Human Rights Watchdogs Urge Bush to Promote Religious Freedom in Vietnam

The Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai commenced a visit to the United States on Sunday 19th June 2005 in Seattle, the first stop on the four-city tour. It is the first visit of a Vietnamese official in U.S. since the Vietnamese War. A meeting with President Bush is scheduled for Tuesday.

During the visit and meeting with President Bush, PM Khai is expected to push to accelerate negotiations for Vietnam's membership to the World Trade Organisation by the end of this year.

However, many human rights watchdogs are urging President Bush to highlight the human rights and religious freedom issues during the talks.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) states although trade and military ties had increased, significant problems in bilateral relations - especially relating to human rights -would hinder further growth of the relationship.

"Vietnam's economic openness has not led directly to political openness, and freedoms of speech, assembly, association, and religion continue to be significantly restricted," vice-chair Nina Shea expressed.

Just recently, USCIRF designated Vietnam a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for persecuting minority Protestants, Catholics and independent Buddhists.

Open Doors USA ranks Vietnam as the third most dangerous country within 50 countries "where Christians suffer most for their faith."

President of Open Doors Dr. Carl Moeller joined the others urging President Bush to focus on religious freedom during the talks with PM Khai.

"Vietnam has made promises this year to give religious liberty to all groups - including Christians - and allow freedom to worship," he said.

"However, the reality is that Christians are still being arrested and harassed, especially the minority Montagnard Christians in the Central Highlands."

The Vietnamese-American Public Affairs Committee (VPAC) released a copy of a letter written to Bush and Khai by family members of three men serving lengthy prison terms for "espionage." They are asking Bush for his support and calls for Khai to "resolve this injustice."

Dozens of lawmakers joined the campaign sending a letter to President Bush to highlight human rights during the meeting: "We call on you to convey to Prime Minister Phan Van Khai our deep concern over the conditions of human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam," they said in a letter.

The demonstration on Tuesday will be held in Washington at Freedom Plaza, as PM Khai will meet President Bush in the White House. The rally is organised by four organisations; the Montagnard Foundation, the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation, the World Hmong Congress and the Tai Solidarity International.

They call on the U.S. Government to consider the respect of human rights and the promotion of democracy in Vietnam as necessary conditions to establish favourable political and economic relations with the Vietnamese Government, according to released Appeal to the US Government.

In a joint statement, the four groups said they represented indigenous peoples which had "paid the highest price since the Communist dictatorship took over South Indochina in 1975."

"We urge the US Congress and Government to use all its political and economic powers to pressure Vietnam to respect the basic rights of all the citizens of Vietnam such as the right to own our ancestral lands, the right to religious freedom, freedom of assembly and the right to democracy."