Veterans, Vietnamese unite to oppose Kerry

A Vietnam veterans organization and a Vietnamese-American group have united in opposition to Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. John Kerry.

"We represent hundreds of thousand of American veterans who do not want to see John Kerry anywhere near the Oval Office," said Ted Sampley, founder of Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry. Sampley is a U.S. Army Green Beret and veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam.

Said Sampley: "I have personally dealt with John Kerry on the issue of U.S. POWs left behind in Vietnam. Kerry is not truthful and is not worthy of the support of U.S. veterans. Many Vietnam vets have been duped into thinking Kerry is their friend. He is not. To us, he is 'Hanoi John.'"

Dan Tran is president of the Vietnam Human Rights Project and a member of Vietnamese Americans Against John Kerry.

"John Kerry aided and abetted the communist government in Hanoi and has hindered any human rights progress in Vietnam," Tran said.

Said the new coalition in a statement: "In the Senate, Kerry blocked the Vietnam human rights (and religious freedom) bill on behalf of Hanoi, while the Vietnamese Communists continue to wage a war of repression against the non-Communist Vietnamese and a war of genocide against our former allies the Montagnard ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam."

The coalition plans nationwide demonstrations against Kerry beginning with the New York and Massachusetts primaries.

Sampley's reference to Kerry as "Hanoi John" represents a campaign issue that could become a big problem for the Democrat. A photo on the Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry website shows anti-war activist Jane Fonda at a Valley Forge rally sitting a few feet ahead of Kerry.

Jane Fonda and John Kerry, who can be seen in background directly "north" of Fonda.

Radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh features the photo on his website with the caption: "The picture Democrats have been hoping nobody had: John Kerry sitting behind Jane Fonda during an anti-war rally at Valley Forge, PA in September 1970."

Kerry has been roundly criticized for anti-war activities he participated in following his military service in Vietnam.

A proposed bumper sticker image that encapsulates the issue is making its away around the Internet. The sticker says, "Kerry-Fonda 2004" and includes the image of a North Vietnamese flag.

I'm posting this in the entirety since it's in the Google cache but no longer on the web site:

Washington August 5, 2002

Vietnamese-American across the U.S will have a week-long Rally in front Senator John Kerry?s office from 8/19 to 8/23/2002; 8:00am ? 5:00pm each day

Senator John Kerry: WHY?

Today Vietnamese-Americans across the U.S. launch a nationwide campaign to call on Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts to support the Vietnamese people instead of their Communist persecutors, to respect the right of his 99 colleagues in the Senate to vote on the Viet Nam Human Rights Act, and to listen to the voices of the 1.2 million Vietnamese-Americans.

On September 6, 2001, the House of Representatives passed the Viet Nam Human Rights Act overwhelmingly, by 410 to one. This Act was crated so as to ensure that trade with Viet Nam will promote democracy, civil society and human rights, and not the Communist Party's monopoly on power.

However, when this Act arrived in the Senate Sen. Kerry single-handedly placed an indefinite hold on this bill, denying his 99 fellow Senators the opportunity to vote on the bill. Sen. Kerry?s hold will practically kill this bill when the 107th Congress adjourns later this year. As justification, Sen. Kerry cited an outdated U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights Practices, which according to him "noted measurable improvement in some areas, including the release of some political and religious prisoners and a continuing trend toward reduced government interference in the daily lives of most citizens."

Ironically, the most up-to-date State Department Report, issued in March of this year, paints a totally different picture: "The [Vietnamese] Government's poor human rights record worsened in some respects and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. The Government continued to repress basic political and some religious freedoms and abuses by the Government increased. The Government continued to restrict significantly civil liberties on grounds of national security and societal stability."

In fact, over the past ten months Viet Nam has stepped up its persecution of religious leaders, arrested numerous intellectuals and writers who demanded freedom of expression, and cracked down on veteran Communists who denounced high-level corruption in the government. Sen. Kerry has evidently sent the wrong message to the Vietnamese dictators: they can persecute their own people with impunity and still count on a powerful U.S. Senator to shield them from any U.S. criticisms or sanctions.

Challenged by the latest Department of State Report, Sen. Kerry has found a new, different line of defense for his indefensible, misguided and harmful position. He now claims that he and Sen. John McCain oppose the bill for fear that "it may hinder rather than advance the cause of human rights in Vietnam." He has failed to explain how this bill, which supports human rights and religious freedom in Viet Nam, could make Viet Nam?s human rights conditions any worse than what they have become over the past 10 months. There is no indication or evidence that the Senator from Arizona has ever joined Sen. Kerry in opposing the Viet Nam Human Rights Act.

Vietnamese-Americans and human rights advocates across the country have joined force to call on Sen. Kerry to support the suppressed people of Viet Nam instead of finding endless excuses for the Communist dictators. Sen. Kerry should immediately release his hold on the Viet Nam Human Rights Act. By letting this bill die in the Senate, Sen. Kerry will also kill the hope of over 80 million Vietnamese for liberty and human dignity.

Our campaign, launched today, will go beyond this election year and, if necessary, will continue until the Presidential election of 2004.

Based on this spirit, the Vietnamese-American communities will send their group representatives to Boston to protest in front of Senator John Kerry?s office frm August 19 to 23, 2002 beginning at 8:00 am until 5:00pm each day.

Based on this nation?s virtues of humanitarianism and equality for all, we hope to have all of your support in serving this worthy cause to enhance awareness of this growing concern for the suppressed populations in Vietnam.

You can help stop Vietnam?s human rights abuse by contact Senator John Kerry at (202) 224-2742 0r (617) 565-8519 or e-mail to: John-Kerry@kerry.senate.gov

Thank you and God bless you.

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