Re: Designating Vietnam as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act

 

October 26, 2003

The Honorable Colin L. Powell
Secretary of State
US Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Powell,

I am writing to ask you to designate Vietnam as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam systematically restricts the rights of religious organization to function and persecutes religious leaders and followers simply for practicing their faith.

The most recent example is Hanoi's heavy-handed crackdown against the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. In a series of repressive acts beginning Oct 8-11, the Vietnamese authorities attempted to physically intimidate and isolate key leaders of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam. Many of these clergy members, including the UBCV's patriarch, the Most Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, and its second highest leader, the Very Venerable Thich Quang Do, were released from house arrest just months ago. Most of the leadership of the UBCV is now under house arrest.

The Vietnamese government's treatment of followers of other faiths--Catholic, Protest, Hoa Hao Buddhist, Cao Da--is just as bad. Many Christian Montagnards have been sentenced to long prison terms and have had their properties confiscated in the last year.

Mechanisms such as the Human Rights Dialogue have clearly not worked. It's time to address the extent of religious liberty violations by designating Vietnam as a "Country of Particular Concern."

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

FULL NAME
FULL ADDRESS