US remains concerned over free speech in Vietnam: envoy
HANOI — Vietnam has made progress on religious freedom but its efforts to "criminalise" free speech were among rights issues which still raise concern, the United States ambassador said Wednesday.
"We applaud the progress that Vietnam has made in some areas, such as improving the ability of religious people to practise their faith," Michael Michalak told a news conference marking his first two years as ambassador.
"We remain concerned, however, over other of Vietnam's human rights practices," he said.
These practices included efforts to crack down on the media and to "criminalise free speech, which will make it more difficult to tackle corruption and environmental degradation," he said.
He repeated US concerns over the arrest in June of human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, and several others "supposedly affiliated with opposition groups."
State media recently reported that Dinh and others accused of being dissidents have admitted their guilt.
Michalak said he was disappointed that government-run television had broadcast "confessions" from people for activities which would be regarded elsewhere as normal discussions aimed at strengthening the rule of law.
State media has reported that authorities are working to bring Dinh to trial quickly, along with others accused including Nguyen Tien Trung, 25, and Tran Anh Kim, 60.
They are allegedly linked to the banned Vietnam Democratic Party and have been accused of "acts against the Vietnamese state," Vietnam News reported.
Among the allegations against Kim is that he wrote documents demanding "a pluralist and multiparty system," Vietnam News said.
The US State Department in 2004 designated Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" for severe violations of religious freedom. It was removed from the list in November 2006 after Hanoi passed laws upholding religious freedom and outlawing forced renunciations.
"I believe in my discussions with people all over Vietnam... they all believe that there has been very good progress on religious freedom here," the ambassador said, adding that "it's not perfect" and the US continues to discuss some issues with the government.
Most Vietnamese are Buddhist but the country also has Southeast Asia's second-largest Catholic community.
Michalak said the United States remained concerned over the imprisonment of Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly, who was convicted in 2007 and jailed for eight years for spreading propaganda against the communist state.
After a war between the two countries which ended in 1975, the United States lifted a trade embargo against Vietnam in 1994 and normalised diplomatic ties a year later.
The bilateral relationship is growing "across the board" and is increasingly based on regular diplomatic exchanges and policy dialogues, Michalak said.
He added that the United States may be the number one investor in Vietnam at the moment.
"I believe that the interest on the part of American companies in Vietnam remains very, very high," he said.
HANOI — Vietnam has made progress on religious freedom but its efforts to "criminalise" free speech were among rights issues which still raise concern, the United States ambassador said Wednesday.
"We applaud the progress that Vietnam has made in some areas, such as improving the ability of religious people to practise their faith," Michael Michalak told a news conference marking his first two years as ambassador.
"We remain concerned, however, over other of Vietnam's human rights practices," he said.
These practices included efforts to crack down on the media and to "criminalise free speech, which will make it more difficult to tackle corruption and environmental degradation," he said.
He repeated US concerns over the arrest in June of human rights lawyer Le Cong Dinh, and several others "supposedly affiliated with opposition groups."
State media recently reported that Dinh and others accused of being dissidents have admitted their guilt.
Michalak said he was disappointed that government-run television had broadcast "confessions" from people for activities which would be regarded elsewhere as normal discussions aimed at strengthening the rule of law.
State media has reported that authorities are working to bring Dinh to trial quickly, along with others accused including Nguyen Tien Trung, 25, and Tran Anh Kim, 60.
They are allegedly linked to the banned Vietnam Democratic Party and have been accused of "acts against the Vietnamese state," Vietnam News reported.
Among the allegations against Kim is that he wrote documents demanding "a pluralist and multiparty system," Vietnam News said.
The US State Department in 2004 designated Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" for severe violations of religious freedom. It was removed from the list in November 2006 after Hanoi passed laws upholding religious freedom and outlawing forced renunciations.
"I believe in my discussions with people all over Vietnam... they all believe that there has been very good progress on religious freedom here," the ambassador said, adding that "it's not perfect" and the US continues to discuss some issues with the government.
Most Vietnamese are Buddhist but the country also has Southeast Asia's second-largest Catholic community.
Michalak said the United States remained concerned over the imprisonment of Catholic priest Nguyen Van Ly, who was convicted in 2007 and jailed for eight years for spreading propaganda against the communist state.
After a war between the two countries which ended in 1975, the United States lifted a trade embargo against Vietnam in 1994 and normalised diplomatic ties a year later.
The bilateral relationship is growing "across the board" and is increasingly based on regular diplomatic exchanges and policy dialogues, Michalak said.
He added that the United States may be the number one investor in Vietnam at the moment.
"I believe that the interest on the part of American companies in Vietnam remains very, very high," he said.