Religious persecution has risen sharply in Vietnam with beatings, imprisonments and even deaths sanctioned by the Vietnamese government, said Congressman Chris Smith, senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the House floor today as members debated H. Res. 20. The resolution calls on the State Department to list the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a ‘‘Country of Particular Concern’’ with respect to religious freedom.
    The measure is expected to be voted on this week.
    Click here to read Congressman Smith's floor remarks.