U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Marine’s op-ed on Vietnam Human Rights
April 05, 2007
This
is an extraordinary time for Vietnam. When the United States and
Vietnam reestablished diplomatic ties in 1995, Vietnam was a nation
still recovering from decades of war, and whose last several
generations knew nothing but international isolation and central
planning. Today, Vietnam’s sustained economic growth rate is second
only to China’s in East Asia, and global investors are increasingly
looking to Vietnam as the next Asian Tiger.
For its part, Vietnam aspires to greater international recognition, increased global integration and the achievement of world-class standards in everything from business to education, and health to economic infrastructure. It is in Vietnam's own developmental and national security interests to ensure that its citizens also have world-class rights and freedoms. Vietnam must move to give its citizens greater space to express ideas, organize themselves to address issues of concern and participate in the pursuit of real accountability, including, ultimately, the right to select their leaders and representatives.
Most prominent among Vietnam’s moves to increase its profile on the world stage are its recent accession to the World Trade Organization, the successful hosting last year of the APEC Summit and its current aspirations to join the UN Security Council next year as a non-permanent member.
But
international recognition, integration into the global economy and the
true attainment of world standards require changes in Vietnam that will
present some real challenges.
The World Bank’s Doing Business
2007 Report showed that Vietnam fell to 104 out of 175 countries – down
six places -- in terms of the ease of doing business. Weak rule of law
in Vietnam, particularly its lagging regulatory reforms, cumbersome
policies, tepid enforcement of contracts and frail investor
protections, contributed to this downslide and acts as a damper on the
growing excitement about doing business in Vietnam.
Furthermore, as the nation’s leaders have publicly acknowledged, Vietnam suffers from the cancer of widespread corruption, increasing the prospects for instability and threatening the process of development. Corruption affects all strata of society, and failure to address this threat fully and openly will continue to gnaw away at the country’s ability to fulfill its full economic, social and political potential. Containing corruption requires real checks and balances in society. The ability of citizens in any society, whether Vietnam or the U.S. or others, to speak out without fear or recrimination is a crucial check on the abuse of power.
While Vietnam has done very well so far in achieving significant socio-economic development gains, taking the next step up will require it to harness fully the energy and creativity of its people. And I firmly believe that in no society is this possible without a more open system, a system that allows individuals to peacefully and freely express their views on all issues, including politics.
Today, regrettably, there are an increasing number of individuals in prison or under detention in Vietnam whose only crime was the peaceful expression of their views. Among them are journalist Nguyễn Vũ Bình, attorney Lê Thị Công Nhân, attorney Nguyễn Văn Đài, land rights activist Bùi Kim Thành, attorney Lê Quốc Quân and Catholic priest Nguyễn Văn Lý. In fact, Father Lý was just sentenced to eight years in prison, a punishment that is all the more baffling considering his crime was peacefully speaking out in favor of political change. For the sake of Vietnam’s further international integration and development, its government must release these and other individuals now. It must also take steps to revise or repeal laws so that the peaceful expression of one’s views -- even if they are critical of the state -- is no longer illegal.
Make no mistake, Vietnam is
doing well economically, and the Government deserves praise for its
many achievements, including significant poverty alleviation and its
recent efforts to protect the rights of religious believers. But,
after living here for nearly three years and seeing the immense drive
and talent of the Vietnamese people, I am convinced that it can do
much, much better. I believe that Vietnam will never achieve its full
potential, nor truly meet its global aspirations, without strengthening
rule of law, tackling corruption, ensuring the basic rights and
freedoms of its citizens and opening its political system.
###
The press release of Ambassador Michael Marine regarding human rights of political prisoners in Vietnam was announced on April 5, 2007. I see no change in his position of support of the basic human rights of Father Nguyen Van Ly in the courtroom in his press conference of April 6, 2007 after meeting with vice primeminister Khiem as reported in the VietWeekly magazine, issue no. 25 in faulty English transcription and in the audio file. The audio file containing a garbled version of the April 6 press conference of Michael Marine has been published by VietWeekly on or before June 14, 2007. I commend the U.S. State Dept. and Ambassador Michael Marine for his strong stand against political imprisonment in Vietnam and corruption in the government and economy.Jean Libby, editor, VietAm Review
