FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2007
Audra McGeorge 202 225 4111
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Royce (R-CA) joined his colleagues to welcome the family members of those who had recently been wrongly imprisoned by the Vietnamese government. Rep. Royce offered the following statement:
“I have little doubt that the pressure we’re applying on Hanoi is making a difference. And this is why it’s essential that we keep up the pressure, to ensure the safe release of Dr. Nguyen, who remains in captivity, yet to be charged with a crime, for his peaceful promotion of democracy.
The November 17th imprisonment of Mr. Nguyen and Mr. Truong has taken this historic crackdown to new levels. By taking into custody two U.S. citizens, Hanoi has shown that the citizens of other nations who promote democratic values are to be silenced as well.
To this end, I recently wrote to President Triet and Vietnamese Ambassador Le Cong Phung. I told them if they want to have a relationship with the United States, it is essential that they honor the rights of its citizens and ours. If we are going to bolster our relations with Vietnam, it must embrace political pluralism in all of its forms. Silencing dissidents and suppressing religious freedoms are not the ways towards a partnership.
The government’s response? The Vietnamese Ambassador told me that the Viet Tan party was a terrorist organization that had long advocated armed activities against the government. Ambassador Michalak disavowed these claims last night, however, when he spoke to the press in Hanoi. At the time of their arrests, Dr. Nguyen and Mr. Truong didn’t come armed with guns and ammo, but leaflets and pamphlets touting democracy.
After Dr. Nguyen and Mr. Truong were detained, I spoke with U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak over the phone, and we discussed the various approaches the US can take to push for human rights in Vietnam, and specifically, the case of Dr. Nguyen and Mr. Truong. Mr. Truong’s release, I believe, is a testament of the Ambassador’s commitment. Hopefully, we’ll soon see the release of Dr. Nguyen as well.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I also wrote to our Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking that she press for their timely release, explaining that, ’we need to convey to the Vietnamese government in the strongest terms that if they wish to have a productive relationship with the U.S., it needs to respect the basic human rights of its citizens, and especially those of visiting Americans.’
The Vietnamese government understands criticism. When I met with Thich Quang Do and Le Quang Liem in Saigon several years back, I was immediately denounced. This showed me that the government is listening to what we say – and it has impact. So silence isn’t an option. We need to continue to speak out against these injustices. We’ve seen the successful release of Leon Truong. Now’s the time to ratchet up the pressure on Hanoi.”