REPORT ON THE 77TH INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AND THE 2025 VIETNAMESE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD CEREMONY IN MONTRÉAL, CANADA

 

 

Vietnam Human Rights Network 

Montréal, Canada, December 7, 2025 -- The 77th International Human Rights Day and the Vietnam Human Rights Award Ceremony 2025 were solemnly held at the Singapore Hall of the Ruby Foo’s Hotel at 1:00 p.m. on December 27, 2025, in collaboration between the Vietnam Human Rights Network and the Vietnamese Community in Montréal and with the support of several Vietnamese refugee organizations around the world.

This is the second time the Vietnamese Community in Montréal has hosted the Vietnam Human Rights Awards Ceremony. The last time was in 2012. The ceremony was enthusiastically received by compatriots in the region and from faraway provinces and cities, despite the intense cold. In addition to the delegations from the Vietnamese Community of Toronto, Calgary, Saskatoon, and Ottawa, most of the new Executive Committee members of the Vietnamese Canadian Federation were present.

After welcoming the guests by Mr. Tran Van Nha, President of the Vietnamese Community of Montréal and Head of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Nguyen Ba Tung continued to discuss the significance of the Award Ceremony on the occasion of the 77th International Human Rights Day. He said: “This meeting has a special meaning different from previous years. The difference is that while the international community celebrates the 77th birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, our Vietnamese refugee community also celebrates the 50th anniversary of those basic rights being deprived by the most brutal political regime in human history.”

After mentioning the increasingly dire human rights situation in his homeland, he continued: “However, in that dark situation, there were bright spots, people who, despite violence, repression, and imprisonment, courageously stood up to challenge tyranny, determined to fight and protect the basic rights of the people and the integrity of their homeland. Three of those heroes that we honor today are prisoners of conscience Phan Tat Thanh, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh, and  Nguyen Chi Tuyen.”

The presentation of accolades and trophies constituted the ceremony's defining moment. In Vietnamese and French, Ms. Le Thi Kim Oanh and Dr. Tran Le Hong Phuc read out the laureates’ achievements in their human rights defense, as well as the hardships they endured.

As in previous awards ceremonies, none of the laureates were present to receive their awards, so the trophies were presented to their representatives.

Ms. Truong Bach Nga received the trophy on behalf of prisoner Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh from Dr. Nguyen Ba Tung; Ms. Tran Thi Bich Thoa from Calgary received the trophy on behalf of Nguyen Chi Tuyen from Mr. Tran Van Nha, President of the Vietnamese Community in Montréal; President of the Vietnamese Canadian Federation Tran Van Dong received the trophy on behalf of prisoner Phan Tat Thanh from Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, Chairman of the Committee to Support Vietnam’s Human Rights & Democracy Movement, Toronto.

After each recognition, the audience attentively watched videos of the laureates’ relatives on the big screen.

Following the awards ceremony, several guests were invited to speak. MP Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, although he had accepted the invitation to attend, was unable to do so due to unforeseen official duties. He sent a letter congratulating the three laureates and praising the organizing committee’s meaningful work. Former Senator Ngo Thanh Hai emphasized the responsibility of overseas Vietnamese to support human rights activists in Vietnam and the need for unity to create strength. Former political prisoner Vu Hoang Hai, representing the Overseas 8406 Bloc, clearly outlined the systematic human rights abuses by the current Vietnamese communist regime and the duty of overseas Vietnamese to support the struggle of human rights activists back in the country.

In response to the event organizers’ call, many groups and compatriots contributed financially to the Human Rights Award and the Lunar New Year gift program for the prisoner of conscience, both organized annually by the Vietnamese Human Rights Network.

Given the full presence of the new Executive Committee members of the Federation of Vietnamese Associations in Canada from various locations, the Organizing Committee dedicated time for the new Executive Committee to introduce themselves to compatriots in Canada and worldwide.

The awards ceremony program became more vibrant with two meaningful songs, “Who Are You” and “Love Song of Nguyen Thi Saigon,” performed by artists Ai Phuong and Chi Nhan.

The Vietnam Human Rights Award was established by the Vietnam Human Rights Network in 2002 to honor individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the defense of human rights for the Vietnamese people. The Vietnam Human Rights Award also aims to create a bridge of solidarity between Vietnamese people everywhere and individuals and organizations fighting for human rights in their homeland.

Since its establishment, the Vietnam Human Rights Award has been presented to 63 individuals and six organizations.

Over the past 22 years, the Award Ceremony has been held on International Human Rights Day in many cities worldwide, such as Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Melbourne (Australia), Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto (Canada), and several cities in the United States.

 

 

Return to main page