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Congressional Testimony

November 6, 2007

Statement of Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director Boat People SOS
on House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee,

We are witnessing Vietnam's return to the "dark age" in terms of political tolerance. Soon after Vietnam entered the WTO, extricated itself from the Country of Particular Concern designation, and achieved Permanent Normal Trade Relation with the US, its government mounted a sweeping crackdown against peaceful pro-democracy advocates, nonconformist religious leaders, labor union organizers, and even lawyers that defended victims of persecution and social injustice. We have documented the arrest and detention of at least 42 dissidents. Within the six-week period between March 30 and May 15, 20 of them were sentenced to a total of over 80 years in prison. The picture of Catholic Priest Nguyen Van Ly muzzled at his own trial is symptomatic of the worst political crackdown in 20 years.