Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Al Green sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State opposing the opening of a Vietnamese consul general’s office in Houston due to ongoing concerns about the human rights situation in Vietnam. 

The Vietnamese government has come under great scrutiny in recent years due to allegations of severe human rights violations.  The advocacy organization Human Rights Watch noted earlier this year that the country “was characterized by the harshest crackdown on peaceful dissent in 20 years” in 2007.  Vietnam has been marked by myriad abuses, including the arrests of dozens of pro-democracy activists and targeting of Protestants, Buddhists and Mennonites on the basis of their religious views.

Along with advocacy organizations, Vietnam has also come under pressure from the American government.  In 2004, the Department of State designated Vietnam as a “Country of Particular Concern” in the Department’s International Religious Freedom Report.  Last year, President Bush and Vice President Cheney held a lengthy meeting with a group of Vietnamese-American human rights and democracy activists.

“I am a strong advocate of engaging countries throughout the world.  However, protection of individuals’ basic rights must be a rock of our foreign policy and we cannot tolerate the kind of abuses that continue to go on in Vietnam,” said Congressman Green.

The congressman sent his letter, which urged the State Department to work to halt the opening of a new consul general’s office and to continue efforts to “expand human rights in Vietnam,” in the wake of a recent town hall meeting hosted by Congressman Green and attended by over 500 members of the community, including Al Hoang, President of the Vietnamese Community in Houston and Vicinity.  At the meeting, attendees expressed unanimous opposition to the opening of the new consulate and presented Congressman Green with a petition signed by over 15,000 members of the Houston community opposing the opening of the office.

“Millions of persons across the world, from students and journalists in Vietnam to dedicated members of our own community here in Houston, are working to help the Vietnamese people achieve the freedoms that are fundamental to living a decent life.  I will continue to work with members of our community and my fellow members of Congress to support these efforts and to prevent the opening of this consulate,” said Congressman Green.

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