The “Phan Boi Chau Youth for Democracy” (in Vietnamese: Đoàn Thanh Niên Phan Bội Châu) is putting together a whole host of events to commemorate the end of the Vietnam War, which many people call “Black April” as it ushered in the dark age of communist rule over the country.
Phan Boi Chau was an early 20th-century anti-French activist and democracy theorist; he was also an early mentor of Ho Chi Minh, but allegedly was betrayed by the latter to the French secret police. The allegation was widely believed by their contemporaries, but has not been proven.
The PBC Youth for Democracy is one of the most politically active and aware organizations (youth or otherwise) in the Vietnamese-American community. They are also among the sharpest, coming up with some of the cleverest ways to call attention to the dismal human rights situation in Vietnam.
The PBC is also known for many of its prominent members. Its current president is Van Le, also an activist with UVSA and the anti-human trafficking group VietACT. Tammy Tran, the district director for State Sen. Lou Correa, is a co-founder of VietACT and a long-time member of PBC. Another of Correa‘s staffers, My-Dung Tran, is also a top PBC activist.
This year’s events include a fundraising car wash, a writing and art contest (deadline today; sorry, didn’t see that detail until now), a youth conference, and — here’s where the PBC’s cleverness shows again — a skit on the democracy movement in Viet Nam and the widely denounced decision by the ruling Communist Party to allow China to mine bauxite in the Vietnamese Central Highlands. For more on the bauxite mining issue, read here, here and here.
The text of PBC’s announcement follows the jump.
BLACK APRIL 2009 COMMEMORATION
Fountain Valley, CA – Doan Thanh Nien Phan Boi Chau Youth for Democracy (DTNPBC) along with many Vietnamese community organizations will join together in a series of events to commemorate the historic Black April 2009 Commemoration to honor the fallen soldiers and those who left everything behind in search of freedom and human rights.
We wish to continue to educate the Vietnamese youth community about the history and facts of our journey as well as remembering the sacrifices that the elder generation had made for us to live in a free and democratic America.
We invite you to join us on this historic commemoration of our history.
Calendar of Events
Car Wash to Fundraise for Democracy Activists in Viet Nam
When: Saturday, April 18th, 2009 @ 10am-2pm
Where: Brookhurst and Warner (Mobil Gas Station)
Black April Writing and Art Contest (Sponsored by Senator Lou Correa)
Start: April 1st, 2009- Deadline April 16th, 2009
Guidelines: Participants must be under 30 years old
Question: What does Black April mean to you?
Writing: Up to 400 words (poem, essay, lyrics)
Art: Water color, sculpture, weaving, etc…
Please submit an 8’’ X 10’’ picture with entry form
Submit to: dtnpbc@yahoo.com or mail to Senator Lou Correa’s District Office:
2323 N. Broadway, Suite 245
Santa Ana, CA 92706
2nd Annual Viet Nam Youth Conference
When: Saturday, April 25th, 2009 @ 3pm-6pm
Where: Westminster Civic Center (8200 Westminster Blvd, Westminster, CA 92683)
Black April Commemoration – Skit on Democracy Movement in Viet Nam and Bauxite Mining in Central Highlands
When: Saturday, April 25th, 2009 @ 6pm
Where: Freedom Park, All American Way, Westminster, CA 92683)
For more information about the upcoming events, please call Van Le at (720) 934-3914 or email at Letvan01@gmail.com.
DTNPBC is a youth organization founded in 1996 in Southern California to promote and preserve the Vietnamese culture, to participate in local activities to strengthen the Vietnamese community, and to support the democracy movement in Vietnam to bring true freedom, democracy and human rights for Vietnam.
I’ll be there, but the main concern is the local communists. Are the organizers letting them in? And how do you identify them? Won’t their cheap Russian cars rust from water? If so, why would they want a car wash?
Haha…..wow, a car wash for fundraising? That’s definately big time.
When is the lemonade stand going to open up? How about the bake sale?
Hey Xu: what are YOU doing for Vietnam? Before you start criticizing the efforts of others who care about making a difference for democracy for Vietnam, why don’t you bring your car for a wash or donate some of your cash to a great organization like PBC. If not, then shut your pie hole.
@Viet T.
Last time I checked this is America….. that means I can criticize all I want whether you like it or not.
My point is that this organization is a joke. What kind of serious political organization raises money using a carwash?
