US Due to Announce Sanctions on Vietnam for Religious Persecution

15th March marks the deadline for the US government to announce disciplinary measures against Vietnam for religious rights violations as the six-month consultation period has ended. Human right activists comment that the Vietnamese government’s efforts to improve its image have not been sufficient enough, and so have called for the US government to move for stricter actions.

Vietnam, together with Saudi Arabia and Eritrea, were added to the list of "countries of particular concern" (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act six months ago. Since then, they were warned to improve their religious policies, otherwise be subjected to sanctions as suggested by the US State Department to the US Congress.

Over past months, the Vietnamese government in fact has tried to liberate its religious laws even though it may still have a long way to go til a complete democracy is achieved.

Just before the Chinese Lunar New Year, Hanoi freed four prominent religious rights campaigners among more than 8,000 prisoners.

On 5th February, the Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai issued a new instruction to guide affairs concerning Protestantism to all concerned ministries, services, provincial and municipal People's Committees. This was to reaffirm the state’s willingness to "create more favourable conditions for Protestant followers to adhere to their local communities, thus encouraging them to get more deeply involved in local economic, cultural and social development as well as national construction and defence."

Two days later, the Government announced to allow conditional operation of some churches: "If the religious followers there have pure religious needs, commit to abiding by the law, do not work for the reactionary FULRO, and have no connection to Dega Protestantism, the local governments will create conditions for them to carry out normal religious activities at home or at suitable places in their villages."

FULRO is the French for the United Struggle Front for the Oppressed Races, a resistance group which fought alongside the Americans during the Vietnam War.

On 3rd March, a renowned Vietnamese church leader from the Mennonite Church, Nguyen Van Phuong was released after one year imprisonment. He is the third released among the six leaders detained one year ago.

The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, statutory body set up to make policy recommendations relating to religious freedom, said the prisoner releases and guidelines on Protestant churches were "positive steps" but did not go far enough.

"The instructions remain qualified and vague and open to interpretation by local government officials and public security forces," commented commission chairwoman, Preeta Bansal.

"Despite a few well-timed goodwill gestures...Vietnam has in all other respects continued its exceptionally repressive policies," echoed Human Rights Watch director for Asia, Brad Adams.

"Vietnam is notorious for persecuting and imprisoning believers of religions who attempt to peacefully and independently practice their faith."

Adams said under the new directive that religious groups still had to obtain permission to function. Among the groups targeted by the communist authorities are Protestant Christians belonging to the Hmong and Montagnard ethnic minorities, Mennonites, and independent Buddhists. Several Roman Catholic priests remain in prison.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 180 Montagnard Christians have been arrested and jailed since 2001, "many on charges that they are violent separatists using their religion to 'sow divisions among the people' and 'undermine state and party unity'."