{"id":2047,"date":"2013-04-11T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/queme.org\/en\/quc-hi-hoa-k-t-chc-iu-trn-v-tnh-trng-nhn-quyn-v-n-p-gio-hi-pht-gi2\/"},"modified":"2016-09-09T13:42:09","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T13:42:09","slug":"quc-hi-hoa-k-t-chc-iu-trn-v-tnh-trng-nhn-quyn-v-n-p-gio-hi-pht-gi2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/quc-hi-hoa-k-t-chc-iu-trn-v-tnh-trng-nhn-quyn-v-n-p-gio-hi-pht-gi2\/","title":{"rendered":"Qu\u1ed1c h\u1ed9i Hoa K\u1ef3 t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c \u0110i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n v\u1ec1 t\u00ecnh tr\u1ea1ng Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n v\u00e0 \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p Gi\u00e1o h\u1ed9i Ph\u1eadt gi\u00e1o Vi\u1ec7t Nam Th\u1ed1ng nh\u1ea5t t\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t Nam"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOA TH\u1ecaNH \u0110\u1ed0N, 11.4.2013 (QU\u00ca M\u1eb8) \u2013 \u00d4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i<\/strong>, Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u1ee6y ban B\u1ea3o v\u1ec7 Quy\u1ec1n L\u00e0m Ng\u01b0\u1eddi Vi\u1ec7t Nam<\/strong> c\u00f3 tr\u1ee5 s\u1edf t\u1ea1i Paris v\u00e0 Ph\u00e1t ng\u00f4n nh\u00e2n Vi\u1ec7n H\u00f3a \u0110\u1ea1o Gi\u00e1o h\u1ed9i Ph\u1eadt gi\u00e1o Vi\u1ec7t Nam Th\u1ed1ng nh\u1ea5t<\/strong> (GHPGVNTN) nh\u1eadn \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c th\u01b0 m\u1eddi c\u1ee7a D\u00e2n bi\u1ec3u Ed Royce<\/strong>, Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u1ee6y ban \u0110\u1ed1i ngo\u1ea1i H\u1ea1 vi\u1ec7n \u0111\u1ebfn \u0111i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n v\u1ec1 t\u00ecnh tr\u1ea1ng GHPGVNTN b\u1ecb \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p t\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t Nam.<\/p>\n

D\u00e2n bi\u1ec3u Chris Smith<\/strong> ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecda cu\u1ed9c \u0111i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n n\u00e0y d\u01b0\u1edbi \u0111\u1ec1 t\u00e0i \u201cN\u00eau b\u1eadt c\u00e1c vi ph\u1ea1m nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n c\u1ee7a Ch\u00ednh ph\u1ee7 Vi\u1ec7t Nam tr\u01b0\u1edbc cu\u1ed9c \u0110\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n gi\u1eefa hai n\u01b0\u1edbc Vi\u1ec7t M\u1ef9\u201d<\/strong><\/em>. Nh\u1eefng ng\u01b0\u1eddi \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c ch\u00ednh th\u1ee9c ghi t\u00ean t\u1ea1i cu\u1ed9c \u0111i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n l\u00fac 10 gi\u1edd s\u00e1ng ng\u00e0y th\u1ee9 n\u0103m 11.4.2013 g\u1ed3m c\u00f3\u00a0: C\u1ef1u d\u00e2n bi\u1ec3u Joseph Cao<\/strong>, \u00f4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i<\/strong>, Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u1ee6y ban B\u1ea3o v\u1ec7 Quy\u1ec1n L\u00e0m Ng\u01b0\u1eddi Vi\u1ec7t Nam ki\u00eam Ph\u00e1t ng\u00f4n nh\u00e2n Vi\u1ec7n H\u00f3a \u0110\u1ea1o GHPGVNTN, C\u00f4 Anna Buonya<\/strong>, Ph\u00e1t ng\u00f4n nh\u00e2n T\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n Ng\u01b0\u1eddi Th\u01b0\u1ee3ng, C\u00f4 Danh B\u00f9i<\/strong>, N\u1ea1n nh\u00e2n vi\u1ec7c bu\u00f4n b\u00e1n ph\u1ee5 n\u1eef, \u00d4ng Ti\u00ean Tr\u00e2n<\/strong>, N\u1ea1n nh\u00e2n C\u00f4ng gi\u00e1o \u1edf C\u1ed3n D\u1ea7u, v\u00e0 \u00f4ng John Sifton<\/strong>, Gi\u00e1m \u0111\u1ed1c \u00c1 ch\u00e2u c\u1ee7a T\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c Human Rights Watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\u00d4ng<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
\u00d4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n\u00d4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i k\u00eau g\u1ecdi Hoa K\u1ef3 h\u00e3y \u0111\u1ec1 c\u1eadp v\u1ea5n \u0111\u1ec1 \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p Gi\u00e1o h\u1ed9i Ph\u1eadt gi\u00e1o Vi\u1ec7t Nam Th\u1ed1ng nh\u1ea5t (GHPGVNTN) trong cu\u1ed9c \u0110\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n M\u1ef9 Vi\u1ec7t tu\u1ea7n n\u00e0y t\u1ea1i H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i. \u0110\u00e2y l\u00e0 cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n th\u01b0\u1eddng ni\u00ean t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c lu\u00e2n phi\u00ean t\u1ea1i th\u1ee7 \u0111\u00f4 Hoa Th\u1ecbnh \u0110\u1ed1n v\u00e0 H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i. V\u1ed1n \u0111\u1ecbnh k\u1ef3 t\u1eeb n\u0103m 2012, nh\u01b0ng Hoa K\u1ef3 \u0111\u00e3 t\u1ef1 \u0111\u1ed9ng h\u0169y b\u1ecf do t\u00ecnh tr\u1ea1ng nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n kh\u00f4ng \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c c\u1ea3i ti\u1ebfn t\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t Nam.<\/p>\n

