Clinton cites human rights while in Vietnam
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meeting with Vietnamese leaders Thursday in Hanoi, expressed concern about the status of human rights in the country. She met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and made comments on the jailing of democracy activists, attacks on religious groups and curbing Internet social network sites. From The New York Times:
“Vietnam, with its extraordinary dynamic population, is on the path to becoming a great nation, with unlimited potential,” Mrs. Clinton said in her opening statement at a news conference, as Mr. Khiem stood stone-faced next to her. “That is among the reasons we expressed concern.”
Four years after the U.S. removed Vietnam from the CPC (Countries of Particular Concern) list, Vietnam has made small but important strides when it comes to religious freedom. The Vietnamese government’s recent passage of religious freedom laws provides basic protection to sanctioned religious organizations and is considered a small diplomatic miracle.
America Abroad‘s Matt Ozug traveled to Vietnam for the radio program, The First Freedom, Promoting International Religious Liberty, to look at what U.S. diplomatic pressure has yielded for Vietnam’s faithful. Listen >