PRESS RELEASE
We learned from Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) on September 27, 1999 that the four of Vietnam's major religions (Catholics, Buddhists, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao) have demanded Communist authorities restore complete religious freedom, respect a clear separation of church and state, and return all seized church properties. The letter, which was sent to several top Hanoi leaders, also demanded the cancellation of two recent decrees, which they insisted have further restricted the practice of religious freedom.
At present, Vietnam has some of the most grievous violations of human rights in the world, including serious violation of religious freedom. The violations include imprisoning religious leaders, controlling religious hierarchies/organizations, banning publishing of religious materials etc. The Communist Party/Vietnamese government continues to maintain a totalitarian grip on the people and has taken steps to silence religious leaders and dissidents.
According to the U.S. Department of State's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999 on Vietnam, released by the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: "Both the Constitution and government decrees provide for freedom and work-ship; however, the Government continued to restrict significantly those organized activities of religious groups that it defined as being at variance with state laws and policies."
At the present time, the Hanoi government has imprisoned people for peaceful expression of religious or political views. Several well known released religious leaders, political prisoners, prominent writers and dissidents are under surveillance or house arrest. The Vietnamese government uses the so-called "administrative detainment" under the unlawful Directive 31/CP issued by Ministry of Interior to arrest, harass, and detain religious leaders, dissidents without trial up to two years.
We, Texas Friends For A Free Vietnam Committee, represent the freedom-loving people in the State of Texas:
1. Strongly support the demand for religious freedom from the four major religions in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government should return immediately all seized church properties and respect a clear separation of church and state.
2. Strongly protest the Vietnamese Government for its religious freedom violations and strongly condemn the oppressive actions against the religious leaders.
3. Urgently call on the Congress and the President of the United States to hold the Trade Agreement with Vietnam until the Vietnamese Government respects religious freedom and returns all seized church properties, as well as rescinds the unlawful Directive 31/CP.
4. Urgently call on all freedom-loving countries, international organizations and the media in the world to use their influence to stop the harassment and terrorism of religious leaders and dissidents by Vietnamese authorities.
Houston, Texas, October 05, 1999
Contact: David Stockman, Secretary General
Texas Friends For A Free Vietnam Committee
P.O. Box 262323, Houston, Texas 77207 - USA
Tel.: (713) 640-4268 - Fax: (713) 991-1721
Email: TexasFriends@pdq.net