March 9, 2007
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State 2201 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
I am writing to request that you voice concern over the Community Party of Vietnam’s recent crackdown on democracy activists during your upcoming meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.
As you know, Vietnam has a long history of violating human rights and opposing democratic values. According to your Department’s newly-released Annual Report on Human Rights, there have been numerous instances of physical torture, arbitrary arrest, and detainment of Christians and members of other religions not sanctioned by the Vietnamese government. Human rights groups reported that on February 19, Thura Thien provincial security agents placed Father Nguyen Van Ly under house arrest with strict supervision. He is facing criminal charges for allegedly promoting propaganda against the Vietnamese government and is responding with an ongoing hunger strike at the expense of his health.
The Vietnamese government is making a widespread attempt to curb peaceful democracy protests, especially in the past few weeks. On March 5, attorneys Le Thi Cong Nhan and Nguyen Van Dai were arrested and had their licenses revoked for leading group discussions on democracy. There have been reported instances of democracy activists who have suffered harassment, detainment, and government surveillance. Many of these democracy activists are currently suffering in prison due to a lack of basic medical care, such as the case of journalist Nguyen Vu Binh.
The Vietnamese government crackdown on religious leaders and pro-democracy activists runs counter to American values and interests. Moreover, Vietnamese are suffering. Given the recent timing of these incidents, your protesting these indefensible actions to the Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister is all the more important. Vietnam’s continued suppression of political dissidents is intolerable. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
EDWARD R. ROYCE