Trong b\u00e0i \u0111i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n, \u00f4ng \u00c1i t\u1ecf v\u1ebb quan t\u00e2m t\u1edbi s\u1ef1 ki\u1ec7n B\u1ed9 Ngo\u1ea1i giao Hoa K\u1ef3 \u0111\u00e1nh gi\u00e1 th\u1ea5p nh\u1eefng s\u00e1ch nhi\u1ec5u v\u00e0 h\u0103m d\u1ecda m\u1ea1nh m\u1ebd m\u00e0 nh\u1eefng Ph\u1eadt t\u1eed th\u00e0nh vi\u00ean GHPGVNTN ph\u1ea3i ch\u1ecbu \u0111\u1ef1ng tr\u00ean m\u1ecdi l\u0129nh v\u1ef1c c\u1ee7a \u0111\u1eddi s\u1ed1ng th\u01b0\u1eddng nh\u1eadt. \u00d4ng n\u00eau tr\u01b0\u1eddng h\u1ee3p v\u1eeba x\u1ea9y ra cho Huynh tr\u01b0\u1edfng Gia \u0110\u00ecnh Ph\u1eadt t\u1eed L\u00ea C\u00f4ng C\u1ea7u, cho blogger Ph\u1eadt t\u1eed v\u00e0 nh\u00e0 v\u0103n Hu\u1ef3nh Ng\u1ecdc Tu\u1ea5n, cho H\u00f2a th\u01b0\u1ee3ng Th\u00edch Thanh Quang, ch\u00f9a Gi\u00e1c Minh, \u0110\u00e0 N\u1eb5ng, v\u00e0 c\u1ea3nh ng\u1ed9 kh\u1ed1n kh\u00f3 c\u1ee7a \u0110\u1ee9c T\u0103ng Th\u1ed1ng Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9 b\u1ecb qu\u1ea3n ch\u1ebf h\u00e0ng ch\u1ee5c n\u0103m tr\u01b0\u1eddng m\u00e0 ch\u1eb3ng c\u00f3 \u00e1n l\u1ec7nh. \u00d4ng \u00c1i k\u00eau g\u1ecdi Hoa K\u1ef3 \u201ch\u00e3y nh\u00ecn sau l\u1edbp b\u00f3ng b\u1eaby ng\u1ee5y trang c\u1ee7a c\u00e1i t\u1ef1 do c\u00fang ki\u1ebfn c\u1ee7a Nh\u00e0 n\u01b0\u1edbc, \u0111\u1ec3 th\u1ea5y r\u00f5 gi\u1ea3 t\u00e2m ti\u1ebfn h\u00e0nh \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p GHPGVNTN v\u00e0 c\u00e1c c\u1ed9ng \u0111\u1ed3ng t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o kh\u00e1c kh\u00f4ng \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c th\u1eeba nh\u1eadn t\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t Nam\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

