Religous freedom must be granted for every woman, man and child on earth, with no exceptions, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Vice-Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, said after a rare post-adjournment hearing on the topic today.

    “We must proclaim and advance the universality and surpassing importance of religious freedom for every woman, man and child on earth—no exceptions,” said Smith, who is a long-time leading human rights activist. “Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right that must be safeguarded not only for the well-being of the individual but also for society as a whole,” said Smith.

    During the hearing, the Committee examined the State Department’s 2006 International Religious Freedom Report. This annual report reviews the status of religious freedom worldwide and helps Congress create policy that promotes international religious freedom and penalizes governments that condone or, in some cases, even sanction abuse. 

    The report requires the State Department to designate the countries that have “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom” during the reporting period as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs). There are eight countries with CPC designation in 2006: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan. 

    “I have reservations about the Secretary’s decision to remove Vietnam as a country of particular concern. It is difficult to believe that in only one year the situation improved to warrant its removal from the list. Rest assured that we will continue to watch Vietnam closely,” said Smith.

    Vietnam was recently removed from the list of CPCs and granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) by the U.S. government. However, a number of legitimate concerns remain about the repression of the rights of Vietnamese people to freely practice their faith and new concerns were brought to light during the hearing, especially through the testimony of Bui Thien Hue, a Hoa Hao Buddhist Dissident and Former Vietnam Religious Prisoner. 

    Mr. Hue described to the committee the injustices he personally survived to tell, as well as the tragic stories of his friends and fellow religious dissidents who have not been as fortunate as he has to have survived persecution from the regime in Hanoi.

    “I am but a humble Hoa Hao Buddhist. I don’t know much about politics and I don’t understand the reason behind the Administration’s decision to remove Vietnam from the list of Countries of Particular Concern. But I am a living witness to the undeniable fact that there is still religious repression in Vietnam,” Hue said.

    Smith also noted, “the holiday season, which is derived from ‘holy season,’ is a fitting time for this committee to proclaim, promote and seek to advance the fundamental human right of religious freedom for all.”

    The Committee also examined the repression of religious freedoms in Uzbekistan, which was placed on the CPC list for the first time this year.