The U.S. State Department is concerned about the human rights situation in Vietnam and is committed to protecting the right to religious freedom.

Remarks by Ms. Tina Mufford, Acting Deputy Ambassador-at-Large, U.S. Department of State, on the Vietnam Human Rights Day, May 12, 2026

 

Washington D.C. | 2026.5.12

Thank you so much. It's really a privilege to be here and to be joined by such distinguished panelists. They've all demonstrated a long career and commitment to defend and protect and celebrate religious freedom in Vietnam and around the world. I also want to thank the organizers. This is such an important conversation to be having every year. It's a critical moment for us to reflect on progress but also to think about how we forge a path in the long road ahead to achieve true religious freedom for all in Vietnam.

As America celebrates 250 years, we reflect on the values that have shaped our nation. Our founding fathers upheld religious freedom as an unalienable right, a right that no government can take away and every government must protect.

Today, the administration is championing religious freedom for all. [It] has shown time and time again that it will not tolerate restrictions or threats or harassment or detentions of religious believers. As President Trump said on Religious Freedom Day earlier this year, every person is born with the God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear.

Protecting religious freedom abroad is a core tenant of our foreign policy and vital to the State Department's work around the globe. And this means we often have to have hard conversations with other governments to reach durable solutions for members of persecuted groups. We rely on these partners who share our values and our goals to ensure that their laws contribute to a free system that is open to the American people, whether that be through trade or other sectors. Because as we know, countries with strong human rights protections typically attract more foreign investment, which fosters innovation and promotes economic development.

Credible research shows governments that effectively safeguard religious freedom are more stable and economically vibrant. This is what we hope for Vietnam's future. And we continue to encourage Vietnam to make changes in its religious freedom environment to ensure safety and prosperity for all, not just those the government approves of.

And yes, while we have seen in the last two decades some gradual progress on religious freedom regarding registration and approvals, we really have to be honest with our partners about our lingering, long-standing human rights concerns. With Vietnam, we continue to have these hard conversations about the deeply restrictive environment for persons of faith, for those who choose a path different from the one the government dictates to them.

As you know, as you know very well, you know, in some locations throughout the country, authorities are still harassing, still surveilling, and threatening and arresting those who adhere to faith traditions outside of state-sanctioned religious organizations. This includes the independent Cao Dai, Hoa Hao and Khmer Krom Buddhists, Catholics, Protestant Christians belonging to unregistered religious groups, etc., etc., etc. These groups, as we all know, regularly face intense pressure and scrutiny from the government purportedly in the name of national security and social unity.

As we've been hearing from the first panel this morning, we know that increasingly Vietnam has demonstrated an alarming pattern of transnational repression. I'm especially grieved for my good friend here to my right, convicted and sentenced in absentia. He is a US citizen. He is being harassed and threatened on US soil. This is unacceptable. We should all be outraged. It is unacceptable.

There are so many others who are currently serving time for their commitment, their commitment to their faith and to their religious freedom advocacy. We call for their immediate and unconditional release.

Peacefully expressing one's faith should not be a crime. Peacefully participating in civic and political life as a manifestation of one's beliefs should not be a crime. The free exchange of ideas strengthens societies. The call of one's conscience to peacefully advocate strengthens societies.

So, when Vietnamese authorities use repressive laws and policies and practices to target religious expression and silence disfavored voices, it denies individuals the exercise of unalienable rights. When they arrest religious individuals and advocates and charge them with spurious, seemingly unrelated crimes, they infringe on fundamental freedoms belonging to everyone.

The United States has a host of diplomatic tools that we are using to urge Vietnam to improve its religious freedom and to hold perpetrators accountable. These tools have shown effectiveness. When the State Department first placed Vietnam on the Special Watch List in 2022 for engaging in and tolerating severe violations of religious freedom, we caught the government's attention. The Special Watch List designation has amplified our messaging. And it is in that context that we routinely call on the government of Vietnam to cease interfering in religious affairs, eliminate harassment by local authorities, and stop threatening and abusing those who worship outside of state-defined parameters.

At the State Department, we are also leveraging sanctions and visa restrictions to target bad actors who routinely oppress individuals for practicing their faith, and we won't hesitate to continue to leverage these tools against Vietnamese officials.

In response to the Special Watch List designation and our pressure, Vietnam has been listening and engaging with us. We have a long road ahead. We are committed to raising these concerns in our bilateral conversations and to publicly reporting on religious freedom issues in the International Religious Freedom Report, and we will continue to fight for religious freedom in Vietnam. Thank you for all you do as the global fight for freedom continues.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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