V\u1ec1 cu\u1ed9c \u0110\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n s\u1eafp t\u1edbi \u0111\u00e2y, \u00f4ng \u00c1i nh\u1eadn x\u00e9t r\u1eb1ng \u201c\u0111\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i ch\u1ec9 th\u00edch \u0111\u00e1ng khi d\u1eabn t\u1edbi nh\u1eefng ti\u1ebfn b\u1ed9 th\u1eadt s\u1ef1\u201d<\/em>. \u00d4ng y\u00eau c\u1ea7u Hoa K\u1ef3 thi\u1ebft l\u1eadp nh\u1eefng \u0111i\u1ec3m chu\u1ea9n v\u00e0 khung th\u1eddi gian thi h\u00e0nh \u0111\u1ec3 b\u1ea3o \u0111\u1ea3m r\u1eb1ng Vi\u1ec7t Nam \u201ckh\u00f4ng s\u1eed d\u1ee5ng cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n nh\u01b0 t\u1ea5m ch\u1eafn \u0111\u1ec3 lung l\u1ea1c s\u1ef1 ki\u1ec3m tra qu\u1ed1c t\u1ebf tr\u01b0\u1edbc nh\u1eefng cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o v\u00e0 vi ph\u1ea1m nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n th\u00e1i qu\u00e1\u201d<\/strong><\/em>. \u0110\u1eb7c bi\u1ec7t trong cu\u1ed9c \u0110\u1ed1i tho\u1ea1i Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n t\u1ea1i H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i k\u1ef3 n\u00e0y y\u00eau c\u1ea7u Hoa K\u1ef3 k\u00eau g\u1ecdi Vi\u1ec7t Nam tr\u1ea3 t\u1ef1 do cho \u0110\u1ee9c T\u0103ng Th\u1ed1ng Th\u00edch Qu\u1ea3ng \u0110\u1ed9 v\u00e0 nh\u1eefng t\u00f9 nh\u00e2n v\u00ec l\u01b0\u01a1ng th\u1ee9c, \u0111\u1ed3ng th\u1edbi ph\u1ee5c h\u1ed3i quy\u1ec1n sinh ho\u1ea1t ph\u00e1p l\u00fd cho GHPGVNTN.<\/p>\n

Trong ph\u1ea7n khuy\u1ebfn ngh\u1ecb, \u00f4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i y\u00eau c\u1ea7u T\u1ed5ng th\u1ed1ng Obama \u0111\u1eb7t Vi\u1ec7t Nam tr\u1edf l\u1ea1i trong danh s\u00e1ch CPC v\u00ec nh\u1eefng cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u00e0n \u00e1p t\u1ef1 do t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o v\u00e0 vi ph\u1ea1m nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n\u00a0; c\u1eed \u0110\u1ea1i s\u1ee9 L\u01b0u \u0111\u1ed9ng v\u1ec1 T\u1ef1 do T\u00f4n gi\u00e1o tr\u00ean Th\u1ebf gi\u1edbi vi\u1ebfng th\u0103m Vi\u1ec7t Nam, g\u1eb7p g\u1ee1 r\u1ed9ng r\u00e3i m\u1ecdi th\u00e0nh ph\u1ea7n, k\u1ec3 c\u1ea3 c\u00e1c nh\u00e0 t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o b\u1ea5t \u0111\u1ed3ng ch\u00ednh ki\u1ebfn v\u00e0 nh\u1eefng th\u00e0nh vi\u00ean thu\u1ed9c c\u00e1c c\u1ed9ng \u0111\u1ed3ng t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o \u201ckh\u00f4ng \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c th\u1eeba nh\u1eadn\u201d\u00a0; th\u00fac \u0111\u1ea9y vi\u1ec7c \u1ea5n \u0111\u1ecbnh th\u1eddi \u0111i\u1ec3m vi\u1ebfng th\u0103m Vi\u1ec7t Nam c\u1ee7a B\u00e1o c\u00e1o vi\u00ean LHQ \u0111\u1eb7c nhi\u1ec7m t\u1ef1 do t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o m\u00e0 nh\u00e0 c\u1ea7m quy\u1ec1n Vi\u1ec7t Nam \u0111\u00e3 \u0111\u1ed3ng \u00fd tr\u00ean nguy\u00ean t\u1eafc\u00a0; v\u00e0 kh\u00f4ng h\u1eadu thu\u1eabn cho Vi\u1ec7t Nam l\u00e0m th\u00e0nh vi\u00ean H\u1ed9i \u0111\u1ed3ng Nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n LHQ nhi\u1ec7m k\u1ef3 2014 \u2013 2016 bao l\u00e2u Vi\u1ec7t Nam ch\u01b0a c\u1ea3i ti\u1ebfn nh\u00e2n quy\u1ec1n th\u1eadt s\u1ef1.<\/p>\n

