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October 21, 2015
Oct 21, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 21, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the October 14 release by the U.S. State Department of its International Religious Freedom Report (IRF Report) for 2014. The IRF Report is required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), the same law that established USCIRF.
“The IRF Report is a comprehensive resource documenting religious freedom violations in almost 200 countries and territories and highlighting some of the thousands of prisoners of conscience who languish unjustly in prisons around the world solely because of their religion or belief,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George. “We commend the State Department, particularly the Office of International Religious Freedom, led by Ambassador-at-Large David Saperstein, for the significant effort that went into compiling this report,” said Chairman George.
IRFA also requires the United States annually to designate as “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs, those governments that “engage in or tolerate” systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, and to take action to encourage improvements in each CPC country. IRFA provides a range of options for such action, from bilateral agreements to sanctions. “Now that the IRF Report has been released, the next step is for the State Department to promptly designate the worst violators as CPCs and to leverage those designations to press for much-needed reforms in those countries,” said Chairman George.
In July 2014, the State Department designated nine nations as CPCs under IRFA: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. USCIRF’s 2015 annual report, released in April, recommended that these countries be re-designated as CPCs, and also called for eight additional designations: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
“USCIRF urges the State Department to continue the current nine CPC designations,” said Chairman George. “We also urge the State Department to further expand its CPC list to reflect the severe violations occurring in other countries, such as Pakistan, which USCIRF has called the worst situation in the world for religious freedom for countries not currently designated by the U.S. government as CPCs,” said Chairman George. “The just-released IRF Report leaves no doubt that the egregious nature of the violations in Pakistan warrant a CPC designation,” continued Chairman George.
Read USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.
May 21, 2013
May 21, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 21, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the State Department's release of its 2012 International Religious Freedom Report.
"USCIRF congratulates the State Department - particularly its Office of International Religious Freedom and Ambassador-at-Large Suzan Johnson Cook -- for its admirable work reporting on the many ways religious freedom is violated around the world,” said USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett. "Given that religious freedom conditions are deteriorating in many countries, the State Department's extensive documentation of the nature and extent of these violations is especially important. The next crucial step is for the Secretary of State to promptly designate the worst violators as "countries of particular concern,” or CPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA).”
IRFA requires the United States annually to designate as CPCs those governments that "engage in or tolerate” systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, and to take action to encourage improvements in each CPC country. IRFA provides a range of options for such action, from bilateral agreements to sanctions. However, the United States has not made CPC designations since August 2011.
"Prompt CPC designations will send the signal that the United States prioritizes religious freedom. These designations, followed up with vigorous U.S. diplomatic activity, also provide the U.S. government with an effective tool to help end abuses and promote this fundamental human right,” continued Lantos Swett.
Prompt CPC designations are also vital because sanctions on the currently-designated CPCs will expire in August 2013. "Allowing sanctions to expire would send the inaccurate message that religious freedom is improving in those countries or that religious freedom is not important to U.S. foreign policy. That message would be especially misguided given the severity of the violations in many nations that top the U.S. foreign policy agenda, and the strong correlation between religious freedom, stability and security,” said Lantos Swett.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently released its own Annual Report which highlights the status of religious freedom globally and identifies those governments that are the most egregious violators. In its Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department again designate the following eight countries as CPCs: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. USCIRF also found that seven other countries meet the CPC threshold and should be so designated: Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner please contact USCRIFat (202) 523-3258 or media@uscirf.gov
April 20, 2016
Apr 20, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes Secretary of State John Kerry’s re-designation on April 15, 2016 of Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act, and the designation for the first time of Tajikistan as a CPC.
“USCIRF welcomes the designation of these ten countries. The CPC designation shines a spotlight on the “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of the freedom of religion or belief that are taking place in these nations. However, the Secretary also waived imposing any consequences on Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The CPC designation brings with it a unique toolbox of policy options to effectively promote religious freedom, and USCIRF encourages the Administration to use these tools,” said Robert P. George, USCIRF’s Chairman.
While commending the addition of Tajikistan, USCIRF has concluded that the CPC list should be expanded to include seven other countries: Central African Republic, Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, and Vietnam. USCIRF also urges that waivers be limited to a set period of time and subject to review for renewal.
For more information about the CPC mechanism and implementation of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), please see USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.
April 30, 2013
Apr 30, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 30, 2013| By USCIRF
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body created by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to monitor religious freedom abuses abroad, today released its 2013 Annual Report. The Report highlights the status of religious freedom globally and identifies those governments that are the most egregious violators.
