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Does Nguyen Quang A deserve the Human Rights Tulip Award?
Does Nguyen Quang A deserve the Human Rights Tulip Award?
2/10/16
The Human Rights Tulip (Dutch: Mensenrechtentulp) is an annual prize awarded by the Dutch
ministry of Foreign Affairs to a human rights defender or organization who
promotes and supports human rights in innovative ways. The Human Rights Tulip
was established in 2007 and presented for the first time on 10 December 2008. It
is intended to support human rights defenders and organisations, publicize
their efforts and inspire others.
This year of 2016, from amongst 91
nominees from around the world, 10 nominees were selected by the NGO Justice
& Peace. The 10 nominees are: Mwatana Organization For Human Rights
(Yemen), Mr Pierre Claver Mbonimpa (Burundi), Ms Nighat Dad (Pakistan), the El
Nadim Center (Egypt), Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres (Mexico), the
native community of Santa Clara de Uchunya (Peru), Centro Prodh (Mexico), Mr
Nguyễn Quang A (Vietnam), Ms
Nahid Gabralla (Sudan) and the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections
(LADE) (Lebanon).
Out
of the top 3 nominees chosen by public vote, foreign minister Bert
Koenders will select the winner, whom he will present with the award – a bronze
tulip-shaped statue - on International Human Rights Day, 10 December.
A
surprising thing when Nquyen Quang A, an anti-government individuals in Vietnam,
somehow, has been nominated for this award. According to the link (http://www.humanrightstulip.nl/candidates-and-voting/nguyen-quang-a,
email: tulip@justiceandpeace.nl),
Justice & Peace selected Nguyen Quang A because he encourages citizens to
claim their rights, which are enshrined in the Constitution in Vietnam; and he
inspires a large number of young people with his approach. But, does he deserve
the Tulip award?
To the jury of
Human Rights Tulip 2016 and The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
thousands of Vietnamese people, at home and abroad, strongly disagree and
protest his selection.
First, his attention of action is
not for promoting human rights but for his own economic gain. He was once funded
by the Vietnamese government to study overseas and while all his counterparts
had to go to war to protect the motherland from American invasion, he had the
opportunity to study in Hungary in order to serve his homeland better when he
finished the study. When he came back to Vietnam, he was given a good position
at the Technical Academy of Army. However, showing his incapability as a
scientist at the Academy, he left the job to pursue his business as computer
seller. Even though he was not a capable scientist, he proved to be a “smart”
businessman by faking the company’s net investment – from $4000 USD to $500.000
USD to be able to partner with a French company. He successfully tricked the
French company to invest in his business but the company continued to fail.
After that, he founded another company to sell computers, which was named 3C.
And he continued to commit tax fraud which brought the end to 3C. Despite his
successive failure, he still managed to accumulate a great fortune of millions
of dollars. To many people, this is quite difficult to know where all that
money comes from. Mr Quang A is surely not a person of transparency. Ending his
business career as a businessman with too many faults, he decided to move on to
another kind of business: establishing a think-tank called IDS. With the
support from many key members in the government, IDS quickly gained
international attention and started to receive fund as well as cooperation from
Harvard University. Again, tax fraud and not enough transparency of operation,
IDS was closed after about two years of functioning. After IDS, Mr Quang A and
other IDS’s former members became actively criticizing the Vietnamese
government to gain popular attention. Right here, many people have no choice
but to question the motives of Mr Quang A. Whether he became an activist
because he wanted to change Vietnam for the better, or it’s just another
economic venture. It seems that this venture hasn’t brought him much profit as
he has to fund demonstrations, prizes, reporters, journalists, bloggers. And
now, his political investment might have a first ever official foreign aid if
he wins the Human Rights Tulip 2016.
Second, his SOS book translation was
a disaster in terms of articulation and fluency. I am sure if the authors whose
books have been translated by Mr Quang A such as: Larry Diamond, Lisa Anderson,
Paul J. Carnegie…could read Vietnamese, they would be startled by the quality
of his translation. No wonder why after 15 years of translating books, he still
hasn’t dared to define himself as a book translator. And his books haven’t get
enough attention for the same reasons. How can young Vietnamese who are
beginners and starting to pick up some political terms understand what those
leading experts in politics and democracy write by reading the translation of
Mr Quang A? Moreover, the way he randomly chooses books to translate also
reveals that he does not have a strong political background. He does not select
books to help readers have an overview of different political idealism. He was
fond of the idea of democracy and so he focuses only on translating democratic
transition in the world. For what purpose? Is democracy the only option for
Vietnam? Are human rights all about democracy? Human rights are about how to
live better in terms of health care, environment, and intellectual curiosity.
Criticizing the government or demonstration on the streets doesn’t always help.
In fact, the oppression machine of the Vietnamese government is getting
stronger and more daring. If Mr Quang A chooses to be a messenger of knowledge
and wisdom, he has to train himself to translate, to write, to speak and to
spread good ideas better. He cannot continue being an amateur translator
forever.
Third, the Civil Society Forum,
which he starts, hasn’t done anything besides signing appeals or calls for
action since its establishment in 2013. The Forum consists of many Vietnamese
intellectuals but they haven’t contributed anything significant to the
Vietnamese intellectual environment. They gather under them many unemployed
people who just want to go on the streets to scream and then drink alcohol. The
impression of a Vietnamese human right activist is very often similar to a lazy
chronic drinker. A bunch of drinkers and a handful of incapable intellectuals
are leading the democratic transition in Vietnam. Not difficult at all for us
to foresee the future of human rights in Vietnam.
Human Rights Tulip Award is a distinguished and
honorable prize and therefore it must find the true and well-deserved winner. Mr
Nguyen Quang A is not that person. We would like to have the jury of Human
Rights Tulip 2016’s and The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ attention so
that the jury can make a better informed and more just decision. Nguyen Quang A
does not deserve to this award, we look forwards to see your wise decision and
great contribution to the human rights movement worldwide./.
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All comments [ 13 ]
I don't know this award, but if it is given to man like Nguyen Quang A, it is not a serious award.
Many human rights awards have not given to a rights persons, even nominees do not deserve to. So do not surprise when hear something like this.
Tulip award or just bullshit award!
Mr Quang A is surely not a person of transparency, even in his business and human rights activities.
The organizers of this award should consider carefully about this nominee if they want to keep its privilege.
No one would believe that Nguyen Quang A was nominated for this award. I think he is just a criminal or a anti-governmental element.
His activities do not bring any good things to the country's interests and to human rights or democracy to be awarded.
It's so ridiculous and stupid that any human rights prize would be given to him.
The answer is totally "NO".
Looking his face, there's no faith in this. I don't think he actually care about human rights or anyone's rights. Just for his benefits.
He and his fellows should be charged for what they have done not be awarded, even it's a trivial one.
Never see some one who violated a country's laws can be awarded. The Dutch government should take it seriously to not harm the two nations' relationship.
I hope not!
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