Press Release
Smith Urges Increased Pressure on Vietnam for Religious Freedom ViolationsState Department Releases CPC Designations
The State Department on Thursday issued its annual designations of countries with the most egregious records of abusing religious freedom, yet it omitted Vietnam from the list despite its severe violations of religious freedom, an omission that is unacceptable, said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House global human rights subcommittee.
The State Department on Thursday issued its annual designations of countries with the most egregious records of abusing religious freedom, yet it omitted Vietnam from the list despite its severe violations of religious freedom, an omission that is unacceptable, said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chair of the House global human rights subcommittee. “Vietnam was not designated as a ‘country of particular concern—a significant omission,’” Smith said on Thursday. The Secretary of State designates governments that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs); on Thursday, the Department of State announced that the Secretary of State re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as CPCs on December 22, 2017. However, Vietnam was not on the list despite a recommendation from the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that it be designated as a CPC. Vietnam was on the CPC list from 2004 until 2006, when it was removed. “Vietnam, where religious groups continue to face egregious restrictions on religious liberty, is a place where a prioritization of religious freedom could produce results as it did in the past when the Bush Administration designated Vietnam as a CPC,” Smith said. “The Communist Party of Vietnam has reached out to the Administration, seeking economic and security incentives. The Administration should condition assistance on improvements in religious freedom and related human rights in Vietnam.” The U.S. also announced on Thursday that it would be withholding security assistance from Pakistan because of its failure to deal with extremist groups there. “The suspension of most security assistance to Pakistan for its failure to uproot extremists is overdue, and a very welcome announcement,” said Smith. “Extremism thrives where religious diversity is squelched; it is time for Pakistan to recognize the religious freedom and equal rights of its Shia, Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi, and other minority citizens.” The State Department placed Pakistan on the Special Watch List for its religious freedom violations, a category created by Smith’s international religious freedom law, the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, which was signed into law in 2016. With religious freedom violations on the rise globally, the need to use all the diplomatic tools available “should be a critical priority, because protecting this fundamental freedom advances both American principles and interests,” Smith said. “It is no coincidence that countries and extremist groups that seek to harm Americans and tear down the structures of democratic societies are those with the worst records of protecting Christians and religious minorities,” said Smith. “From China and Vietnam to Syria and Nigeria, we are witnessing a tragic, global crisis in religious persecution, violence and terrorism, with dire consequences for religious believers and for U.S. national security. The freedom to practice a religion without persecution is a precious right for everyone, no matter their race, sex, or country, and has been a bedrock principle of open and democratic societies for centuries.” The CPC and EPC (Entities of Particular Concern) designations carry with them legal tools, such as sanctions, for the U.S. to use to hold the worst offenders of religious freedom accountable for their violations. Smith’s international religious freedom law also provides the President and the State Department with more resources to promote religious freedom abroad. “The Administration should use all the tools available to protect this fundamental freedom, including by pushing the Senate to finally confirm Governor Sam Brownback as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom—the post has been vacant for too long,” Smith stated. Smith is also the author of HR 390, the Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act, which would ensure that U.S. assistance reaches religious minorities like Christians and Yazidis targeted for genocide in Iraq and Syria, and that the ISIS perpetrators are held accountable. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed the bill in September, and the Committee Chairman has subsequently prevented the bill from receiving a vote of the Senate. |