"The state of international religious freedom is increasingly dire due to the presence of forces that fuel instability. These forces include the rise of violent religious extremism coupled with the actions and inactions of governments. Extremists target religious minorities and dissenters from majority religious communities for violence, including physical assaults and even murder. Authoritarian governments also repress religious freedom through intricate webs of discriminatory rules, arbitrary requirements and draconian edicts,” said Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, USCIRF's Chair.
The 2013 Annual Report recommends that the Secretary of State re-designate the following eight nations as "countries of particular concern” or CPCs: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. USCIRF finds that seven other countries meet the CPC threshold and should be so designated: Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.
"The Annual Report ultimately is about people and how their governments treat them. Violations affect members of diverse religious communities around the world, be they Rohinghya Muslims in Burma, Coptic Christians in Egypt, Buddhists, Uighur Muslims and Falun Gong in China, Baha'is in Iran, Ahmadis and Christians in Pakistan, or Muslims in Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and in non-Muslim nations like Russia. We recommend that the White House adopt a whole-of-government strategy to guide U.S. religious freedom promotion and that Secretary of State Kerry promptly designate CPCs, before currently designated actions expire later this year,” said Lantos Swett.
In Burma, ongoing political reforms have yet to significantly improve the situation for freedom of religion and belief. Sectarian violence and severe abuses of religious freedom and human dignity targeting ethnic minority Christians and Muslims continue to occur with impunity.
In Egypt, despite some progress during a turbulent political transition, the government has failed or been slow to protect from violence religious minorities, particularly Coptic Christians. The government continues to prosecute, convict, and imprison individuals for "contempt” or "defamation” of religion, and the new constitution includes several problematic provisions relevant to religious freedom.
In both Pakistan and Nigeria, religious extremism and impunity have factored into unprecedented levels of violence that threaten the long-term viability of both nations. Targeted violence against Shi'i Muslims in Pakistan is pervasive, while repeated Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria exacerbate sectarian tensions.
"Many of these countries top the U.S. foreign policy agenda, and religion is a core component in their makeup. Successful U.S. foreign policy recognizes the critical role religious freedom plays in each of these nations and prioritizes accordingly. Religious freedom is both a pivotal human right under international law and a key factor that helps determine whether a nation experiences stability or chaos,” said Lantos Swett.
USCIRF also announced the placement of eight nations on its Tier 2 List for 2013. The Tier 2 category replaces the Watch List designation USCIRF previously used. These nations are: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and Russia. USCIRF found the violations these governments engage in or tolerate are particularly severe, and meet at least one criterion, but not all, of IRFA's three-fold "systematic, ongoing, egregious” CPC standard.
In Russia, religious freedom conditions suffered major setbacks in the context of growing human rights abuses. In Indonesia, the country's rich tradition of religious tolerance and pluralism is seriously threatened by arrests of individuals the government considers religiously deviant and violence perpetrated by extremist groups. Federal and provincial officials, police, courts, and religious leaders often tolerate and abet the conduct of religious freedom abusers.
The USCIRF report also highlights the status of religious freedom in countries/regions that do not meet the Tier 1 (CPC) or Tier 2 threshold. These include: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Ethiopia, Turkey, Venezuela and Western Europe. The Annual Report also addresses in-depth thematic issues: Constitutional Changes; Severe Religious Freedom Violations by Non-State Actors; Laws against Blasphemy and Defamation of Religions; Imprisonment of Conscientious Objectors; Legal Retreat from Religious Freedom in Post-Communist Countries; Kidnapping and Forced Religious De-Conversion in Japan; and Religious Freedom Issues in International Organizations.
ABOUT USCIRF
USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government advisory body with its commissioners appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in Congress. The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that the United States annually designate as CPCs countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of the universal right to freedom of religion or belief. IRFA also tasks USCIRF with assessing conditions in these and other countries and making recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress.
In accordance with IRFA, USCIRF uses international standards, as found in UN conventions and declarations, for assessing religious freedom conditions.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner please contact USCRIF at (202) 523-3258 or media@uscirf.gov
July 22, 2013
Jul 22, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 22, 2013 | By USCIRF
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- USCIRF urges President Obama to raise concerns about religious freedom violations in Vietnam when he meets at the White House with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang on July 25. Raising these concerns as the U.S.-Vietnamese bilateral relationship is improving will underscore America's support for this fundamental right.
"Because religious freedom conditions remain very poor in Vietnam, we respectfully urge President Obama to raise concerns about religious freedom and related human rights when he meets with President Truong Tan Sang,” said USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett. "The progress that took place over the past decade was achieved when American and international attention made improvements in religious freedom a core part of the bilateral agenda. These linkages did not, and will not, threaten our relationship: In fact, the Vietnamese government's support for religious freedom can only strengthen the relationship between our two countries.”