Sau \u0111\u00e2y l\u00e0 to\u00e0n v\u0103n b\u1ea3n \u0111i\u1ec1u tr\u1ea7n b\u1eb1ng Anh ng\u1eef c\u1ee7a \u00f4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i\u00a0:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The States Policy of Repression
\nagainst the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

VO VAN AI<\/strong>
\nPresident, Vietnam Committee on Human Rights &
\nInternational Spokesman of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam<\/div>\n

Honourable Chairman,
\nDistinguished Members of Congress,<\/p>\n

Thank you for inviting me to testify on behalf of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), the largest and oldest religious organization in Vietnam. It is especially important to be able to testify in advance of the U.S.-Vietnam dialogue because, in the light of the latest Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, I am concerned that the State Department does not fully realize the gravity of Vietnams relentless repression of the UBCV.<\/p>\n

In August last year, when U.S. Ambassador David Shear visited UBCV Patriarch Thich Quang Do at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery where he is under house arrest, Thich Quang Do expressed the same concern. He said: \u201cWhilst appreciating the State Departments reports of abuses against the UBCV, we are concerned that they portray but a pale picture of the systematic Police pressures, harassment and intimidation faced by UBCV Buddhists in every aspect of their daily lives\u201d.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The assessment of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has made several in-country visits to Vietnam, is much closer to the truth. Describing the UBCV as \u201cVietnams largest religious organization with a history of peaceful social activism and moral reform\u201d<\/em>, the USCIRF reported \u201cmarked increases in arrests, detentions, and harassment of groups and individuals viewed as hostile to the Communist Party\u201d<\/em> in 2012, including the UBCV which, it stated, \u201chas faced decades of harassment and repression for seeking independent status and for appealing to the government to respect religious freedom and related human rights\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Vietnams deceptive religious policy, with its mixture of subtlety with sheer brutality, may at first seem hard to fathom. But I call upon Congress and the State Department to look behind Hanois mask, beyond the veneer of State-sponsored freedom of worship, and recognize the full extent of religious repression against the UBCV and other non-recognized religions in Vietnam. These are the issues that the U.S. must raise loud and clear in tomorrows dialogue with Hanoi.<\/p>\n

Over the past year, violations of religious freedom and human rights have increased in Vietnam, at the USCIRF has observed. To avoid international outcry, Vietnam implements a policy of what I call \u201cstealth repression\u201d; instead of sentencing Buddhist leaders at public trials, the authorities detain them under house arrest, isolate them from their followers, cut off communications, place them under surveillance and deny them the right to travel and meet together. Foreign visitors to UBCV monasteries are assaulted and harassed. Police routinely disband religious gatherings and prevent UBCV pagodas from celebrating festivals such as the Vesak (Birth of Buddha) and the Lunar New Year. The authorities even seek to strangle the UBCVs economic survival by threatening to fire Buddhists from their jobs or have their children expelled from school if they support the UBCV. To avoid surveillance, UBCV followers often come at dawn to deposit food and offerings outside pagoda gates.<\/p>\n

Following the Chinese model, Vietnam deploys special agents and \u201cReligious Security Police\u201d (c\u00f4ng an t\u00f4n gi\u00e1o)<\/em>, some disguised as monks, to infiltrate, slander and divide the Buddhist community and undermine it from within. The aim is to slowly stifle and suppress the UBCV by creating a permanent climate of fear in which followers dare not express their beliefs. Today, as this Hearing takes place, new evidence from Vietnam indicates that the authorities are intensifying persecution and seeking by every means to intimidate, harass and silence members the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam:<\/p>\n

