State Department asked to put Vietnam back on the Countries of Concern list on religious freedom.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
By DENA BUNIS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (California, USA)
WASHINGTON - A group of bipartisan lawmakers Tuesday called on the Bush administration to put Vietnam back on the State Department's Countries of Concern list when it comes to religious freedom.
At a hearing on the state of human rights in Vietnam, lawmakers told a Foreign Affairs subcommittee that ever since Vietnam was granted most favored nation trading status and admitted into the World Trade Organization, human rights abuses have escalated.
"Now the Vietnamese have their desired trade status, yet they continue to harass and detain individuals who promote democracy, human rights and religious freedom,'' Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, told the panel. Sanchez and Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach and Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, urged that Vietnam be put back on the list.
But the State Department's witness said progress has been made on the religious front even in the midst of a crackdown on political activists.
Being on the Country of Concern list "really suggests a very, very severe problem in religious freedom,'' said Scot Marciel, a deputy assistant secretary of state. "Our view is that Vietnam has made significant progress and failing to recognize that progress would send the wrong message, not only to Vietnam, but elsewhere.''
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who like Sanchez represents a district with a large Vietnamese American population, was skeptical about Marciel's contention that there has been progress.
"I really don't see that we're pushing as hard as we should,'' Lofgren said. "Unless we come up with some teeth to what we're saying, the nose thumbing will continue.''
The House earlier this year passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act by a vote of 414-3. The bill would curtail future increases in foreign aid to Vietnam unless progress is made on human rights and other issues.
The measure is stalled in the Senate. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is expected to hold a hearing soon on the issue.
Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
By DENA BUNIS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (California, USA)
WASHINGTON - A group of bipartisan lawmakers Tuesday called on the Bush administration to put Vietnam back on the State Department's Countries of Concern list when it comes to religious freedom.
At a hearing on the state of human rights in Vietnam, lawmakers told a Foreign Affairs subcommittee that ever since Vietnam was granted most favored nation trading status and admitted into the World Trade Organization, human rights abuses have escalated.
"Now the Vietnamese have their desired trade status, yet they continue to harass and detain individuals who promote democracy, human rights and religious freedom,'' Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, told the panel. Sanchez and Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach and Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, urged that Vietnam be put back on the list.
But the State Department's witness said progress has been made on the religious front even in the midst of a crackdown on political activists.
Being on the Country of Concern list "really suggests a very, very severe problem in religious freedom,'' said Scot Marciel, a deputy assistant secretary of state. "Our view is that Vietnam has made significant progress and failing to recognize that progress would send the wrong message, not only to Vietnam, but elsewhere.''
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, who like Sanchez represents a district with a large Vietnamese American population, was skeptical about Marciel's contention that there has been progress.
"I really don't see that we're pushing as hard as we should,'' Lofgren said. "Unless we come up with some teeth to what we're saying, the nose thumbing will continue.''
The House earlier this year passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act by a vote of 414-3. The bill would curtail future increases in foreign aid to Vietnam unless progress is made on human rights and other issues.
The measure is stalled in the Senate. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is expected to hold a hearing soon on the issue.
Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
19 comments:
What is a bunch of balooka (US Lawmakers?)
Vietnam will reformed on its own term. Anyone, try to play game will be dead meat. You got that, you retarded fools?
And that goes for Burma as well.
Please do something, Khmer Krom needs religious right and freedom.
Uncle Sam please open up your black list ,the Viet has never forgot to treat Kampuchea krom,Laos and Cambodia very bad, please put more satellite ,CIA and unman plane to spy one or two more years until they respect religious and human right then will grant them
Wrong, 7:27, Ah Khmer-Yuons need to get off their obese asses and go to school and work like everyone else.
A Yuon Si Chke must go to where you belong.
i support Hanoi and KR....go ! go!
This animal Viet troller @8:58 AMpretending to be Khmer speaking for Khmer must be stopped at all cost. WE know who this animal is! Go home Viet troller! Go home Vietcong!
Dear USA government,if you do not poke your nose in Vietnam business they won't starve and death,be cause all the stealing from it neighbors=Laos Cambodia and Kampuchchea krom the viet trollers still survive hundred years.
Thank you Uncle SAM!
It is time to make the fucken Vietcong racist mother fucker respect the basic human right of the Khmer Krom people! No more ground should be given to the Vietcong animals!
Nope, no one has complaint about the Vietcong human rights in Vietnam except for Ah evil Khmer-Yuon criminals.
Hey A YOUN see ske 12:59PM.
Only your mom were rapped by the Vietcong, that is why she gave birth to a person like you that is why you dont know that the YOUN vietcong is on the International Spotlight about violating the Human Rights of the people in Vietnam.
Dont try to fool Khmer-Krom people as a Khmer-YOUN. We, Cambodian in Cambodia now know that YOUR VC father has used so many tricks toward our Khmer, that is why we all know you now. So stop trying to use the dirty to make our Khmer (Khmer Lue, Khmer Kandal, and Khmer Krom) confused.
You are a YOUN who works for the VC blood sucker regime. You try to make our Khmer to hate Khmer Krom because your freaking government scare our Khmer united together now. This is why you try to propagate using dirty trick calling Khmer Krom as a Khmer-YOUN. If your blook sucker government doesnot violate human rights, the people in Vietnam doesnot protest left and right. If you are in the US, you will see the big poster having the sign of your inhuman polices trying to cover a priest's mouth at your "JUSTICE" Court. It was ashamed for your blood sucker government when I saw that poster in California when I visited the US.
Now, you tell me if your blood sucker doesnot violate human rights and why your inhuman polices scare to let a priest without any weapon to speak at your court. Tell me DUMP ASS. Your mom may got raped by Hochimin's son so hard at that time, that is why she delivered a stupid person like you.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, it is no propaganda, 2:24. The truth is there has not been any land called Kampuchea Krom, Champa, or whatever else since the mid's 1,700th. There is only Vietnam. Accordingly, there is no such thing as Cham or Khmer Krom in Vietnam. There is only Ah Cham-Yuon and Ah Khmer-Yuon. Get it now?
Dana Rohrabacher and his representatives should investigate Cambodian government too, and take in action the status of WTO that Cambodia government has violated especially human rights abuse to defrock the monk Tim Sakhorn without having proper reason.
This taking in action of US's sanction is profoundly credited to the effort of KKF and their members around the world who have tremendously worked with this. But your job is not yet ended. More tasks for you to challenge with Vietnamese oppressor and their wild behaviour.
Sure, sure, Ah Khmer-Yuon (4:09,) but don't hold your breath.
Vietnameses create too many problems in Indochina : Champa, Cambodia, Laos, Khmer Krom...
It is the time for the international community to fight against this concert before it is too late : they are stronger and stronger each year.
I won't mess around in China territory if I were the International Community.
For any fool to make the Khmer Krom as illegal alien in Cambodia and it would be the Vietcong themselves!
The fucken Vietcong took the Khmer Kampuchea Krom land and make the Khmer Krom people as illegal alien in their country! All of you Khmer people in Cambodia better watch out because the Vietcong are coming!
What the Vietcong can do to the Khmer Krom people and they certainly can do to the Khmer people in Cambodia!
Welcome to the world of Vietcong!
All Ah Khmer-Yuon/barang/Siem ... are illegal immigrants until they are neutralized to become Khmer.
This is something all Khmers abroad should be doing, common interests, in instead of attacking our own men at the front line for the benefit of Viets.
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