For the complete text of Commissioner Leo's remakrs, please go to:
WASHINGTON- Commission Leonard Leo of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom joined Representatives
Chris Smith (R-NJ), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Dan
Lungren (R-CA), and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) in a press conference sponsored by
the bipartisan House Vietnam Caucus regarding the demonstrated complicity of Vietnam in
various human rights violations, particularly against its minority communities.
In advance of the expected visit
of Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the United States, the
bipartisan House Vietnam Caucus,
along with several Vietnamese community leaders, held press conference
highlighting the horrific human rights abuses and the urgent "need to
reform" in Vietnam. The Members called upon President Bush to make human rights a
focal point of his agenda in his upcoming meetings with the Vietnamese Prime
Minister.
Commissioner
Leonard A. Leo addressed concerns regarding the freedom of religion in Vietnam that prompted the
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to recommend that Vietnam be
re-designated a "country of particular concern," or CPC, in its 2008 Annual
Report. "This press conference is well-timed, just a few days
ahead of the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to
Washington, and sends an important signal to the Vietnamese government that
human rights abuses in Vietnam are of deep concern to both the U.S. government and the citizens of the United States,"
said Commissioner Leo.
"In
view of the ongoing and serious problems faced by many of Vietnam's religious
communities, the uneven pace of reforms meant to improve the situation, the
continued detention of religious prisoners of concern, and what can only be
seen as a deteriorating human rights situation overall, the Commission again
last month in the release of our Annual Report recommended that Vietnam be
re-designated as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998,"
said Commissioner Leo.
The press conference took place on the Terrace of the Cannon
House Office Building on Thursday, June 19th at 10:30 a.m.