•  Mr. Terry Carlbom
  International Secretary
• Mrs. Jane Spender
  Administrative Secretary
  International PEN
  9/ 10 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Rd.
  London EC 1 M 7 AT
  England

Dear Mr. Carlbom:

First, let me introduce myself to you. I am Editors-in-Chief of Dai Chung magazine, which is published in Washington D. C., and distributed worldwide.

I am writing to you on behalf of Dai Chung magazine’s writer, most of whom are members of VWAC. After careful consideration of your letters dated 6/10/2000, and studying the facts, we have heard a lot of conflicting statements among VWAC members over the last 5 years. In accordance with our neutral policy, we have carefully studied the information and have been in touch with your "Collaborators" whom you listed on your email. We fell that is a good time for us to remind you of "REALITY" and "TRUTH":

• The fact of the matter is that you have taken sides with a group of people. Consequently, you are serving as an instrument of one part to erase another part. There was a VWAC PRE-FABRICATED EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE formed by you and Mrs. Minh Duc Hoai Trinh. That is the very easy and dirty way to "reconcile" and "reunite" our VWAC. But you always boast that you are an impartial, honest arbiter! [Maybe you bypassed your colleagues on the Board and went ahead with the deal!].

• Apparently, you do not completely grasp the scope of VWAC internal conflict. You do not even know who are the genuine VWAC members, who is good and who is bad, who is a good writer or bad writer (refer your letter). Consequently, how can you hope to control the VWAC Congress or count ballot votes?

• Given these circumstances, your presence at the VWAC congress demonstrates your willingness to serve as puppets in a low comedy. Your brazen intervention from outside can only damage the VWAC spirit and tradition. Furthermore, it also source of pain to all Vietnamese writers (member or non-member alike) and to the worldwide Vietnamese Community.

More importantly, as an International Secretary, you have violated the PEN Charter, Part I, Article 3, paragraph (a), (d), (e). Using the name of International PEN and the Moscow Resolution as an umbrella, you usurp our AUTONOMOUS RIGHT. [according to Regulations of PEN Charter, part I, Article 2, Centres, paragraph (e): "Every Centre shall be Autonomous subject to these Regulations"].

Your rude intervention into our internal conflict recalls the painful history of our recent past, when our people were under the domination of the EUROPEAN COLONIALIST!

In brief, we believe that it is best for you to leave the VWAC to those who understand its history and actual players. An inexperience outsider cannot possibly the result the internal conflict within the VWAC. Your intervention cannot be helpful on any level and it may well further aggravate the conflict within the VWAC.

Hoping that our voice can help clarify some issue, we remain, Mr. Carlbom.

Sincerely yours,
Hoai Thanh
Editors-in-chief

c/c: Mr.HomeroAridjis
President International PEN
Mrs Jane Spender
Administrative Secretary