by Chan Dang-Vu, MD
In his article "Some US Congressmen Blind to Viet Nam's Steps to Freedom", Mr. O'Leary was critical of the US congressmen who support the Bill "Human Rights Act of 2003". He cited a number of progresses toward freedom VN has made, and opined that the bill, once passed into law, would harm the people of VN.
Mr. O'Leary never explained why and how a Bill that promotes human rights for the Vietnamese people would harm them. The Bill understandably annoys the autocratic rulers of VN, the Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) and he apparently fails to see the distinction between the people and the dictator. I hope that he at least can still see that Sadam Hussein is not Iraq, as the tyrant wanted the world and his people to believe.
The VCP are claiming that the Bill is a blatant interference in their internal affairs. They don't want to admit that it's entirely up to them to accept or reject financial assistance from the US. If they choose to receive US aid, it's perfectly fair game that they have to live up to American standards. We should not have our taxpayers' money subsidize their continued substandard practice of universal human rights. While crying foul, they are the ones who first attack our Voice Of Freedom and Balanced Information- Radio Free Asia- by jamming it, and the ones who interfere in our internal affairs by objecting to a Bill in our Congress that wants to strengthen a broadcasting network of ours.
As Mr. O' Leary observed, it's true that VN has made substantial progress toward freedom for the past 150 years. So have Humanity and the whole World. He would have appeared less misleading or self-deluding, had he reveled in progresses relative to the contemporary world rather than comparing Vietnam's today status in time of peace to Vietnam's conditions in time of war more or less a century ago.
It is interesting to note that while even the VCP officially admits that corruption has reached endemic level and become a top national problem, Mr. O' Leary never encountered bribery when opening five businesses in VN under the current regime. This would put him in the class of the well-protected privileged. This hardly comes as a surprise, as it is known that the propaganda-oriented government in Ha Noi is courting many western media in hope of getting sympathetic journalistic reports.
To the foreign visitors to VN, usually what meets the eyes is an impression of religious freedom. Pagodas and churches appear to be full of life with no signs of prohibition as Mr. O'Leary noted. But behind this facade, pervades a sophisticated yet suffocating intrusion of the State in the Churches' affairs. I hereby refer the readers to many corroborative reports on religious oppression in VN by the State Department, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Freedom House etc. Needless to say, reports on other human rights abuses abound, such as about arbitrary arrests of many non violent dissidents the State deems potentially influential, restriction of free flow of information, persecution of the Montagnards etc.
It is true that abuses and social ills exist in all countries, the US being no exception as Mr. O'Leary pointed out. The difference between a democratic society like the US and the one in VN is that here the victims and the disadvantaged can safely be vocal about their plights and can always fall on a protective constitutional mechanism. In the current VN, they are at the mercy of the unchecked interpretation and arbitrary implementation of laws by a government that practices contrarily to what it preaches. Case in point, while vowing to fight corruption, Hanoi regime suppresses anti corruption grass root movement by prohibiting formation of the "Association Of Citizens Against Corruption In Support Of The VCP" and detaining its founders.
In all fairness, I must agree with Mr. O' Leary that the people in VN nowadays are enjoying relatively more breathing space that has invigorated them enough to revive the economy. While giving the VCP some credit for having loosened their strangulating grip after Doi Moi (VCP's version of Glasnost and Perestroika), I would like to ask them as well as Mr. O'Leary this question: If the Vietnamese people's interest and welfare are really that matter the most to them, then why not going forth with the liberalization process in full speed and why fearing any efforts that would help bring VN quickly in line with the mainstream of the civilized world?
The Human Right Act of 2003 is just such effort. It facilitates the practice of universal human rights, the free flow of information, leading to better transparent rule of law. It would be short-sighted if not blind, not to see that it ultimately fosters a climate favorable to long-term business investments, a win-win situation for both the Vietnamese people and US businesses.
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Some US congressmen 'blind' to Vietnam's steps to freedom
By BRAD O'LEARY, USA Today columnist
One thing we must make clear is that the US State Department's report is an annual report on many countries in the world. In the House of Representatives, Congressman Chris Smith made it sound as if it was focused on Vietnam, but it was not.
In my opinion, there is a repression of political thought. If someone in Congress read all the negative things and said: "let's do something," there also has to be someone who says: "Wait a minute! What about all the good things that you are ignoring?"
Looking back into Vietnam's history, we can see that this country was denied freedom time and time again.
I believe that for the past 150 years, at no point of time has Vietnam been more free than now.
I was a constant visitor to Vietnam during the American War, so I am aware of how little freedom there was during that time in southern Vietnam.
Under Diem's regime, wherever I went there were roadblocks and security checks. Now it is a lot easier to move around. At that time, it was impossible to open a business without paying all kinds of bribes. Now, I am on the verge of opening five businesses of my own, and I do not have to pay a single dollar in bribery.
I have read the State Department's Report on Human Rights Progress, and I have to say that those congressmen who supported this are blind to what has been happening in Vietnam.
The National Assembly is playing an increasingly independent role as a forum for local and provincial concerns, and as a critic of local and national corruption and inefficiency.
The government amnesties thousands of prisoners each year. It has co-ordinated with the International Labour Organisation to improve implementation of the existing Labour Law.
The government continues to implement a family planning policy that urges all families to have no more than two children, without coercion.
The government allows access to the Internet and has allowed 4,000 cyber cafes to start up as independent businesses.
The government generally allows people to practice individual worship in the religion of their choice, and participation in religious activities throughout the country continues to grow significantly. The government officially recognises Buddhist, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai and Muslim organisations.
One instance is the situation under the Diem's government. Diem used American finances to build up his military, using the military to repress the Buddhists, and the majority of other religions. The people who are saying that there is religious repression in Vietnam now must admit that the situation now is not similar at all.
Regarding the so-called "repression of religion, " I am Catholic and every time I come to Ho Chi Minh City I go to church at the Notre Dame. There are multiple masses, and I have to come early to get a seat.
Many Catholic organisations, from a group of nuns running an orphanage for sight-impaired children to small churches, have contacted me for help to widen their activities.
Religion is growing in Vietnam. In fact, in Vietnam I hardly meet anyone who is not ready to say that they are religious, that they have a shrine at home, whether it be to their ancestors or to Buddha.
And in terms of percentage, religious people in Vietnam account for more of the population than in France, Canada and the US.
While all religions are wonderful, they can also be abused by individuals. There are currently particular religious groups in the US that are in big trouble, as they have damaging practices.
The US, throughout the 20th century, also experienced religious and racial discrimination. Asians in California, if my memory serves me right, were not allowed to own property until as recently as 1954.
In respect to the number of street children and levels of prostitution and crime alleged in the report, my response is, show them the US figures.
While the report points out there are a number of homeless and street children inVietnam, I believe many of the US Congressmen would be shocked if they were shown the figures for America.
After 25 years working in Washington DC, a lot of congressmen are my clients and friends. I will write to them, and follow that up with meetings with a selected few to show them the positive steps that the Vietnamese government has made. The last time this bill was introduced, there were 410 for-voters. This time, only 30 out of 410 showed support. While I am very pleased that fewer people supported it, I am outraged that I have to do something about it myself. If approved, this law could harm the relations between the two countries, and more importantly, it could make it worse for the people of Vietnam. Someone must step out and say this is a mistake.
In my letters, I will ask them to reject such one-sided reasoning. I will also contact businesses that are interested in investing here.