Remarks on Vietnam in the US Human Rights Report 2009 are biased and built on inaccurate information about the real situation, in the same vein as the one-sided thinking repeatedly used in previous reports.
Although acknowledging positive changes in Vietnam, the report failed to provide a just or accurate overview and faced strong public protest, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said in its commentary on March 15.
Vietnam’s consistent policy is to respect and ensure human rights, which it considers both the goal of development and the means towards it. The country has, over the recent past, reaped great achievements in ensuring human rights in all fields--from the civil, political, and economic, to the cultural and social aspects—which have earned recognition from the international community.
At the Geneva meeting last May, the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group lauded Vietnam’s outstanding achievements, especially in poverty reduction and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
The media in Vietnam has also been fulfilling its vital role in national construction and development, the commentary said, emphasising the State of Vietnam’s facilitation of the growth of the media by building a full legal framework and policies to ensure freedom of speech and freedom of the press. As clear evidence of this, the State of Vietnam has been revising the law on the press and issuing more regulations, in line with the specific conditions pertaining to the culture and history of Vietnamese society and in accordance with international law.
The State of Vietnam is also consistent in its policy of solidarity among all ethnic groups and religions, and the creation of conditions for all people and religions to develop. That is why activities concerning religion and belief in Vietnam have rapidly and strongly developed in recent years.
In saying “The government persisted in placing restrictions on the organised activities of religious groups....”, the report has intentionally ignored a major event by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha early this month. A solemn ceremony was held to welcome a Buddhist sari from India to Southeast Asia’s largest pagoda, Bai Dinh, in Vietnam with the participation of 15,000 people –evidence of the people’s trust in the sincerity of the Government’s policy on religious freedom.
Clearly, the conclusions of the US Department of State’s Human Rights Report 2009 turn a blind eye to the actual situation in Vietnam, and don’t even represent the thoughts and opinions of all American people.
There are no religious or political prisoners in Vietnam . Those named as activists for human rights and democracy in the report are, in fact, violators of Vietnamese law.
Recent measures taken by the State of Vietnam recently are intended to maintain socio-political stability to ensure development. Those who violate the law threaten the country’s welfare, and are accordingly punished by the law.
The plain, honest truth is, itself, the best argument to counter the point of view of US authorities, the commentary says, noting that Vietnam is always willing to cooperate and hold dialogues with nations and international organisations, including the US, to clarify these issues.
To increase mutual understanding about differences, including those regarding human rights, only dialogue is really useful and appropriate, in the context of new opportunities for cooperation which are opening up in the light of improved Vietnam-US relations./.
Although acknowledging positive changes in Vietnam, the report failed to provide a just or accurate overview and faced strong public protest, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said in its commentary on March 15.
Vietnam’s consistent policy is to respect and ensure human rights, which it considers both the goal of development and the means towards it. The country has, over the recent past, reaped great achievements in ensuring human rights in all fields--from the civil, political, and economic, to the cultural and social aspects—which have earned recognition from the international community.
At the Geneva meeting last May, the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group lauded Vietnam’s outstanding achievements, especially in poverty reduction and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
The media in Vietnam has also been fulfilling its vital role in national construction and development, the commentary said, emphasising the State of Vietnam’s facilitation of the growth of the media by building a full legal framework and policies to ensure freedom of speech and freedom of the press. As clear evidence of this, the State of Vietnam has been revising the law on the press and issuing more regulations, in line with the specific conditions pertaining to the culture and history of Vietnamese society and in accordance with international law.
The State of Vietnam is also consistent in its policy of solidarity among all ethnic groups and religions, and the creation of conditions for all people and religions to develop. That is why activities concerning religion and belief in Vietnam have rapidly and strongly developed in recent years.
In saying “The government persisted in placing restrictions on the organised activities of religious groups....”, the report has intentionally ignored a major event by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha early this month. A solemn ceremony was held to welcome a Buddhist sari from India to Southeast Asia’s largest pagoda, Bai Dinh, in Vietnam with the participation of 15,000 people –evidence of the people’s trust in the sincerity of the Government’s policy on religious freedom.
Clearly, the conclusions of the US Department of State’s Human Rights Report 2009 turn a blind eye to the actual situation in Vietnam, and don’t even represent the thoughts and opinions of all American people.
There are no religious or political prisoners in Vietnam . Those named as activists for human rights and democracy in the report are, in fact, violators of Vietnamese law.
Recent measures taken by the State of Vietnam recently are intended to maintain socio-political stability to ensure development. Those who violate the law threaten the country’s welfare, and are accordingly punished by the law.
The plain, honest truth is, itself, the best argument to counter the point of view of US authorities, the commentary says, noting that Vietnam is always willing to cooperate and hold dialogues with nations and international organisations, including the US, to clarify these issues.
To increase mutual understanding about differences, including those regarding human rights, only dialogue is really useful and appropriate, in the context of new opportunities for cooperation which are opening up in the light of improved Vietnam-US relations./.
