Cu Thi Xuan Bich

“I, Cu Huy Ha Vu, reside at 24 Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. The day before my trial at the Hanoi People’s Court for “propagandizing against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” according to article 88, item 1, point c of the Penal Code, I am sending this to all my country fellows, to my wife –lawyer Nguyen Thi Duong Ha, to my children Cu Huy Xuan Duc and Cu Huy Xuan Hieu, to my father-in-law Nguyen Ba Phung, to my uncle Cu Huy Thuoc, to my aunt Cu Thi Bich Dieu, to my uncle and legal representative Cu Huy Chu, to my sister Cu Thi Xuan Bich and other members of my family as well as to those who care about my declaration.

All of my articles and interviews which are cited as evidence in the indictment prepared by the Hanoi People’s Procuracy to charge me have inadvertently helped all Vietnamese people as well as people of conscience all over the world to realize this one point: Cu Huy Ha Vu does not have any other ideology than this one: to serve the interest of the Fatherland and the people of Vietnam as the only goal. This is expressed in my three following points of view:

• Democracy means the co-existence of different views, which equates to a multi party system, in other words, to implement a multi-party system is the only way to obtain democracy.
• Marxist-Leninist socialism is clearly not the Fatherland of the Vietnamese people, since it [a Marxist-Leninist socialist Vietnam] is neither a country created by the Hung kings nor does it represent the future for Vietnamese in particular and for the world in general, because it goes against the natural law of social development – which rules that a new production mode will entail a new social regime. On the contrary, Marxists advocate for a new social regime which predates a new production mode. To be concrete, they want to abolish capitalism and establish socialism in order to create a socialist production mode. Due to such efforts that go against the course of nature, the so-called socialism has been executed by means which are anti-democratic (resolving to establish proletarian dictatorship, i.e. imposing the rule of the working class by violence), disloyal to the country and the nation (communism – the higher level of socialism – aims to abolish the state, which also means to abolish the army. This [the abolition of the army] will inevitably lead to the destruction of the country and the nation for the lack of ability to defend itself from foreign invaders).
• In my view, a military alliance with the United States is urgent and crucial in order to defend the sovereignty of our country and to reclaim the territory occupied by foreign countries, especially in regards to the Spratly and the Paracel islands in the Eastern Sea of Vietnam.

Considering these legitimate and rightful views, and the filing of a case of “Cu Huy Ha Vu propagandizes against the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” everyone can see that the case is nothing but repression and revenge from the forces that are disloyal to the country, harmful to the people and hostile to democracy and human rights.

I am a normal person, made of flesh and bone, not of stone or iron. I have a sweet home with my loved ones who I care for and do not wish to be separated from. But I will hold my head high and maintain my views for the interest of the country and the people, no matter how brutal the repression and revenge is, so that I will not shame the patriotic tradition of my family.

• My ancestor is Cu Ngoc Xan, a commander of the Huong Son base in Ha Tinh during Le Loi’s uprising against the Ming invaders throughout the first six years of the resistance (1418-1424).
• My great grandfather is Cu Huy Quan, who participated in the uprising led by Phan Dinh Phung against the French.
• My grandfather is Cu Huy Truong, who participated in the Soviet – Nghe Tinh movement against the French, then became the chairman of the resistance committee in An Phu commune. President Ho Chi Minh personally present him with some gifts, including a portrait of himself and some money.
• My father Cu Huy Can was a minister in the founding government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam who co-signed the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945 after President Ho Chi Minh. Later, he became Minister in charge of Culture and Art in the Council of Ministers. He received the Yellow Star Order.
• My maternal grandfather is Ngo Xuan Tho who collaborated with Phan Boi Chau in his anti-French activism. He helped spread communist propaganda through newspapers and books. He helped rescue the senior communist activist Ngo Duc De from French imprisonment.
• My uncle, who is also my godfather, is the poet Xuan Dieu (a.k.a. Ngo Xuan Dieu). He led pupils and students from the National School of Hue to welcome the representative delegations of the French Popular Front government… He also received the Independence Order, first class.
• My mother is Ngo Thi Xuan Nhu, who participated in spreading propaganda for the Viet Minh when she was a young girl. She joined the resistance movement at the Inspection Committee 12 (Presidential Palace and Prime Minister Headquarter) at the Viet Bac resistance zone. She directly participated in protecting and providing health care to President Ho Chi Minh. She received the Resistance Order.

I have lived my life:

• Not to dishonor the patriotic intellectual tradition of my family. My father, poet Huy Can, and my uncle and godfather, poet Xuan Dieu, are both progressive poets who were among the first group to receive the Ho Chi Minh Award;
• Not to dishonor myself as a Doctor of Law and a candidate for Doctor of Literature. The mandate of a learned man is to take part in transforming society using his opinions and thoughts. If one cannot live in such a way, one does not deserve to be a learned man;
• Not to dishonor Ha Tinh, my paternal and maternal homeland, the cradle of Vietnamese people, the sacred land of talented men including Nguyen Huy Tu, Nguyen Du, Nguyen Cong Tru, Phan Dinh Phung;
• Not to dishonor the Fatherland of Vietnam with its heroic history of 4000 years of building and defending its country; and
• Not to dishonor those who place their full belief in me in the struggle for justice, democracy and human rights in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese History, Fatherland and People will definitely overturn my case for me, citizen Cu Huy Ha Vu!

Thank you!

Cu Huy Ha Vu