BTW, what business is it of yours what I do for Vietnam? If I wanted other people to know I would advertise it (but I don’t b/c what I do for Vietnam is my own personal business). When a person or organization goes out and advertises their events, they open themselves up for criticism…… that’s how things are done in America.
Free flow of thoughts and exchange of uncensored ideas bring about truth.
Hey Xu:
You’re a big shot. And it’s not my business what you do, I was highlighting the fact that you’re not putting yourself out there (in advertisements or otherwise) about yourself of your organizations efforts for Vietnam yet you sit back and criticize the efforts of a good organization that you call “a joke”.
It’s not a joke that DTNPBC is making a difference whether its having a car wash to raise money for democracy activists in Vietnam (every dollar counts), it’s not a joke that DTNPBC held an art exhibit to celebrate the Vietnam Heritage Flag, it’s not a joke that DTNPBC annually builds and hosts the Lang Vietnam (Vietnamese Cultural Village) at the Tet Festival for the last nine years, but it IS a joke that you can monday morning quarterback the efforts of the YOUTH of our community for the efforts that they make for Democracy for Vietnam.
Bottom line: you’re the joke buddy, for insulting a group of young people who love Vietnam and fight for freedom and democracy for our people.
Xu,
1. Last time I checked this is America….. that means : we have to maintain certain level of civility.
2. Last time I checked this is America….. that means : we discuss issues to seek understanding, and solution.
3. Last time I checked this is America….. that means : we (still) have a Vietnamese tradition of respect and common courtesy.
4. Last time I checked this is America….. that means : We have to stop the mentality of “Duoc lam Vua, thua lam giac”
@Viet T:
wow, you’re an idiot.
so let me get this straight. according to you, in order for anybody on the internet to be able to criticize anything, they need to post their own personal information online.
seriously, do you know how stupid that idea is? really? that is a really, really dumb idea.
Xu: resorting to calling me an idiot just means you’re a child who can’t articulate your thoughts in a mature and respectful fashion
Again, you can sit on your fat ass and criticize all you want, I’m taking my car to the corner of Warner and Brookhurst to get it washed and then I’m gonna donate a bunch of cash to a wonderful youth organization that is making a difference in fighting for democracy for Vietnam
Fyi: ill be wearing a green hat, why don’t you come out and call me an idiot to my face. Coward.
Xu: here’s what you can straight: you don’t NEED to do a damn thing for me, just back off making fun of a group of kids who are trying to, in their own way, raise money to fight for democracy for those who can’t in Vietnam.
Why don’t you come on down to the corner of Brookhurst and Warner and get your car washed? Donate some money to a great group of kids for a great cause and come call me an idiot to my face, you coward.
Oh and I will be wearing a green hat in case you have the stones to actually show up.
Xu: here’s what you can get straight: you don’t NEED to do a damn thing for me, just back off making fun of a group of kids who are trying to, in their own way, raise money to fight for democracy for those who can’t in Vietnam.
Why don’t you come on down to the corner of Brookhurst and Warner and get your car washed? Donate some money to a great group of kids for a great cause and come call me an idiot to my face, you coward.
Oh and I will be wearing a green hat in case you have the stones to actually show up.
Hey Viet T.
You mean a bunch of “kids” who are being manipulated to do Viet Tan’s bidding? Come on man. Who are you kidding?
The leaders of this group are not kids. They are all grown ups still wearing 16 year old underwears. Give us all a break.
xu: you are disgusting. im finished giving any further responses to you, its a waste of time and energy and you are a waste of flesh and space.
oh and what or who is Viet Tan? T is my last name….take a wild guess what it stands for….moron.
Oh ! !
So Viet T. Stands for Viet Tan, the group that killed their own leader “HCM” and stole millions.
They should have millions.
Could anyone answer if Phan Boi Chau group is another front of Viet Tan ?
old fart: you claim they stole millions? from who?
son,
You might be too young to know the whole history of HCM, son.
Viet Tan denied their own leader “HCM” being killed for 10 years, to transfer millions from their group into individual accounts. All franchise properties were split up between his cadres. They even made-up stories about HCM being in hiding and fighting communist. Most of the Pho Hoa are now in private hands.
They collected millions from people during the 80s and early 90s, when you were still in diaper. Khang Chien was later broken into several smaller factions, each with different version of events and accusations.
Even now, Viet Tan still do not offer any explanation for the cover-up.