On February 13, 2001, The Reverend Tadeus Nguyen Van Ly spoke before Congress of the United States of America.
Here is part of that speech:
At this very moment, anywhere in our beloved country, one can see the slogan “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom.” Ironically, maybe because they are so precious and rare, it can be said very precisely that nobody anywhere in our entire country is living with independence or freedom. My absence from this forum is another clear evidence of that lack of independence and freedom. For years, young people in our country have walked with the banners of “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” through countless gatherings and marches. The fact is they still thirst and long for that true freedom.
On March 30, 2007, Father Nguyen Van Ly was jailed for peacefully opposing the communist regime in Vietnam.
But, rather than accept the sentence in silence, Father Ny lashed out at the communist regime.
“Down with the Communist Party of Vietnam!” Ly shouted, in a striking outburst in a country where dissent is harshly punished. A police officer then covered Ly’s mouth as he continued shouting, and removed him to a nearby room where the proceedings were broadcast on a loudspeaker. Ly, 60, has been jailed for his pro-democracy activities. (Flickr)
** This courageous moment was distributed across the globe on YouTube HERE.
This past week as Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet made his historic visit to the United States he was confronted by hundreds of protesters for his country’s crackdown on democracy activists and opposition voices.
In response to the latest political developments, Bridget Johnson put together a website to bring attention to the plight of Father Ny and the oppressed democracy activists in Vietnam. 
You can show your support for Father Nguyen Van Ly by putting this image in your blog sidebar or on your Web site and link to the Free Father Nguyen Van Ly so that readers across the world can learn more about the human-rights and free-speech abuses in Vietnam.
You are also encouraged to sign the petition condemning the Vietnamese government’s abuses of human rights. Make sure that our Congress and executive branch keep the Vietnamese people first.
And… Thank you for supporting democracy in Vietnam!
