August
27, 2004
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Subject: Vietnam Human Rights Act
Dear Mr. President:
As you may recall, a bill for human rights in Vietnam was originally passed by
the House in 2001 by an overwhelming margin of 410 to 1. Unfortunately, upon arrival to the Senate,
the bill was retained indefinitely within the East Asian and Pacific Affairs
subcommittee and was not allowed on the Senate floor.
As the situation currently stands, basic human rights have continued to
deteriorate since 2001. From the
ruthless tactics employed upon the peaceful Montagnard protesters last April to
the imprisonment of noted political dissidents such as Dr. Nguyen Dan Que,
Colonel Pham Que Duong, and Professor Tran Khue, the voice of democracy
continues to be suppressed.
However,
it was through the will of the people that a similar bill, HR-1587, was
recently passed by the House in July 2004 by a substantial margin of 323 to
45. It is our hope that this bill does
not meet with a similar fate. We, the
undersigned, request you consider the following questionable points and use
your influence to help this bill reach the Senate floor.
Point
#1: Passage of the Vietnam Human Rights Act
would disrupt relations with the Vietnamese Communist (VC) government and may
precipitate abolition of the Vietnamese-American Trade Agreement.
Answer: In view of Vietnam's stagnant economy and its aspiration to enter
the World Trade Organization (WTO), it would be unwise for the Vietnamese
government to employ such a rash tactic.
Point
#2: Vietnam is
an untapped reservoir of low cost goods and services that help power the
American economy.
Answer: Endemic human rights violations in Vietnam allow for abuse of
prison and child labor as well as the application of a superficially suppressed
wage structure. Although this may allow
for some American companies to benefit in the short term, the American people
and the vast majority of American businesses will be placed at a competitive
disadvantage both domestically and in the global marketplace.
Point
#3: Vietnam is a
key strategic cog in dealing with China for both military and political
reasons.
Answer: Hanoi is driven more by monetary goals than abstract political
doctrine. Human rights concessions from
the VC will prove vital for Vietnam to win in the court of global public
opinion. It is only then that they can
truly become global economic players.
In the long run, the continued influx of money from West will prove to
be far more influential than China’s political policy.
As we
speak, the VC continue to lobby members of the Senate to block the Vietnam
Human Rights Act. However, for both its
practical and moral implications, we implore you to assist us in passage of
this bill.
Thank you greatly for your assistance.
Sincerely yours,
Nguyen
Thanh Trang
Chairman,
Vietnam Human Rights Network
Tran
Xuan Thoi
President,
Vietnamese Community in USA
The Most
Venerable Thich Chon Thanh
President, The Vietnamese Interfaith Council In U.S.A.
Nguyen
Xuan Vinh, PhD, DSc
Chairman,
Assembly of Veterans of the Former Republic of Vietnam
Ngo Thi Hien
President, Committee for Religious Freedom in Vietnam
Nguyen Quoc Quan, MD
Chairman, International Committee to Support the Movement of
Freedom in Vietnam
Do Nhu Dien
Coordinator, The Movement of Vietnamese Laity in Diaspora
Nguyen Mau Trinh
Chairman, The National Congress of Vietnamese in America
Tran Duc Hieu
President, Vietnamese Pharmacists Association in USA
Tran Duy Ton
President, The Vietnamese Medical Association of the USA