Text: Chairman Abrams Opens Hearing on Religious Freedom in Vietnam
(U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom hearing)Vietnam's record on respecting religious freedom came under examination February 13 in a hearing on Capitol Hill of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The commission's chairman, Elliott Abrams, in prepared remarks, said that with a new administration in Washington, "this is precisely the time for the U.S. government to consider how the protection of religious freedom should factor into the development and implementation of U.S. policy."
While religious freedom is the commission's mandate, Abrams noted that in July 2000, the United States and Vietnam signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement, "which Congress may consider ratifying this spring."
The USCIRF came about through the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to give recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress "as to how U.S. policy can most effectively advance religious freedom," Abrams said.
The USCIRF, he added, is an independent advisory body appointed by the President and the Senate and the House of Representatives, "but separate from them."
Following is the text of Abrams' statement:
(begin text)
VIETNAM HEARING
FEBRUARY 13, 2001Chairman Elliott Abrams
Opening RemarksLadies and gentlemen, my name is Elliott Abrams, and I serve as chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. I would like to welcome you to today's hearing on religious freedom and U.S. policy in Vietnam.
We have a very full I program today, so I will keep my opening remarks brief.
The Commission on International Religious Freedom was established by Congress with two purposes: to monitor the condition of religious freedom around the world, and to make recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress as to how U.S. policy can most effectively advance religious freedom. The Commission is an independent advisory body appointed by the President and both Houses of Congress but separate from them.
In September 2000, the State Department issued its second Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. The report on Vietnam reveals grave violations of religious freedom committed by the Vietnamese government. These violations concern the Commission, and, in addition to turning our own attention to them, we have urged the State Department to monitor the situation closely.
Turning to U.S. policy, in the past two years there have been significant developments in the region and in U.S. policy toward Vietnam. In July 2000, Vietnam signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the U.S., which Congress may consider ratifying this spring. President Clinton visited Vietnam in November 2000. With a new U.S. administration in place, this is precisely the time for the U.S. government to consider how the protection of religious freedom should factor into the development and implementation of U.S. policy, and it is the Commission's mandate to make recommendations to our government in that regard.
Vietnam's rich diversity is best exemplified by its many religions. Given the limited time that we have available for a public hearing, we can only hear from a portion of its many religious communities regarding what is going on inside the country. The Commission is also aware that no one group of witnesses can do justice to the complexity of the issues involved and all points of view. For this reason, the Commission and its staff will continue to consult with others in the upcoming months. In addition, the Commission has invited Father Tadeus Nguyen Van Ly of Hue, Vietnam to testify, but he is unfortunately not able to be here today. The Commission, however, will be happy to accept his written testimony. The Commission is also happy to receive and will consider written submissions from other Vietnamese religious communities.
Furthermore, we are trying to visit Vietnam to see the situation first-hand and have made several requests to the Vietnamese government to do so. While the Vietnamese government has agreed in principle to host such a visit by the Commission, they have postponed our visiting the country thus far.
Finally, the Commission would like to express its appreciation to all the representatives of the overseas Vietnamese communities. Their assistance has contributed significantly to this hearing and to the Commission's work on Vietnam. We look forward to their continuing cooperation and advice.
A few words about the structure of the day. There will be two panels before lunch. One panel will focus on the religious-freedom situation in Vietnam, and the other on U.S. policy toward Vietnam. Each set of presentations will be followed by questions from the Commissioners. I ask that each presenter keep his or her testimony to a maximum of seven minutes. In order to keep things moving along, I will indicate to the witnesses when their time has expired.
With that said, I would like to welcome our distinguished panelists. We look forward to the benefit of your experience and wisdom.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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