Statement by Duy (Dan) Hoang

Central Committee Member, Viet Tan

 

Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight

 

"Human Rights Concerns in Vietnam"

November 6, 2007

 

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Dear Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

 

Thank you for the invitation to testify today. It is encouraging to see such strong bipartisan support for human rights in Vietnam.

 

You have heard from the other witnesses how the Hanoi government launched a crackdown after getting what it wanted: admission to the WTO, PNTR status, and removal from the CPC list for religious freedom violators.

 

I will focus my testimony on how the U.S. Congress can help defend human rights and promote an open society in Vietnam. I would like to offer five recommendations.

 

Recommendation #1: Send the Vietnam Human Rights Act to President Bush for his signature

 

On September 18, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Vietnam Human Rights Act (H.R.3096). This result was warmly welcomed by democracy activists living in Vietnam. In a letter thanking the House, the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Vietnam stated:

 

“The fraternal and economic relationship between Vietnam and the United States is only sustainable and benefiting the peoples of the two countries when Vietnam is truly a democratic nation where human rights are respected.”

 

Please urge colleagues in the Senate to support this important legislation. If necessary, provisions from H.R.3096 could be attached to other bills during the 110th Congress so that the substance of the Vietnam Human Rights Act is enacted by both chambers.

Recommendation #2: Adopt a voice of conscience

 

A well-known novelist and mother of two young children, Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, sits in jail for helping to organize peaceful protests against government land grabs and corruption. Held without trial, she suffers from diabetes. Her family has not been allowed to visit.

 

A young lawyer named Le Thi Cong Nhan is serving a prison sentence for “propaganda against the socialist government” and participating in an unsanctioned political party.

 

Another lawyer and former NED fellow, Le Quoc Quan, was arrested in March right after returning to Vietnam. He was released in advance of the president of communist Vietnam’s visit to the United States in June. But he remains under constant threat of arrest and has been barred from practicing law. Even his passport has been revoked.

 

These are just three of the many Vietnamese citizens imprisoned, facing house arrest, or under severe police harassment for the peaceful expression of their beliefs. By speaking out on their behalf, writing letters to their families, and raising their cases with Hanoi government officials, Members of Congress can stand by these brave individuals and, through them, all of Vietnam’s voices of conscience.

 

Recommendation #3: Ensure consistency in American policy

 

The message from today’s hearing is that the U.S. Congress is concerned about human rights in Vietnam. This is also a concern expressed by the White House.

 

Interestingly, within the State Department there is an ongoing debate on what constitutes religious freedom. One view has it that religious freedom can be narrowly measured by the ordinances on religion issued by the Vietnamese authorities or the number of religious entities allowed to “register” with the government and thus legally operate.

 

Many of us hold that respect for religious freedom is what occurs in practice, not what a communist government pledges on paper. Moreover, true religious freedom is when people can practice their faith without first registering with the authorities.

 

Just last week, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom concluded a ten day visit to Vietnam. This trip was originally scheduled for September but at the last minute Hanoi did not provide the travel visas. In the coming weeks, the Commission will report its findings and determine whether to recommend that the State Department redesignate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

 

To ensure that America speaks clearly and consistently on human rights, I urge you to support the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Recommendation #4: Promote an independent media

 

The Vietnamese communist government exercises a monopoly over the media to control information, restrict the free exchange of ideas, and cover-up its own corruption and misdeeds. To censor the Internet, the authorities employ firewalls, spy on internet cafes and threaten bloggers.

 

Thus, it is critical that the Congress support independent sources of information such as Radio Free Asia. Since the Internet has the potential of transforming authoritarian societies, we should also support the emerging bloggers and citizen journalists. Specifically, passage of the Global Online Freedom Act (H.R.275) would promote a de facto independent media in Vietnam.

 

Recommendation #5: Support democratic reforms

 

Unfortunately, human rights abuses will persist as long as there is a one-party dictatorship. The solution to human rights is a democratic society where all stake-holders have a voice in the future of their country. While achieving democracy must be foremost the effort of people inside the country, the international community can lend a hand by supporting the work of independent NGOs and initiatives for building civil society. This is essential for empowering the Vietnamese people while providing the foundation upon which a long lasting democracy can be achieved.

 

 

Thank you for holding this hearing and for your continued support for democracy and human rights in Vietnam.