Do Hoang Diem
Encyclopedia
Đỗ Hoàng Điềm is the current chairman of Viet Tan. He was born in Saigon, Vietnam
, in 1963 and was elected to chairman in September 2006 at the 6th Party Congress.
on April 30, 1975, during the Fall of Saigon
. He arrived in the United States as a refugee
in June 1975. In 1984, he received his B.S.
degree from the University of California, Irvine
; in 1987, he graduated from the University of Houston
with an MBA degree. With his degree, he worked as a manager in various industries, including banking, entertainment, health care and electronics business.
Điềm became very active in the Vietnamese American
community. He served as the Vietnamese Professionals Society
’s first Board of Directors from 1991 to 1992, was a radio and TV talk show host for Little Saigon Broadcasting and also a member of the Executive Board of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California. Most notably, as a member of the Vietnamese Public Affairs Committee (VPAC) since 1994, a grassroots organization aiming to empower Vietnamese Americans, he testified numerous times in the US Congress
about human rights
violations in Vietnam, US-Vietnam relations, and other political issues.
Đỗ Hoàng Điềm joined Việt Tân during his college years.
As the current chairman of Việt Tân, Đỗ Hoàng Điềm frequently visits lawmakers in Washington, D.C. On May 29, 2007, he was invited by U.S. president George W. Bush
, along with three other Vietnamese-American activists to the White House on a meeting about Vietnam’s increasingly harsh treatment of anti-government activisits and an upcoming visit by Vietnam’s state president, Nguyen Minh Triet, to the United States. During the 45-minute meeting, Do Hoang Diem urged the president to increase pressure on Vietnam to respect human rights and asked for the United States to support openly democractic forces to bring change to Hanoi
. During Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit to the U.S., Đỗ Hoàng Điềm also met with House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi
shortly before her meeting with the Vietnamese state president to stress the importance of raising the issue of Hanoi's poor human rights record.
On March 12, 2008, he appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs to appeal to lawmakers to confront the issue of Việt Tân members being detained in Vietnam.
In September 2006 at the 6th Party Congress, he was elected to be the new chairman of Việt Tân, replacing the previous chairman, Nguyen Kim.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, in 1963 and was elected to chairman in September 2006 at the 6th Party Congress.
History
Đỗ Hoàng Điềm was born in Saigon in 1963 and escaped from VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
on April 30, 1975, during the Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
. He arrived in the United States as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
in June 1975. In 1984, he received his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
; in 1987, he graduated from the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
with an MBA degree. With his degree, he worked as a manager in various industries, including banking, entertainment, health care and electronics business.
Điềm became very active in the Vietnamese American
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
community. He served as the Vietnamese Professionals Society
Vietnamese Professionals Society
The Vietnamese Professionals Society is a non-profit worldwide membership organization of Vietnamese professionals of various technical, economic, medical, legal field. Its mission is to increase the knowledge and understanding of the social and economic conditions in Vietnam, to promote the...
’s first Board of Directors from 1991 to 1992, was a radio and TV talk show host for Little Saigon Broadcasting and also a member of the Executive Board of the Vietnamese Community of Southern California. Most notably, as a member of the Vietnamese Public Affairs Committee (VPAC) since 1994, a grassroots organization aiming to empower Vietnamese Americans, he testified numerous times in the US Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
about human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations in Vietnam, US-Vietnam relations, and other political issues.
Đỗ Hoàng Điềm joined Việt Tân during his college years.
As the current chairman of Việt Tân, Đỗ Hoàng Điềm frequently visits lawmakers in Washington, D.C. On May 29, 2007, he was invited by U.S. president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, along with three other Vietnamese-American activists to the White House on a meeting about Vietnam’s increasingly harsh treatment of anti-government activisits and an upcoming visit by Vietnam’s state president, Nguyen Minh Triet, to the United States. During the 45-minute meeting, Do Hoang Diem urged the president to increase pressure on Vietnam to respect human rights and asked for the United States to support openly democractic forces to bring change to Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
. During Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit to the U.S., Đỗ Hoàng Điềm also met with House Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
shortly before her meeting with the Vietnamese state president to stress the importance of raising the issue of Hanoi's poor human rights record.
On March 12, 2008, he appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs to appeal to lawmakers to confront the issue of Việt Tân members being detained in Vietnam.
Việt Tân membership
Diem joined Việt Tân in 1982 while he was still at university. After having been a member for almost ten years, he became the Southern Californian Regional Director from 1991 to 1995, afterwards he became the External Affairs Director from 1996 to 2004, and briefly held the position as the Policy Director in 2005-2006.In September 2006 at the 6th Party Congress, he was elected to be the new chairman of Việt Tân, replacing the previous chairman, Nguyen Kim.