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Government of Free Vietnam
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| Anthem: Tiếng Gọi Công Dân Call to the Citizens |
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| Headquarters | Garden Grove, United States Missouri City, United States |
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| Official language(s) | Vietnamese, English | |||
| Government | Government in exile | |||
| - | Head of State | Nguyen Khanh | ||
| Establishment | ||||
| - | Proclaimed | 30 April 1995 | ||
| Website Official Website |
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Provisional Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN; ) is a paramilitary political[1] organization headquartered in Garden Grove, California, and Missouri City, Texas. On January 2, 2005, the Government of Free Vietnam's general assembly elected former General Nguyen Khanh, a former head of state of the Republic of Vietnam, as the GFVN's Chief of State.
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The Government of Free Vietnam is an anti-communist political organization that was established on April 30, 1995, by its founder Nguyen Hoang Dan. Its headquarters are in both Garden Grove, California and Missouri City, Texas.
Prior to 2005, the GFVN, was actively trying to remove the Communist government militarily, but due to the threat of being listed a terrorist organization, they ceased military operations. The current organization's goal is to remove the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam politically.
In 1995, Nguyen Huu Chanh was chosen as the Prime Minister, General Linh Quang Vien as Vice Prime Minister, Admiral Lam Nguon Tanh as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nguyen Khac Chinh as the Minister of Information, Nguyen Huy Dau as Minister of Justice, Nguyen Son Ha as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Edgar Foshee as Chairman of the International Committee, and Ngo Trong Anh as President of the advisory council.
The Government of Free Vietnam claims 6,000 members and 100,000 supporters. They also claim 75 chapters in Asia, Australia, and Europe. Although the GFVN prides itself on its widespread support, many argue that the GFVN never received a true mandate to represent the Vietnamese diaspora community.
On January 2, 2005, the Government of Free Vietnam's general assembly elected General Nguyen Khanh, a former head of state of the Republic of Vietnam, as the GFVN's Chief of State. Mr. Nguyen Huy Dau and Mr. Nguyen Khac Chinh, Esq. were also elected president of the Judiciary Council and the National Assembly, respectively.
The Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN) says the political goals of the organization are to:
In 1999, Vietnamese police arrested 38 members and seized 37 kilograms of explosives in connection with a plot to bomb statues of Ho Chi Minh to disrupt national Vietnam festivals. The individuals were suspected members of the Government of Free Vietnam.
In September 2000, the Government of Free Vietnam was alleged to be involved in arson at the Vietnamese Embassy compound in London, England.
In April 2001, the Government of Free Vietnam was alleged to have caused a bomb to explode at the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh, injuring a guard.
In September 2001, Philippine police charged three suspected members for allegedly plotting to bomb the Vietnamese embassy in Manila, they suspected that the Government of Free Vietnam was involved.
In October 2001, The Government of Free Vietnam gained greater attention when a member, Vo Duc Van, was arrested at John Wayne Airport (Orange County Airport) for the attempted bombing of the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The arrest led to an outcry by the Communist Vietnamese government to pressure the United States to shutdown the Government of Free Vietnam and led to FBI investigations into Nguyen Huu Chanh and the organization, and demonstrations in support of Vo Duc Van from Vietnamese American communities.
Recently, three US citizens were arrested in Vietnam for plotting to set up an anti-communist broadcast station within the country.
In 2004, Nguyen Huu Chanh promised to organize a political upheaval similar to Tiananmen Square Protest 1989 to overthrow Vietnamese communist government in year 2005, but this never materialized. Later, Nguyen Huu Chanh officially stepped down as leader of this organization.
The GFVN has an apparent budget of about US$1 million a year, mostly donated by Vietnamese businessmen around the world.