\n– Just last week, Buddhist blogger and writer Huynh Ngoc Tuan<\/strong> and his family were the victims of base intimidation. At midnight on 3 April, two men on a motorbike threw buckets of water mixed with rotten fish and excrements into his home in Quang Nam. Huynh Ngoc Tuan, who has spent 10 years in prison (1992-2002) for his articles on religious freedom and human rights, was one of five Vietnamese bloggers awarded this years Hammel-Hammet award for persecuted writers, along with his daughter Huynh Thuc Vy. His son, Huynh Ngoc Tuan tried to travel to the US to receive the prize on their behalf, but was stopped at the airport and banned from boarding the plane;<\/p>\n

– In March 2013<\/strong>, Buddhist youth leader Le Cong Cau<\/strong> was interrogated intensively for three days by Security Police in Hue because he posted articles on the Internet calling for the legalization of the UBCV. Police said that by advocating for the UBCV rather than the State-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC), he was \u201csowing divisions between religious followers\u201d<\/em>, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison under Article 87 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code. Police also threatened to sentence him with up to 20 years in prison for \u201canti-State propaganda\u201d<\/em> (Article 88 of the Criminal Code). Le Cong Cau is head of the UBCVs Buddhist Youth Movement (Gia \u0111\u00ecnh Ph\u1eadt t\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam)<\/em>, an unofficial educational movement which has over 500,000 members in Vietnam.<\/p>\n

– During the interrogation, the Head of the Hue Provincial Security Police told Le Cong Cau that Vietnam would never accept to legalize the UBCV<\/strong>. This reveals the cynical duplicity of Vietnams religious policies, which on the one hand claim internationally to be moving towards religious freedom, but on the other categorically reject all religious groups that refuse the political dictates of the Communist Party of Vietnam;<\/p>\n

– Monks, nuns and followers of over 20 UBCV provincial boards<\/strong> set up to bring spiritual and humanitarian aid to poor people in the provinces are harassed, interrogated and prevented from carrying out educational and charitable activities, notably in the provinces of Quang Nam-Danang<\/strong>, Thua Thien Hue<\/strong>, Binh Dinh<\/strong>, Khanh Hoa<\/strong>, Ba Ria-Vung Tau<\/strong>, Dong Nai<\/strong>, Hau Giang<\/strong> and An Giang<\/strong>;<\/p>\n

– For the past three years, the Peoples Committee in Danang has strictly prohibited Vesak celebrations at the Giac Minh Pagoda<\/strong>, deploying hundreds of Police and security officials to block all entries to the building, forcibly obstructing and assaulting Buddhists who tried to take part, and prohibiting the monks from reading the traditional Vesak Message by UBCV Patriarch Thich Quang; In August 2012, Superior monk Venerable Thich Thanh Quang<\/strong>, head of the UBCV Youth Department, was brutally beaten by a gang of plain clothed security agents under the eyes of the Police, who made no attempt to intervene;<\/p>\n

– The most tragic victim of Vietnams repression is the UBCV Patriarch Thich Quang Do<\/strong>, 85, currently under house arrest at the Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Saigon and detained almost without interruption since 1982. Denied freedom of movement and citizenship rights, fforbidden even to preach in his Monastery and under constant Police surveillance, this revered dissident and Nobel Peace Prize nominee remains a symbol of the movement for democracy, and continues to challenge the government on religious freedom and human rights. In March, during a public debate on reforming the Vietnamese Constitution, Thich Quang Do urged the Communist Party to embark on a \u201cPath of Peace\u201d \u2013 a path of multi-party democracy which will lead our people to stability, development and happiness\u201d<\/strong><\/em>.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Alongside political repression, Vietnam also uses the law to restrict religious freedom. In January 2013, \u201cDecree No. 92\u201d<\/strong> on religious organizations and religious activities came into effect, replacing Decree No. 22, which was issued in 2005. Buddhist and Christian leaders alike have criticized the new Decree for its use of vague and ambiguous terminology, and for introducing new bureaucratic obstacles to the peaceful and lawful activities of religious believers. Although the new Decree reduces the timeframe in which the authorities must respond to applications for registration and introduces some measures to improve transparency, the Decree as a whole is aimed at increasing control and management rather than the protection of religious freedom.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Vietnam invokes vaguely-worded \u201cnational security\u201d provisions in the Criminal Code to criminalize the peaceful religious activities. Ordinance 44 authorizes the detention of religious and political dissidents under house arrest, in labour camps or in psychiatric hospitals without any due process of law.
\nMr. Chairman,<\/p>\n

