In 1992, Tran's company became the intermediary between a small American company and a Vietnamese state company in an international transaction of cotton. Tran was subsequently arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment without a fair trial. In Quebec, a journalist's investigation uncovered details proving the injustice in Tran's case. 125,000 people signed a petition, which was supported by the Canadian Chambers of Commerce and the House of Commons. Tran was released in 1997 after much international pressure.
Countries now have to answer for their actions to the international community.
Fifty years later, the world moves closer to obtaining this universal standard and millions of people are active in the human rights movement. Yet, horrendous acts of human rights violations continue the world over. Organizers are inviting Canadian groups and associations of all kinds to mark the 50th anniversary of this important Declaration by having one or more of these men and women speak at their annual meeting or local event. Canadians are being asked to take 30 minutes of their time to witness these stories and to think about the ways that the rights and freedoms of the Universal Declaration can become a reality for all.