Cornyn Combats Human Rights Violations In Vietnam

Press Release

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) joined Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) in introducing The Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act to combat the deteriorating human rights situation in Vietnam by imposing sanctions and travel restrictions on individuals who are complicit in human rights abuses against Vietnamese nationals.

"For several years the human rights situation in Vietnam has grown steadily worse. Although the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has improved in some ways, the United States cannot allow this continued backsliding on human rights to occur without opposition," said Senator Cornyn. "The Vietnamese government's continued displays of egregious disregard for the basic civil, religious, and political liberties of its people signal that there is an immediate need for more targeted U.S. action."

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell has noted that Vietnam is currently backsliding on human rights and religious freedom issues. Today, the Vietnamese government actively suppresses lawyers, journalists, bloggers, democracy and human rights activists, independent trade union leaders, publishers, ethnic minorities, and religious groups. Although the United States has expanded relations with Vietnam in recent years, this should not be construed as approval of these ongoing human rights violations.

To that end, The Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act lays forth Congress' findings on the numerous incidents of oppression and human rights violations committed by the Vietnamese government in recent years. In response, the bill would require the President to compile a list of individuals who are complicit in human rights abuses in Vietnam and would authorize sanctions to be imposed against these individuals, including financial sanctions and prohibition from entering the United States.

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