By Benny Martinez

http://talkradionews.com/2010/03/new-legislation-could-change-u-s-vietnamese-relations/

Rep. Ahn “Joseph” Cao (R-La) announced today at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that he will introduce legislation that would reinstate Vietnam into the Countries of Particular Concern list.

A Country of Particular Concern is a designation from the State Department indicating that a nation is guilty of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act.

The roots for the new legislation stem from religious freedom violations by the Vietnamese government. According to a statement released by the commission, Vietnam continues to backslide on human rights by discriminating against certain religious practices in the country, detaining some and forcing others to renounce their respective faiths.