September 26, 1997: Volume 41, Number 2

Phan Cites Letters in Father's Release As Political Prisoner in Vietnam

Minh Phan '96 may never know for sure, but his father's recent release after 16 years as a political prisoner in Vietnam may have had its start last spring when hundreds of friends at Union launched a letter-writing campaign.

At a reception last Wednesday in Thurston House, organized by students in the College's chapter of Amnesty International, Phan got to say "thank you" to some of those who sent 800 letters urging the release of his 77-year-old father, Hien Dinh Phan.

The elder Phan's release came unexpectedly on Aug. 24 as Minh Phan was visiting his family in Saigon, his first visit in nearly 10 years. The family had not been notified of the impending release, Phan said. The first clue came when local police called to ask why Hien Dinh Phan hadn't registered with them. Disbelieving, the family went to the camp and found the father packing his bags.

Vietnamese authorities "never mentioned anything about the letter campaign," Minh Phan said, "But I think it helped a lot."

The family had become increasingly concerned about the toll that prison life was taking on the elder Phan, and he was growing increasingly weak from malnutrition, Minh Phan said. As a last resort, the family agreed to the letter-writing campaign in March.

Union students and staff sent more than 800 letters appealing for the release of Phan, who held a variety of posts with the South Vietnamese government before the fall of Saigon in 1975. He was taken prisoner in 1981 for "counter-revolutionary" activities after not reporting to a political re-education camp, Minh Phan said.

"This is a wonderful example of what we can do at Union for someone who is on the other side of the world," remarked Kim Rohback '00, president of the College's chapter of Amnesty International.

Jody Mousseau '97, who as last year's head of the Amnesty chapter spearheaded the letter-writing campaign, is now teaching in Japan. "Things certainly did work out for the best," she said. "I am glad that Minh is so happy with the results.

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