Respectfully to: The National Assembly and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

On the occasion of a press conference by the the Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia and New Zealand, at the Vietnamese Cultural Centre of the Vietnamese Community in NSW, today 30 June 2018, we are concerned at the impending loss of our national sovereignty to a foreign power.

The 3 Special Economic Zones located at 3 locations are Van Don (Quang Ninh province, North Vietnam), Bac Van Phong (Nhatrang), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang, South Vietnam) are three important areas for our national security.

However, provisions of the Bill on Special Economic Zones are of great concerns for Vietnamese people both inside and outside of Vietnam are:

1. Provisions that are land sellouts: Sub-section 1 section of 32 provides that the Chairperson of the People’s Committee of the Special Zone can lease out for a term up to 70 years and the Prime minister up to 99 years.

– Subsection 1 and 2 of section 37 provides “the chairperson of the people’s committee can choose the contractors”; subsection 5 and 6 of section 32 provides: the chairperson of the people’s committee of the special zone and the people’s council of the special zone decide on the confiscation of land to complete social and economic expansion projects

– Subsection 4 of section 46 provides: the chairperson of the people’s committee of the special zone decides on the use of foreign workforce of the foreign contractors in the zone.

B- Sections selling out our legal sovereignty, subsection 1 of section 6, provides if one party to the contract is a foreign individual or organization with head office in the special zone, both parties may agree as part of the contract to apply foreign laws or international customs. Subsection 3 of section 7 provides: disputes between investors relative to investment activities in the special zones, with at least one foreign investors, may be resolved by foreign courts.

C– Provisions selling out financial sovereignty, subsection 2 of section 50 of the draft law provides: within the special zone, contracts even among Vietnamese can be based on foreign currency.

D– Provisions denying language sovereignty, subsection 1d of section 29 provides: Free commercial areas in special zones operate commercial activities as follows: financial services, banking, insurance, logistics (using the English word Logistics)

In view of the above provisions, we strongly express our opposition to the National Assembly and the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:

First, we do not accept the 3 special economic zones of Van Don, Bac Van Phong and Phu Quoc for long term use by foreigners.

Second, we do not accept provisions ceding land, legal sovereignty, financial sovereignty and denying our language sovereignty.

Third, we do not accept the economic effect, because the economic effect is only government policy, the reality is to assist Communist China to invade our land, assimilate our people and swallow us like they are doing to Tibet.

Fourth, we do not accept the Internet Security Act, because it is anti-democratic, taking the people back to primitive stages of human history.

Sydney, Australia on 30 June, 2018

The Unified Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Australia and New Zealand
The Executive Council
Chairperson

Most Venerable Tich Bao Lac