Bush praised for pressing human rights during Vietnam leader's visit

Published: 2007-07-09

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Members of Congress and Vietnamese community leaders said they were generally pleased with President George W. Bush's push for human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam during his recent meeting with President Nguyen Minh Triet in Washington. Critics of Triet point to his country's crackdown on religious freedom, imprisoning dozens of the country's religious leaders, including a Catholic priest. Triet met with President Bush June 22. It was the first time the president of Vietnam had visited Washington since the end of the Vietnam War. The two leaders discussed strengthening economic ties between the U.S. and Vietnam, which could give the Vietnamese more access to the U.S. market. They signed a new agreement that could lead to formal free-trade talks. "The president ... I believe was faithful at raising (human rights) to the highest level," U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., told Catholic News Service several days after the president's meeting with Triet.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .