Speaking in Washington at the 30th commemoration of Vietnam Human Rights Day, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya noted that in 2023 the U.S.-Vietnam relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership:
“While we seek to deepen our economic partnership and people-to-people ties with Vietnam so that we can work together to address today’s global challenges, this engagement remains guided by our democratic values and the protection of human rights.”
In that regard, the United States continues to be seriously troubled about the state of human rights in Vietnam, said Under Secretary Zeya.
“First, we are deeply concerned that Vietnam continues to impose severe limitations on freedoms of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion or belief. This includes Vietnam’s use of vague national security provisions to criminalize the exercise of fundamental freedoms,” she said. “This in turn has led to a troubling number of cases of harassment, unjust arrests, and harsh prison sentences targeting human rights defenders, independent journalists, ethnic minority and religious freedom advocates, and everyday people who peacefully express their views.”
Under Secretary Zeya pointed, for example, to imprisoned journalist Pham Doan Trang, as well as to religious actors, who are among Vietnam’s more than 180 unjustly detained political prisoners.
Secondly, the United States remains concerned that the civic space for non-governmental organizations is highly constrained:
“At least six prominent environmental defenders and NGO leaders have been convicted of tax evasion since 2021. These convictions have left many other NGO leaders afraid that they might be targeted next. The trials of Hong Thi Minh Hong, Dang Dinh Bach, and other environmental defenders raise serious concerns about respect for fair trial guarantees and other human rights.”
The third area of grave concern for the United States is the efforts by Vietnamese authorities to reach outside their borders to “coerce, harass, intimidate, surveil and censor human rights defenders, independent journalists, and others for exercising their rights,” she said.
Under Secretary Zeya said the U.S. continues to raise these concerns with the government of Vietnam. She commended the resilience and perseverance of Vietnamese civil society members and rights activists both inside and outside Vietnam: “Your resolve is an inspiration,” she said, “and the United States will always stand behind those who work toward a more just, free, and equitable Vietnam.”
