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Letter to
Associated Press regarding journalist Ben Stocking
September 21st, 2008
Mr. Jon Petrovich
Vice President
AP Broadcast News Center
1100 13th Street, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Dear Mr. Petrovich,
On behalf of Southeast Asia Democracy Coalition, I am writing to
express our appreciation to Associated Press for your excellent
service in bringing news from Vietnam to the world.
We are deeply concerned about the fact that Ben Stocking, an
Associated Press journalist working in Vietnam, was assaulted on
September 19th, 2008 by the Vietnamese communist police, while he
was covering a Catholic protest at Toa Kham Su, Hanoi.
We strenuously condemn the barbaric actions of the Vietnamese
communist police, who brutally injured Mr. Stocking when he was
being detained. It is a criminal offense to assault a journalist
while he is in police custody.
Press members should be free to report facts, even facts about civil
and social unrests. Hostile and violent treatments of journalists
on duties are neither acceptable nor accusable, and are actions
condoned only by governments either wanting to obstruct freedom of
the press, or to cover up their questionable activities, or both.
Unfortunately, this is the sad state of affairs in Vietnam today!
For this reason, Southeast Asia Democracy Coalition is grateful of
the fact that journalist Stocking has written many articles about
the facts of life in Vietnam. His articles have helped the world to
understand what's really happening in a country ruled by one of the
most corrupted totalitarian governments.
Once again, we would like to congratulate the Associated Press for
having a dedicated and courageous staff such as journalist Stocking,
and wish him a expeditious recovery.
Lastly, as the crisis in Thai Ha is escalating quickly, with many
parishioners being threatened and beaten, we hope that the
Associated Press will continue to provide much needed coverage, so
that the free world will know what is actually going on in Vietnam.
Sincerely,
Dr. Hai Van Ha
President
Southeast Asia Democracy Coalition
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