Report Reveals “Deterioration” of Religious Freedom, Human Rights in Vietnam FALLS CHURCH, VA May 28 – On the eve of State Department’s dialogue on human rights with the government of Vietnam in Hanoi, a report released Wednesday highlights an on-going crackdown on Vietnam’s independent religious leaders, journalists, and pro-democracy voices. The first four months of 2008 witnessed further deterioration of human rights conditions in Vietnam relative to the latter half of 2007. Incidents of sentencing, detention, arrest, and harassment, all combined, severely restricted the freedoms of expression, the press, religion, assembly, association, and movement. Since Vietnam had achieved all its major diplomatic objectives, especially its admission as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the government toughened its opposition to “foreign intervention in Vietnam’s domestic affairs.” The Government of Vietnam maintained that it held no political prisoners. Concessions made recently were few and superficial, such as the release and extradition of a handful of American and French citizens of Vietnamese origin. On the other hand, Vietnam assumed a much more hard-line position towards dissidents, with more arrests and heavier sentences. Vietnam Study Group May 2008 Contributors: Nguyen Dinh Thang, PhD; Vu Quoc Dung; Pastor Truong Tri Hien; Nguyen Cao Quyen; Nguyen Quoc Khai; Ngo Thi Hien Report from IBIB-UBCV includes serious harassments and intimidation by Security Police against UBCV monks in Lam Dong Province. UBCV monk Thich Tri Khai has disappeared since 7 May. Earlier (29 April) his Giac Hai Pagoda was seized for State sponsored Vesak celebrations. The 23-page report is attached in pdf.. Six more pages at the end are the charted list of 62 political and religious prisoners detained since August 2006.   more »