The Vietnamese Canadian Federation held a rally in Ottawa on Sunday in solidarity with people back home who also want democracy, and to decry China’s annexation of land and sea territories owned by Vietnam.
Spokesperson Lam Chan Dho gathered Vietnamese associations from various cities (Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Sherbrooke) in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa. The group then moved to the Vietnamese Embassy.
“The Vietnamese government is fighting against our own people. They put dissidents in prison, and security forces kill people. They confiscate people’s land without paying for it and then resell it to people who [use it to] develop golf courses,” he said.
Dho also talked about the trial of a well-known lawyer in Vietnam who was jailed for “anti-state propaganda activities” when he spoke in favour of the democracy movement. Last year, Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by three years of house arrest.