As documented in USCIRF's 2013 Annual Report, the government of Vietnam continues to expand control over all religious activities, severely restrict independent religious practice, and repress individuals and religious groups it views as challenging its authority. The Vietnamese government uses a specialized religious police force and vague national security laws to suppress independent Buddhist, Protestant, Hoa Hao, and Cao Dai activities, and seeks to stop the growth of ethnic minority Protestantism and Catholicism via discrimination, violence and forced renunciations of their faith. The government also continues to harass, threaten, intimidate, detain, and sentence lawyers and disbar human rights defenders who have assisted religious communities or religious freedom advocates in cases against the state.
"Vietnam must do more to respect religious freedom. The state visit provides a unique opportunity for President Obama to press for change,” continued Dr. Swett. "Opening more space for independent religious activity and freeing jailed lawyers who defend the rights of individuals and communities is a must.”
In December 2012, lawyer and human rights defender Le Quoc Quan, who has assisted Catholics in seeking return of church properties, was again arrested. Mr. Quan currently is detained incommunicado in Hoa Lo Prison with no access to his lawyer and family. Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, who in 2010 represented the residents of the village of Con Dau against a government land grab of their village and cemetery, was charged with propaganda against the state. He now is serving a seven-year sentence based on other activism and is in poor health.
Given these systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations, USCIRF continues to recommend that Vietnam be designated as a "country of particular concern (CPC), placing it among the world's worst violators of religious freedom. The Commission has recommended CPC status for Vietnam since 2001. The State Department did so in 2004 and 2005, but removed the designation in 2006 because of progress toward fulfilling a binding agreement.
May 15, 2017
May 15, 2017
Commissioner Jackie Wolcott sent the following letter to Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh and Mrs. Tran Thi Hong on May 15, 2017.Click here to view the Vietnamese translation of the letter.
May 15, 2017
Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh
Xuan Loc Prison
Dong Nai Province, Vietnam
Mrs. Tran Thi Hong
Hoa Lu Ward, Pleiku City,
Gia Lai Province, Vietnam
Dear Pastor Chinh and Mrs. Hong:
I write to you as a Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and a person of faith who is deeply concerned about your well-being. I want to express my Commission’s and my own support and solidarity with you as you continue your struggles in support of religious freedom. Your plight rightfully has drawn the attention of people worldwide.
This is a poignant time to highlight your struggle. Twelve years ago this month, the United States and Vietnam reached an agreement requiring the Vietnamese government to improve religious freedom conditions in your country. Sadly, and as you know all too well, this agreement largely has been followed by more restrictions, not more freedom.
Tragically, Pastor Chinh, your detention for more than five years of your 11-year prison sentence is clearly and completely unjust. I understand that the Vietnamese authorities are denying you vitally needed medical treatment as you serve prison time for the alleged crime of “undermining national solidarity.” As a minister to the Christian community in the Central Highlands, the government should protect, not punish, your voice for peaceful criticism of restrictions on religious freedom.
Mrs. Hong, we understand that you too have been subjected to frequent government surveillance and harassment, including one year ago this month when Vietnamese police officers harshly interrogated you, burst into your home and assaulted your son. Please know that I will not forget your family’s ill-treatment.
As a religious freedom advocate myself, I have been deeply inspired by both of you and your resiliency under these cruel conditions. As long as you remain in prison, Pastor, and as long as the Vietnamese authorities continue to unfairly treat you and your family, please be assured that I am dedicated to publicly and privately working on your behalf, so that your family can be reunited and you can freely practice your faith, openly and without further threat.
With deepest respect,
Ambassador Jackie Wolcott
Ambassador Jackie Wolcott is a Commissioner at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a U.S. government body that monitors the universal right to religious freedom.
USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project highlights the plight of individuals who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs, practices or identity. To learn more about this project or to interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.
October 23, 2018
Oct 23, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2018
Vice Chair Arriaga Expresses Concern About Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ
“I am especially concerned about Thích Quảng Độ’s wellbeing because he will turn 90 on November 27 and suffers from diabetes,” said Vice Chair Arriaga
Washington, D.C. — Kristina Arriaga, Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), today expressed serious concern about the situation of Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ, the leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), for whom she advocates as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project.
“As the United States and Vietnam continue to move from the past toward a future of dialogue and mutual respect, the case of religious prisoners of conscience like Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ remain a harbinger for whether this progress is temporary or long-lasting,” said Vice Chair Arriaga. “Until Thích Quảng Độ is allowed to fully exercise his religious freedom, USCIRF will remain active in advocating on his behalf.”
