While Secretary Clinton was visiting Hanoi yesterday, prominent House human rights leaders gathered on Capitol Hill at a press conference to urge the Obama Administration to find its voice on human rights.
Cao: Atrocious Human Rights Record
Together with leading human rights champions on the Hill -- Republican Congressman Chris Smith and Republican Congressman Frank Wolf, Congressman Joseph Cao expressed his "profound disappointment" over the Obama Administration's decision to strengthen bilateral relations with Vietnam's communist government.
July 22, 2010: (L-R) Rep. Frank Wolf (VA-10), Rep, Anh "Joseph" Cao and Rep. Christopher Smith (NJ-04) condemning Vietna'm's human rights record
Cao described Hanoi's record on human rights and religious freedom "atrocious." He said the the Vietnamese government does not deserve better U.S. ties until it demonstrates greater respect for the freedom and dignity of its own people.
Cao cited numerous examples of human rights abuses committed by the Vietnamese government, including the harrassment, arrest and false imprisonment of pro-democracy advocates and clerics, the seizing of religious institutions and destruction of religious symbols, and the use of eminent domain to strip property owners of their holdings without just compensation.
"These outrageous abuses should be universally condemned."
Wolf: Next U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam should be a Vietnamese American, one who understands.
Congressman Frank Wolf, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a long-time advocate for human rights around the world, made a passionate call for a Vietnamese American to be appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, stating "we should put a Vietnamese American, somebody who has the passion, the commitment... Someone who understands so when he comes and tells us, we can feel it..."
During the Bush Administration it was not uncommon for Wolf to press the president and the State Department to be more outspoken on human rights. In December 2008, Wolf spoke at length on the House floor about various "missed opportunities" on human rights and a failure on the part of the Bush Administration to "consistently apply their rhetoric." However, as Wolf noted last night, the Obama Administration has struggled even to "find its voice when it comes to the promotion and protection of basic human rights and religious freedom."
Congressman Wolf then proceeds to deliver a major speech on House floor similar to floor remarks he made in criticizing Bush Administration in December 2008. Wolf acknowledged that there are multiple dimensions to America's bilateral relations with countries around the globe, but said if the United States of America cannot be relied upon to speak out on behalf of the vulnerable and oppressed, then it is indeed a dark day for millions around the world yearning to breathe the sweet air of freedom.
Below are some excerpts related to Vietnam:
"Where the administration fails to find its voice, Congress must stand in the gap," Wolf said. "For decades human rights enjoyed bipartisan support in this body. Now I fear these issues have fallen victim to bipartisan apathy.
"America must stand up for the ideals upon which our own experiment in self-governance was founded," Wolf continued. "America must strike out against injustice, whatever form it takes. America must believe that even the mightiest walls of oppression can tumble and work toward that end. . . . will the administration accept this charge? Can this president find his voice? Will 'ripples of hope' once again infuse America's foreign policy?"
"Today Secretary Clinton is in Vietnam for ASEAN meetings. Initial news reports indicate that she raised human rights concerns in her meeting with the Foreign Minister and afterwards with journalists. However, a New York Times story today pointed out that the timing of her comments on these sensitive issues 'suggested that she wanted to make her point and move on.' If the administration is truly concerned about human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam, they would take the concrete step of placing Vietnam back on the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list, as has been recommended by the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCRIF) and the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Leonard Leo, chair USCIRF, rightly points out that Vietnam's human rights record has only improved when its 'feet were held to the fire.' Leo continued, 'but once Vietnam, with U.S. help, joined the World Trade Organization in 2007, religious freedom and human rights advocates have experienced waves of arrests,' Leo said. Waves of arrests from our 'friend' in Southeast Asia?
