HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
2833
rtr
The overseas Vietnamese are
greatly concerned with the fate of the U.S. Congress Human Rights Act HR 2833.
It was introduced in the House on September 5, 2001 and passed on September 6 by
a 410-1 margin. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) sponsored the bill. The bill's 13
cosponsors include one Democrat, Rep. Tom Lantos (CA).
In the Senate,
sponsors Jesse Helms (R-NC) and Bob Smith (R-NH) invoked an emergency rule to
bypass the Foreign Relations Committee and try to bring the bill directly to
the Senate floor. This maneuver failed when Sen. John
Kerry (D-MA) put a hold on the bill.
Originally, HR 2833
was intended as legislation connected with the Bilateral Trade Agreement
between Hanoi and Washington signed in 2001. The legislation links human rights
as a condition to non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam. It authorizes assistance to
democratic forces in Vietnam, and it provides additional funding of Radio Free
Asia to overcome jamming efforts by the Hanoi government.
The spread of
democratic values in Asia is critical to U.S. security interests. HR-2833 is boosting these values in the
right direction. The 450-1 votes for the bill is a rare bi-partisan consensus
on an issue regarding the plight of the Vietnamese people. It reflects the
House's positive reaction to human rights records in Vietnam, while the Hanoi
Communist regime maintains its religious intolerant policy, in defiance of the world opinion supporting democracy
and freedom.
According to Sen.
Kerry and Hanoi supporters like him, the bill will cause more serious problems
to the relations between Hanoi and Washington. They seem to be afraid of
adverse reactions from Hanoi leaders if the bill becomes law, to the detriment
of the American interests.
During the last 50
years, the Vietnam Communist regime has shown that it always behaves stubbornly
in foreign relations. Vietnam Communist leaders usually rely on perseverance to
gain ground against their impatient friends and foes. But they will easily
become meek, submissive when facing a tough, inconvincible negotiating party
that may bring harm to their Party's safety and their interests are at stake.
France former
President Mitt errand visited Hanoi in the early 1990s. He went to Dien Bien
Pbu, the famous battlefield in Spring 1954 that ended up in the Geneva
Agreement, to attend a ceremony memorizing French soldiers fallen on this
valley. He was also allowed to talk to the Vietnamese people on Hanoi Radio.
When Hanoi failed to broadcast his speech, French Embassy raised protest,
forcing Hanoi to fulfill its promise. At last, Hanoi had to broadcast the
speech along with the translated version.
In 2000, Sen.
McCain and former President Clinton had outright comments in Hanoi praising the
Americans fighting for former South Vietnam's right cause and the heroic fallen
warriors of both South and North Vietnam haven't resulted in any adverse
reaction that could be harmful to the ultimate interests of the United States.
Meanwhile, former
American Ambassador Peterson treated Hanoi leaders with very soft hands but his
strategy seemed ineffective. Despite his compliance in relations with Hanoi,
Communist leaders only permitted him to visit the troubled Central Highlands
after ghis several months of waiting ands a few weeks before he left his post. He was welcomed in Darlac, but Communist
senior officials in Kontum province refused to meet him and he was not allowed
to visit any Montagnards or to go anywhere outside the provincial town.
Most of the
Vietnamese believe that if finally approved, the bill will be the best tool to
somewhat limit the suffering of the poor Vietnamese people.
According to many
Vietnamese Americans, Sen. Kerry is wrong when he thinks that a smooth hand
will be better for relations between the two capitals.
Since the bill was
introduced last September, Hanoi leaders have shown their worries about its
effects. A systematic campaign was launched against Bill 2833, with help from
great personages such as Sen. Kerry.
Hanoi has waged a
media campaign at covering up it's own litany of Human Rights violations and at
the same time demanding increased trade. In May 2002, Hanoi sent a delegation
to America for a propaganda tour, trying to gain supports from the Americans
and to alleviate the accusations by activists for religious freedom. The
delegation included three religious leaders, a Catholic priest, a Protestant
pastor and a Buddhist monk, all are little known in Vietnam or overseas.
Mr. Le Quang Vinh,
a high ranking Communist, chief of the central government Religious Affairs
office led the delegation that included security personnel. Vinh admitted that
his delegation's objective was to dissuade the American Congressmen from
passing Bill 2833.
The religious
leaders' arguments are not convincible to the Vietnamese, but some foreigners
might have fallen for them. Vietnam Communist leaders have had 50-year
experiences of chicanery.
Though frightened
by the possibility of HR 2833 being passed, Hanoi continues its religious
intolerant policies. Hanoi government is maintaining tight controls over
freedom of expression and other basic rights. Religious freedom also remains
sharply curtailed. The government's ban on independent religious associations
continues, with all religious groups required to register with and seek the
approval of the state.
In recent months,
Communist authorities have cracked down on many of the faithful and the
Montagnards. A dozen dissidents were detained. One of them, Pham Hong Son, was
locked up only because he was translating an article about
"Democracy" from the web site of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, in
defiance of world public opinion.
Besides, as if to
rake up anti-American sentiment of the Cold War era, Communist Vietnamese
newspaper "People's Army Daily" states that, "If the Americans
had not pursued isolationism and chauvinism, and if they had not insisted on
imposing their values on others in their own subjective manner, then perhaps
the twin towers would still be standing together in the singing waves and breeze
of the Atlantic."
Many Vietnamese
Americans argue that although Sen. Kerry has his full power as a ranking member
of the responsible senate committee to put a hold on the Human Right Act 2833,
he should not do so as far as the ultimate interests of the American people are
concerned.
He should pay more
regards to the Representatives, who show their common opinion by the greatest
majority of votes for the Bill.
On the other hand,
if Sen. Kerry believes that his opinion is right, he should bring the bill to
the Senate floor for a vote. The Senate should have the final decision on the
issue.
Many groups of the
Vietnamese Americans in the United States are launching a campaign to send
petition to Sen. Kerry and other U.S. Senators, urging that the Bill should now
be at the Senate calendar and should be brought to a vote, and voted
"Yes." They are working hard to get full support for the Release of
HR 2833, particularly support from the Democrats in the Senate; a large number
of Vietnamese Americans are voting for Democrats in every election.
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