In the fall of 1994, a number of Vietnamese organizations in the United States came together to discuss the possibility of a more coordinated effort on the part of free Vietnamese everywhere in the world to push for liberalization and democratization of Vietnam. The first Free Vietnamese Solidarity Conference, which was held in April 1995 at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, was the direct result of these wide-ranging deliberations in which many people participated. Some 37 mass organizations and nation-wide communities of Vietnamese residents in countries outside of Vietnam came from Europe, Australia and Asia besides the United States and Canada to discuss various issues of concern and come up with a common plan of action noted for its realism and feasibility as it emphasized human rights and freedom of the press and religion. When Washington decided to recognize communist Vietnam in July 1995, the impact of the Free Vietnamese Solidarity Conference could already be felt as it emphasized the need to attach conditions to the normalization of relations with Hanoi. As a result, Hanoi had to yield under the pressure and release the most famous prisoner in conscience at the time, the poet Nguyen Chi Thien.
The Second Free Vietnamese Solidarity Conference was held in Santa Ana, California, the following spring. It was attended by representatives of 58 mass organizations and free Vietnamese communities from all over the world. The conference was particularly memorable because it was the first time that a large gathering of free Vietnamese organizations launched the strategic call for "solidarity between the forces of democracy both inside and outside of Vietnam."
Also, because of a strong conviction that "actions speak louder than words," it was decided at Santa Ana that one would skip meeting one year to devote the whole time to the struggle for human rights in Vietnam, specifically the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. This new collective emphasis on the part of free Vietnamese organizations all around the world brought a resounding success when in September 1998, Hanoi had to let go some of the most prominent prisoners of conscience at the time: Professor Doan Viet Hoat, who is now in the U.S., Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, who elected to stay in Vietnam, besides the venerable figures of Thich Quang Do, Thich Tri Sieu and Thich Tue Sy among others.
In March 1998, the third Free Vietnamese Solidarity Conference was held in San Jose, California, gathering representatives from some 62 mass organizations and nation-wide communities of Vietnamese in various parts of the world. Thus, it can be said that the Free Vietnamese Solidarity Conference represents at the present time the largest gathering of free Vietnamese organizations everywhere in the world—except Vietnam.

Next page : Communique' Tuyen-Bo Chung