Vietnam Human Rights Network urges the US Government to maintain pressure on Vietnam to end human rights violations

 

 

 

Vietnam Human Rights Network has written a letter to President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom John Hanford urging them to consider appropriate measures against Vietnam’s continued violations of human rights. In this letter, VNHRN provide its views on the question whether the Vietnamese communists should be removed from the list of “countries of particular concern” and admitted Into the World Trade Organization after they released a few prisoners of conscience on the occasion of the Lunar New Year Day. The following is a copy of the letter:

 

 

 

 

VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORK

MẠNG LƯỚI NHÂN QUYỀN VIỆT NAM

12522 Brookhurst Street, Suite 23

Garden Grove, CA 92840

Tel.: (714) 636-8895 * Email: vnhrnet@vietnamhumanrights.net

www.vnhrnet.org

 

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February 21, 2005

 

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

 

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

We, the Vietnam Human Rights Network, would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of our concerns regarding the human rights situation in Vietnam.  Although we applaud the recent release of over 8,000 prisoners by the Vietnamese government, it should be noted that in reality, only six of the released were political prisoners.  This represents only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of prisoners of conscience still remaining in detention today.  These six remain under close surveillance by local authorities, and as such remain in substance, if not in reality, in a state of de facto imprisonment.  Furthermore, after considering that most of these men served sentences ranging from 14 to 28 years, the Vietnamese government’s stance that this is an act of “humanitarian leniency” is ridiculous at best. 

 

Given this half-hearted attempt by Hanoi to appease the United States and the international community, we suggest the following measures to ensure future human rights reform in Vietnam:

 

1.       Withdrawal of Vietnam from its status of “country of particular concern” and inclusion into the World Trade Organization should remain contingent upon the unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience.

2.       Holding Vietnam accountable for violations of the United Nations’ International Laws on Human Rights.

 

Thank you, Mr. President, for your time and concern in this matter.

 

Respectfully yours,

 

 

 

Nguyen Thanh Trang

Chairman