MATTHEW PENNINGTON | March 21, 2013 07:41 PM EST |
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WASHINGTON — The Obama administration expressed concern Thursday about Vietnam’s “backsliding” on human rights and asserted that advancing individual freedoms is key to U.S. policy in Asia.
One example cited is Hanoi’s treatment of bloggers who have faced prosecution under national security laws. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Dan Baer told a congressional panel that Vietnam’s authoritarian government is rightly proud of expanding Internet use, but it has diminished the value by curbing free exchange of ideas. Baer described those national security laws as draconian.
U.S. senators urged the administration to emphasize the promotion of human rights and democracy as part of its strategic pivot to Asia, which has primarily been cast as an attempt to increase America’s military presence and boost trade in response to China’s rise.
“What would set us apart from authoritarian competitors and would lay the groundwork for a truly American legacy in East Asia is a strong commitment to advancing individual freedoms,” said Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
Vietnam is one focus of Washington’s outreach but Hanoi’s poor human rights record has made that awkward. Vietnam began opening its economy in the late 1980s and wants to integrate with the world, but it remains a one-party state with strict controls on freedom of speech and political expression. Activists, including bloggers, are routinely arrested and imprisoned.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130321/us-us-vietnam-human-rights/?utm_hp_ref=media&ir=media
