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Clinton Presses Vietnam on Human Rights

22.07.2010

 Mrs. Clinton made her comments  during a two-day visit to Hanoi aimed, in part, to herald the strengthening U.S.-Vietnam relationship 15 years after the two nations normalized ties. The American envoy said growing ties between Washington and Hanoi could serve as a model for reconciliation among former wartime foes. Still,Mrs. Clinton emphasized that Vietnam's emergence as an Asian economic power depends on its willingness to open its political system. The American envoy said that Hanoi, even as Washington's friend, should expect to face pressure from the West on human rights.

  "It is true that profound differences exist, particularly over the question of political freedoms," Mrs. Clinton told a lunch on Thursday honoring the restoration of U.S.-Vietnam relations. "The United States will continue to urge Vietnam to strengthen its commitment to human rights and give its people an even greater say over the direction of their own lives."

  Criticism of Vietnam's human-rights record has intensified recently as Vietnamese authorities have arrested several dissidents. Authorities have detained roughly a dozen human-rights activists and critics over the past year, including four prominent campaigners who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in January after being convicted of attempting to overthrow the government.

  One of those dissidents, a U.S.-trained human-rights lawyer named Le Cong Dinh, was given a five-year sentence after admitting in court that he had broken the law by joining a banned political party.

 The government also has instructed Internet-service providers to block access to social-networking web sites such as Facebook over the past year, prompting concerns that some international companies might be scared off by the tightening controls.

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