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Freedom walk for USIM’s Nguyen
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Posted on Jun 02 2006
A man who had traveled from Saipan to South Korea in April on behalf of the foundation that is behind the safe haven proposal in the CNMI has been arrested in Seoul at the request of the Vietnamese government, according to the United States International Mission-Saipan.
A California resident, Chan Huu Nguyen, had flown from Saipan to South Korea on behalf of the foundation. He was arrested on April 5 and placed in detainment, due to a request made by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to extradite him to Vietnam, USIM said.
According to Dennis Catron, president of USIM, Nguyen was traveling to Korea on behalf of USIM-Saipan on an opportunity to further develop a safe haven project for victims of human trafficking in Cambodia.
USIM said that many of Chanh Huu Nguyen’s accomplishments include the establishment of the Government of Free Vietnam consisting of over 5,000 active members across the globe, Radio Free Vietnam, and the Vietnamese Youth Foundation.
USIM said that Chanh Huu Nguyen now awaits decision at the Seoul Detention Center in Seoul, Korea.
To push for Nguyen’s release, the Vietnamese community in Little Saigon, California, plans to organize a large gathering of people on Bolsa and Bushard Street in Westmister. Little Saigon is home to the largest Vietnamese population in the world outside of Vietnam.
According to organizers, the demonstration will be held on Sunday, June 4, 2006, and will begin at 10am at the intersection of Magnolia and Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California, and scheduled to last for three to four hours.
USIM said that an estimated 7,000 people are expected to participate in this event.
“My father has dedicated over 20 years of campaigning for human rights and democracy for Vietnam. If South Korea extradites my father, then he will definitely be unjustly prosecuted and tortured,” said Nguyen’s eldest son, Vinh Nguyen.
Since Chanh Huu Nguyen’s arrest on April 5, the website FreeChanhNguyen.com has described many activities such as candle vigils, rallies, and hunger strikes that are all intended to press for his release. (PR)
