FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2005

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240 

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush announced yesterday that the United States and Vietnam had reached a "landmark agreement that will make it easier for people to worship freely in Vietnam." The agreement to which the President referred was first announced on May 5, 2005 by the State Department. The agreement, however, has not been made public, and the Commission calls on the State Department to disclose the substance of this important human rights agreement.

That agreement was the first diplomatic accord reached with a "country of particular concern" (CPC) since the passage of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA legislation stipulates that a country designated as a CPC can avoid sanctions by entering into a "binding agreement" that details specific steps toward progress on religious freedom.

In testimony this week before the House International Relations Committee, USCIRF Vice Chair Nina Shea said that the Commission found it troubling that an agreement whose details are secret could be cited as evidence of progress because there was no way to monitor its provisions and no promise of access to regions, such as the Central Highlands and northwest provinces, that have experienced the most human rights problems. Shea called for the creation of a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the agreement is fulfilled and other issues of concern are addressed. "Until there is independent monitoring, any claims of progress on religious freedom should be viewed with skepticism," said Shea.

Over the past six months, the Vietnamese government has made several gestures to address religious freedom concerns, including the release of several prominent dissidents, a directive to stop forcing Protestants to recant their faith, and another to streamline the application process for religious groups seeking government approval. However, in her testimony, Commissioner Shea noted that the actions taken thus far only signal promises of improvement and not actual measurable progress. She added, "Promises do not mean progress in addressing the tangible reasons that landed Vietnam on the CPC list in the first place. Religious prisoners remain behind bars, churches remain closed, and restrictions and harassment on all of Vietnam's diverse religious communities continues. Moreover, troubling reports continue to arrive of new arrests and harassment of religious and ethnic minorities in Vietnam, despite promises that the new laws would improve religious freedom conditions." Commissioner Shea's HIRC testimony offered specific examples of ongoing forced renunciations of faith that occurred in the last month.

In addition, the Commission also has made specific recommendations for Congressional and Administration action in the areas of public diplomacy, economic development, education, and rule of law programs for Vietnam which would help to advance freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. These may be found in the Commission's2005 Annual Report.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom invite you to a briefing by

Tad Stahnke
Deputy Director for Policy, U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom

Robert C. Blitt
Legal Policy Analyst, U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom

Religion & Iraq's Permanent Constitution:
Constitutional Models of Predominantly Muslim Countries

Tuesday, June 28, 2005
9:00AM-10:30AM
in Conference Room A (4th Floor) at
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 1201 Connecticut Ave NW
[entrance on Rhode Island Ave NW, next to St. Matthew's Cathedral]

The authors of a recent study examining the religion-state relationship and the right to freedom of religion or belief in the constitutions of predominantly Muslim countries will present key findings from the study and discuss its relevance with regard to the drafting of a new permanent constitution for Iraq. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress.

Tad Stahnke joined the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in February 2000 and currently serves as the Deputy Director for Policy. Prior to joining the Commission, Stahnke spent three years with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, a law firm in New York City. He also worked as a judicial clerk for the Hon. Wilfred Feinberg in the United States Court of Appeals. From 1996-98, Stahnke helped lead a program on "Religion, Human Rights, and Religious Freedom" at Columbia University Law School, where for several years he taught a seminar on religious freedom and international human rights law.

Robert C. Blitt is Legal Policy Analyst for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Prior to joining the Commission, Blitt spent over five years living, working, and traveling in the Middle East. In addition to his Middle East regional expertise, Blitt is a specialist in public international law, comparative constitutional law, and international human rights law.

Please RSVP by June 27 by email to <[email protected]>, by telephone to Melody Jones at (202) 457-6949 (202) 457-6949, or by fax to (202) 457-6992.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2005

Contact:
Anne Johnson, Director of Communications, (202) 523-3240 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Vice Chair Nina Shea will testify on Monday, June 20, before the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations at a hearing on human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam. The hearing will be held in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2172, at 2:00 p.m.

The hearing is being held on the day that Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai arrives in Washington for meetings with President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials. Prime Minister Khai's visit comes 30 years after the end of the Vietnam War and 10 years after the normalization of U.S.-Vietnamese relations.

Vice Chair Shea will testify that while trade and military ties have increased, significant problems in U.S.-Vietnamese relations remain, particularly in the area of human rights, including religious freedom, which will hinder the further growth of the relationship. Vietnam's economic openness has not led directly to political openness, and freedoms of speech, assembly, association, and religion continue to be significantly restricted.

The Commission recommended beginning in 2001 that Vietnam be designated a "country of particular concern," or CPC, for severe violations of religious freedom. In September 2004, the State Department designated Vietnam a CPC. Last month, the State Department announced it had reached an "agreement" with Vietnam to avoid more stringent actions, which can include economic sanctions, required for countries designated as CPCs. However, as the Commission noted when the agreement was announced, the actions taken by Vietnam signal only promises of improvement and not actual measurable progress in addressing the problems that resulted in Vietnam's CPC designation.

In her testimony, Commissioner Shea will outline the religious freedom concerns that remain, troubling new developments, and recommendations for U.S. policy to address these issues.

Commissioner Shea's testimony will be available on the Commission's web site at www.uscirf.gov at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to monitor the status of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related international instruments, and to give independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress.