West OC Times

Vietnamese American leaders and various community organizations have aligned with Representative Michelle Steel's initiative to secure a home in Canada for Y Quynh Bdap, a UN-recognized refugee and victim of religious persecution by the Communist Party of Vietnam. Currently, Bdap is facing extradition from Thailand back to Vietnam, following a Thai judge's ruling today that the extradition should proceed.

Rep. Steel has renewed her appeal to Canada’s Foreign Minister to facilitate Bdap's safe resettlement. This request comes after a similar demand in August, emphasizing that Bdap already has a pending resettlement case with the Canadian government. The Vietnam Human Rights Network, Boat People SOS, the Korean American Federation of Orange County, and Assemblyman Tri Ta are now joining this call for action. They have sent letters to Zaib Shaikh, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles.

“With the Royal Thai Government having up to 90 days to execute this consequential extradition, it is imperative that the Government of Canada expeditiously approve Y Quynh Bdap’s resettlement case,” wrote Rep. Steel. “Canada has an opportunity to right the Thai Government’s wrong in support of Vietnamese refugees fleeing religious persecution.”

The letters from community leaders highlight the dangers posed by communist regimes like the Vietnamese government concerning human rights violations.

“Many of us and those we represent risked their lives to flee the rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam,” wrote Tung B Nguyen, Executive Director of the Vietnam Human Rights Network. “We applaud Congresswoman Steel’s leadership and join her in imploring your government to take swift action to ensure Mr. Bdap’s safe resettlement to Canada before irreversible harm is done.”

Rep. Steel represents parts of Orange County and Los Angeles County, including Little Saigon, which hosts the largest population of Vietnamese outside Vietnam.