For more than three decades, Vietnamese authorities have repeatedly targeted, harassed, and detained Thích Quảng Độ for practicing his faith and advocating for religious freedom and related human rights. He has been under effective house arrest at Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Ho Ch Minh City since 2001, except for a brief reprieve in 2003. He reportedly was expelled from the monastery on September 15 and is thought to be in his ancestral hometown in Thai Binh Province in northern Vietnam. He has been unable to communicate with his followers and it is unclear if he has access to medical care.
“I am especially concerned about Thích Quảng Độ’s wellbeing because he will turn 90 on November 27 and suffers from diabetes,” said Vice Chair Arriaga.
USCIRF has recommended that Vietnam be designated as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom every year since 2002. For more information, see USCIRF’s 2018 Annual Report chapter on Vietnam.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
November 20, 2019
Nov 20, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 20, 2019
USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava Adopts Nguyen Bac Truyen Through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project
WASHINGTON, DC – Anurima Bhargava, a Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today announced her adoption of Vietnamese religious freedom advocate and Hoa Hao Buddhist Nguyen Bac Truyen as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. Before his imprisonment, Truyen led the Vietnamese Political & Religious Prisoners Friendship Association, which assists prisoners of conscience and their families. He was detained in July 2017 and in April 2018, was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on spurious charges of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.” Truyen has reportedly been suffering from a stomach ailment, but has been unable to obtain proper medical care while in prison.
“The imprisonment of Nguyen Bac Truyen belies the Vietnamese government’s claims that it protects religious freedom,” said Bhargava. “Religious freedom includes protecting those who advocate on behalf of persecuted or disadvantaged religious groups. People like Nguyen Bac Truyen should be celebrated for their tireless efforts to improve the lives of their fellow citizens, but instead, he received an excessive and unjust prison sentence. He must be released immediately if Vietnam is to meet its obligations under international law.”
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department designate Vietnam a “country of particular concern” (CPC) because of its persecution of religious minorities and religious freedom advocates like Nguyen Bac Truyen. The Vietnamese government targeted Truyen due to his advocacy, particularly on behalf of Hoa Hao Buddhists. Vietnamese authorities regularly harass Hoa Hao Buddhists who refuse to participate in government-approved religious associations. Authorities also restrict their ability to celebrate important holy days. There are widespread reports that Vietnamese prison authorities abuse prisoners of conscience and deny them access to religious services.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or call 202-523-3240.
February 24, 2020
Feb 24, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2020
USCIRF Mourns the Passing of Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ
Washington, DC — The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) mourned the passing of Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ, the leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV). He was under effective house arrest at Thanh Minh Zen Monastery in Ho Ch Minh City from 2001 to late 2018, when he was able to flee to Tu Hieu pagoda, where he passed away on Saturday evening. USCIRF had advocated for Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ through the Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. A USCIRF delegation met with him in September 2019.
“This is an incredible loss for the people of Vietnam,” USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins stated. “USCIRF urges the Vietnamese government to let UBCV members mourn their departed leader in peace.”
“I had the honor of meeting Patriarch Thích Quảng Độ at his pagoda last September,” added Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “With his quiet strength and grace, he fought for decades to preserve and promote religious freedom in Vietnam.”
USCIRF has called on the U.S. government to designate Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. As documented in USCIRF’s 2019 Annual Report and a recent Country Update, USCIRF has received regular reports of Vietnamese authorities harassing independent Buddhists, Catholics, Hoa Hao Buddhists, Cao Dai, Hmong and Montagnard Protestants, and other religious groups.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov or +1-202-702-2778.
April 03, 2020
Apr 3, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 2020
USCIRF Calls for the Release of Vietnamese Prisoner of Conscience Nguyen Bac Truyen
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today reiterated its call for the Vietnamese government to release Nguyen Bac Truyen, one of USCIRF’s religious prisoners of conscience. Nguyen Bac Truyen is a Vietnamese religious freedom advocate and Hoa Hao Buddhist. On April 5, 2018, he was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on spurious charges of “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.”
“Nguyen Bac Truyen’s trial, which occurred two years ago and lasted for just one day, was a travesty of justice,” noted USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava, who advocates for Nguyen Bac Truyen as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. “He should be home with his family, especially now that the coronavirus pandemic has increased the public health risk to prisoners and his health problems have escalated since his imprisonment.”
U.S. Representatives Harley Rouda and Zoe Lofgren also advocate on behalf of Nguyen Bac Truyen through the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s Defending Freedoms Project.
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF called on the U.S. government to designate Vietnam as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. As documented in a recent Country Update, USCIRF has received regular reports of Vietnamese authorities harassing independent Buddhists, Catholics, Hoa Hao Buddhists, Cao Dai, Hmong and Montagnard Protestants, and other religious groups
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or Danielle Ashbahian at dashbahian@uscirf.gov.