Vietnam seeks to suppress the UBCV not only because it is a religious movement, but because it is one of the most vocal civil society movements in Vietnam. In this one-Party state, where there is no political opposition, no independent media, no free trade unions, the religious movements, in particular the UBCV, are the sole independent voices that the Party has failed to suppress. Religious freedom is thus the key to peaceful progress towards a pluralistic and vibrant society based on respect for human rights and the rule of law.<\/p>\n

Recommendations for the Human Rights Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n– The U.S.-Vietnam human rights dialogue as a viable policy tool. But it must not become an end in itself. At its Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations in 2009, Vietnam declared that its engagement in dialogue with the US, the EU and other countries \u201cproved\u201d that it respects human rights. This is surely not Americas view. The dialogue is only relevant if it leads to substantive progress. The United States should set benchmarks and a concrete time-frame for human rights improvements wherever possible, and ensure that Vietnam does not use the human rights dialogue as shield to deflect international scrutiny from its egregious violations of religious freedom and human rights<\/strong>.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For the upcoming dialogue, I urge you to press Vietnam to:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n– release prisoners of conscience in prison or under house arrest for their nonviolent religious activities or convictions; release UBCV Patriarch Thich Quang Do as a matter of urgent priority and restore his full freedoms and rights;<\/p>\n

– re-establish the legitimate status of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and all other non-recognized religions so they can contribute to the social and spiritual welfare of the Vietnamese people;<\/p>\n

– rescind or review all legislation that restricts the exercise of religious freedom in contravention of Article 18 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;<\/p>\n

– fix a date for the in-country visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief<\/strong> to which Vietnam has agreed; allow a visit by the UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and Human Rights Defenders, as well as a follow-up visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to monitor the situation of human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience in Vietnam.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Recommendations for U.S. Policy<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n– the U.S. should heed the recommendation of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom to re-designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern<\/strong> for its egregious violations of religious freedom and related human rights;<\/p>\n

– the US Ambassador-at-large on International Religious Freedom should make an in-country visit to Vietnam<\/strong> and meet with a wide range of stakeholders, including religious dissidents and members of non-recognized religious bodies as well as government and religious officials; in preparation for this trip, the Ambassador should consult widely<\/strong> with international experts and overseas-based civil society representatives of religious movements in Vietnam;<\/p>\n

– religious freedom should be mainstreamed into legislation regarding the US-Vietnam trade relationship. In the absence of a \u201chuman rights clause\u201d in bilateral trade agreements, the Vietnam Human Rights Act<\/strong> should be passed to link trade relations to the respect of religious freedoms and human rights;<\/p>\n

– Vietnam rejected many concrete recommendations made by the United States at its Universal Periodic Review in May 2009, and it has failed to uphold its binding commitments to respect UN standards and norms. Therefore, I urge the United States not to support Vietnams bid for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for 2014-2016 which will be voted at the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York in September 2013<\/strong>.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Vo Van Ai<\/strong>
\nWashington D.C., April 11. 2013<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HOA TH\u1ecaNH \u0110\u1ed0N, 11.4.2013 (QU\u00ca M\u1eb8) \u2013 \u00d4ng V\u00f5 V\u0103n \u00c1i, Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u1ee6y ban B\u1ea3o v\u1ec7 Quy\u1ec1n L\u00e0m Ng\u01b0\u1eddi Vi\u1ec7t Nam c\u00f3 tr\u1ee5 s\u1edf t\u1ea1i Paris v\u00e0 Ph\u00e1t ng\u00f4n nh\u00e2n Vi\u1ec7n H\u00f3a \u0110\u1ea1o Gi\u00e1o h\u1ed9i Ph\u1eadt gi\u00e1o Vi\u1ec7t Nam Th\u1ed1ng nh\u1ea5t (GHPGVNTN) nh\u1eadn \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c th\u01b0 m\u1eddi c\u1ee7a D\u00e2n bi\u1ec3u Ed Royce, Ch\u1ee7 t\u1ecbch \u1ee6y …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":375,"featured_media":28363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-tin-ubbvqlnvn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/375"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/queme.org\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}