The Transnational Radical Party (TRP) joins the demonstration called by the Montagnard Foundation and the Kampuchea Krom Federation on June 16 in front of the White House in Washington, on the eve of the first visit of a Vietnamese President to the USA since the end of the Vietnam War. The TRP will be there with our UN Representative Matteo Mecacci.

From 17 to 22 June, a Vietnamese President will officially pay visit to the USA for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War. Many high-level talks, both political and economic, including a meeting with President Bush are expected.

Over the last few years, the economic, political and military relations between the USA and Vietnam have been improving constantly, despite the lack of any major opening up of Hanoi’s regime with regard to the respect of fundamental rights of Vietnamese citizens. The repression, that caused the recent arrest of numerous Vietnamese pro-democracy nonviolent activists and militants, is increasingly sophisticated and serious. The principal victims of the crackdown are the indigenous populations of Montagnards: over 350 of them are still in prison for having expressed their opinion, whilst the international community turns a blind eye to this situation, and scores of Khmer Krom who are prevented from practising Buddhism without any interference or political control by the Government.

Therefore, the demonstration aims at reminding the American public and President Bush that the end of the Vietnam War did not deliver peace to the Vietnamese people and to pay attention to those who sided the with the American forces as the conflict unfolded, namely the Montagnard people. The demonstration will start off at 10am in front of the White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW and will last until 3pm with a prayer in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the war memorial that honours members of the U.S. armed forces who had died in service.