Inspirational words and support poured out for passionate activist Vi Tran, co-founder of Luật Khoa, The Vietnamese and co-director of Legal Initiatives for VIETNAM, as she makes her way to full recovery after a series of high-risk surgeries.
Title: Nhà hoạt động Vi Trần qua cái nhìn của một người cùng chí hướng
Publish Date: May 3, 2019
Publisher: BBC Tiếng Việt
Article:
Note: Original texts in Vietnamese.
Co-founder of Luat Khoa magazine told the BBC that activist Wei Chen, who is seriously ill in Taiwan, “has the greatest intention of returning to live in his homeland”.
By the end of May 2, hundreds of people had contributed to the hospital fees for Ms. Vi Tran, co-founder of Luat Khoa magazine and recently The Vietnamese, who is hospitalized in Taiwan due to a brain hemorrhage. led to a stroke more than two weeks ago.
She has had two complicated and high-risk surgeries and is about to have another, and according to her family, “probably a long course of therapy”.
Her family set up a donation page because the hospital fees are quite heavy, while she does not have health insurance in Taiwan, and has spent all her personal money on projects.
In 2015, Ms. Vi, who was described by friends as “deeply in love with Vietnam and the Vietnamese language”, left her career as a lawyer in California to work in the Philippines and Taiwan, promoting Internet and press freedom. and abolish the death penalty as well as advocate for human rights for Vietnam.
‘I want people to understand the law better’
On May 2, answering BBC from Taiwan, Trinh Huu Long, co-founder of Luat Khoa magazine, said: “I always hope that Vi will make a full recovery, because she is young and has been for a long time. In addition, Vi is a very strong and courageous woman. Vi must make a full recovery in order to continue her ideals, she certainly will.”
“Vi is one of the four founders of Luat Khoa, and together with me acts as the co-director of the non-profit organization Legal Initiatives for Vietnam, which is the governing body of the Law. Khoa and The Vietnamese.”
“Vi is a lawyer, her instinct to practice law is very strong. She always wants people to understand the law better, use legal tools and civil rights to challenge those who break the law and violate the law. That’s the mission of Luat Khoa. Before getting sick, Vi was still crawling around with a bunch of newly purchased books on religion and religious freedom in Vietnam, because Vi is in charge of this column, is expected to be officially launched soon after some testing recently.”
“For The Vietnamese newspaper, Vi is the manager and producer, with the help of some volunteers. Vi wants to turn it into a quality and reputable English-language newspaper on political issues and human rights in Vietnam. Nam. Vi is trying to raise money for this newspaper, as it currently has absolutely no operating budget, and hopes to pay a salary for one or two writers and editors.”
“As far as I know, one thing Vi has pursued for a long time and is very passionate about it, is the wrongful trial of death row prisoners in Vietnam. I know Vi cries many times every time she hears Ho Duy’s heartbreaking stories. Hai, Nguyen Van Chuong, Le Van Manh, Dang Van Hien Vi is very passionate about this and often actively collects information, writes articles for The Vietnamese, writes reports to the United Nations and international organizations Vi is also looking for ways to raise funds to expand this activity, because besides Vi and one or two other people, in our country no one seems to go into this issue deeply.”
Mr. Long added:
“I don’t dare say that Vi is different or similar to any other female activist. In my opinion, Vi is a fierce activist, fierce at times to the point of being extremely stubborn. The story of Vi leaves out one fact. favorable career and an easy life in California to go to Asia to work with an income close to the level of a volunteer speaks for that fierceness and stubbornness.”
“She decided not to work for a few years and then returned to the US. For Vi, human rights activism is life, life, not pure work. And when she follows that path, what does Vi do? also do it to the end, just as fiercely.”
“I know Vi loves Vietnam very much. She’s been away from the country since she was 12, but she speaks Vietnamese just like any other in Saigon. Vietnamese literature is in Vi’s veins. She never wanted to leave Vietnam. When my family immigrated to the US, I knew that my family had to convince me by saying that Vi should consider going abroad to study early, and must promise Vi that when she grows up, she will have the right to decide whether to continue in the US or return. Vietnam, only then will Vi agree to go.”
“And Vi’s biggest intention is to return to live in her homeland, whenever possible. Vi last came back in 2012 to volunteer for a humanitarian organization in the West.”
“Another thing is that Vi is extremely hard-working. When she started on this path, she had to learn a lot about Vietnam, from politics, law, to technical terms of these two fields. Vi even learning how to write a newspaper, and write Vietnamese newspapers in a way that is pure Vietnamese. Vi claims to be my “student” because I’m ahead of Vi in journalism.”
Commenting on the fundraising on the Gofundme page that is about to reach the number set by Vi Tran’s family, Mr. Long said:
“I’m really touched by everyone’s interest in Vi. It shows that the community always cares about those who dedicate themselves to the country. Kindness is everywhere. And that is the greatest hope. When we love Vietnam together, love each other and work together, there’s no reason why the country’s future isn’t bright.”
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