First Deputy Chairman Mrs Erna H. Solberg, right, (The Conservative Party) yesterday called on Vietnamese authorities on behalf of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Norwegian Parliament to release this years Rafto Prize recipient, Thich Quang Do. (26-SEP-06)
 
Based on a press release from the Rafto Foundation, this article has been prepared for publication by HRH / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

The Norwegian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs is currently conducting a trip around Asia. On Monday September 25th the Committee met with the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Vietnamese National Assembly. During these meetings, First Deputy Chairman Mrs Solberg raised, on behalf of the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Committee, the case of Thich Quang Do who is currently held in house arrest. Mrs Solberg asked that Quang Do is released from house arrest and permitted to travel to Norway to accept the Rafto Prize in November.

The Rafto Foundation could this weekend confirm that Thich Quang Do has received the message that he has been awarded the 2006 Rafto Prize. Penelope Faulkner, Vice-President of the Vietnam Committee on Human Rights, has talked with Quang Do over the phone. Faulkner tells that he is touched and glad to hear the news that he has been awarded this year’s prize. However, he does not believe he will be able to travel to Norway due to current circumstances. Thich Quang Do said that he is under house arrest. Moreover, he told Faulkner that he is Deputy leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, which is currently banned by the Vietnamese authorities. “As long as the UBCV remains banned, I remain an illegal citizen”, he said.

-We are very content that the Norwegian Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs raised the case of Thich Quang Do with Vietnamese authorities. The Rafto Foundation will now work actively with other human rights organization for the release of Quang Do from house arrest, so he himself can come to Bergen and accept the Rafto Prize. We are envisioning an international campaign to put pressure on Vietnam to release him alongside other political and religious prisoners, says Arne Liljedahl Lynngård, Chair of the Board of the Rafto Foundation.

On Thursday September 21 the Rafto Foundation decided to give this year’s Rafto Prize to the monk, researcher and writer Thich Quang Do. He receives the prize for his personal courage and perseverance through three decades of peaceful opposition against the communist regime in Vietnam. Thich Quang Do has through political appeals challenged the authorities to initiate a dialogue on democratic reforms, pluralism, religious freedom, human rights, and national reconciliation.

The Rafto Prize 2006 is awarded at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen Saturday November 4th at 13.00.

For further information, please contact:

Arne Liljedahl Lynngård (Chair of the Board of the Rafto Foundation)
Ph: (+47) 95152290
E-mail: arne@bts.no

Penelope Faulkner (Vice-President, Vietnam Committee on Human Rights)
Ph: (+33) 611 898 681
E-mail: pj.faulkner@free.fr

The Rafto Foundation
Menneskerettighetenes plass 1
NO-5007 Bergen
NORWAY
Ph: (+47) 55210950
E-mail: secretariat@rafto.no
Web: www.rafto.no