To expose and condemn the baseless campaign of smearing and defamation of VCA-VIC Executive Committee members and volunteers.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
The Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Community in Australia–Victorian Chapter (VCA- VIC) would like to inform you that a baseless campaign of smearing and defamation of VCA-VIC Executive Committee members and volunteers has been taking place aiming to discredit our Executive Committee and causing further division within our community. The victims include Mr Pho Quoc Van, Mr Tran Dong and Sculptor Le Phu.
This campaign was organised or participated by several members of the Board of Directors, Leaders, and supporters of the Vietnamese Museum Australia Ltd (VMA Ltd). They used all means of online social media such as YouTube, Facebook, emails, petitions and text messages to attack the victims.
Specifically, they mobilised and organised a rally on February 9, 2023, at the front door of the VCA- VIC Office at 1/56 Nicholson St, Footscray 3011. VMA Ltd has illegally used this address to be its business address.
On the 6th of February 2023, Mr Bruce Mildenhall, Chair of the Board of Directors, VMA Ltd, released an Open Letter to all members of the Vietnamese community in both English and Vietnamese. He publicly revealed that at the Richmond Lunar New Year Festival, on the 5th of February 2023, there was a discussion among themselves about a rally being organised for Thursday, 9th of February 2023. In the Vietnamese version, he mentioned the target of the rally was Mr Pho Quoc Van, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of VCA-VIC.
Immediately, on the 6th of February 2023, we sent a letter to Mr Bruce Mildenhall that strongly condemns his letter’s contents. Without a doubt, the letter had been written with malicious intention and was part of a well-orchestrated plan to cause further division within our community. We have warned VMA Ltd to take full responsibility for its actions.
However, the rally still took place on the above date and among the participants were Directors, Leaders, and supporters of VMA Ltd. These people slandered Mr Pho Quoc Van and accused him of having discriminatory views, betrayal and opposing Australia. They also vilified and defamed him, some even claimed that Mr Van should return to Vietnam to live with and work for the Viet Cong (Vietnamese communists).
Mr Pho Quoc Van has become the rally target and a victim of potential further abuse by the extremist elements from the VMA Ltd supporters and the wider community. This is a blatant violation of his fundamental human rights, including privacy. VMA Ltd and rally organisers are held fully accountable for any harm to Mr Pho Quoc Van, physically, mentally and reputation, and to VCA-VIC members who have been attacked.
Article 6.6 of the VCA-Vic Constitution on “the Right to be protected” clearly states that: “The members of the Executive Committee and/or the members who are appointed to carry out tasks are protected by the community while carrying out their duties in accordance with the Constitution.”
The Executive Committee will make official complaints to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.
Our community cannot accept or tolerate the baseless acts of smearing and defamation that have happened, are happening and will happen. We need to protect the victims of bullying and abuse resolutely. We will take legal action to bring justice to the victims.
We earnestly urge everyone in the Vietnamese community, within your legal rights, to act within the law, using all lawful means available to fight against the extremist elements destroying our community’s cohesion.
For the Executive Committee,
Duy Quang Nguyen
President
