LLQDVN-Lofgren calls on Sec

Representative Lofgren Calls on Secretary of State Rice to Address Human Rights During Vietnamese Visit to Washington

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to Visit United States

Washington, D.C. - Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to insist that Vietnam make significant improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights. In a recent letter to Secretary of State Rice, Rep. Lofgren asked that the Secretary directly address these concerns with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on their March 15, 2007 meeting in Washington , DC . Additional signatories to the letter include: Vietnam Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, and Rep. Chris Smith; and, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.

The complete text of the letter is below:

March 12, 2007

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington , D.C. 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

We write to express our strong concerns about the recent escalation of human rights violations occurring in Vietnam . We respectfully request that you use the upcoming visit by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to insist that Vietnam make substantive improvements in the protection of religious freedom, free speech, and other basic human rights.

There recently have been a number of arrests and harassment by Vietnamese authorities regarding religious and political practices. This week Vietnamese human rights attorney Nguyen Van Dai, a founder of the Committee for Human Rights in Vietnam, was arrested for what authorities called, "conducting propaganda activities to harm the security of state." These same charges were used to remove Father Nguyen Van Ly earlier this year from his Catholic parish. These accounts magnify Vietnam 's continued oppression of religious and political speech. The situation in Vietnam can best be described in the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2006 Annual Report, which states:

The government of Vietnam continues to commit systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom by harassing, detaining, imprisoning, and discriminating against leaders and practitioners from all of Vietnam 's religious communities. Religious freedom conditions in Vietnam remain poor, and the overall human rights situation has deteriorated in the past two years. The government has targeted popular religious leaders, intellectuals, free speech and democracy advocates, and members of ethnic and religious minority groups, who are accused of encouraging "peaceful evolution," a term used to describe anyone suspected of quietly eroding the Communist Party's legitimacy.

United States of America has a long and honorable tradition of safeguarding freedom and human rights throughout the world, especially with our trading partners. No exception should be made for Vietnam . We hope that you will take this upcoming opportunity with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem to address these issues and work towards improving the human rights that the Vietnamese people so rightfully deserve.

Sincerely,
Zoe Lofgren                                 Tom Davis
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus                        Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus

Loretta Sanchez                      Chris Smith
Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus                      Co-Chair Vietnam Caucus

Jeff Fortenberry
Member of Congress