U.S. congressman seeks religious rights in Vietnam

Published: 2005-12-19

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Vietnam still violates the religious rights of its people on a large scale even though "there's some movement in the right direction," U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith said following a fact-finding visit to the communist-run Southeast Asian nation. The New Jersey Republican, who heads the House's Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee, told Catholic News Service that during his Dec. 1-3 visit he met with numerous Catholic leaders and representatives of other religions who detailed religious rights violations by the Vietnamese government. Indicative of the Vietnamese government's approach to human rights, he said, was the fact that it denied entry visas to two Vietnamese-American human rights leaders he sought to bring with him on his visit. He said Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai "has indicated that churches can now re-engage in charitable work. It remains to be tested whether or not that will be real."

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