US House passes historic Vietnam trade deal, but slaps Hanoi on
human rights
WASHINGTON - The United States House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed a historic trade deal with Vietnam, seen as
the high-point of a long drive for rapprochment between two former bitter enemies.
The pact, passed on a voice vote, was concluded by the administration of former president Bill Clinton last
year and prises open Vietnam's state controlled markets and cuts tariffs on Vietnamese exports to the United
States.
But opponents of the Hanoi regime celebrated a major legislative victory earlier Thursday as a separate bill,
which ties future US aid to Vietnam to improvements in its human rights record, passed the House on a 410-1
vote.
The Vietnam Human Rights Act also demands Vietnam halt jamming of broadcasts by congressionally funded
Radio Free Asia, protect refugees and mandates US assistance to groups promoting freedom and democracy
in the country.
In practice, the human rights legislation provided political cover for representatives who support expanding
trade links with Vietnam, but were wary of being seen as soft on Hanoi's human rights record.
House opponents of the deal argued that by delinking human rights and trade, Washington loses valuable
political leverage with Vietnam's communist government.
"Why, with a regime like this are we going to give our businessmen subsidies to invest over there, to create jobs
over there, exploiting their slave labor?" said Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.
"This is ridiculous."
The trade deal, which faced opposition among activists critical of Vietnam's human rights record, must also be
passed by the Senate before it is passed to President George W. Bush and becomes law.
Agence France Presse - September 6, 2001.
FM Spokesperson on Vietnam-US trade agreement, Vietnam human rights act
HANOI - On the approval of the Viet Nam-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement and the Viet Nam
Human Rights Act by the United States House of Reresentatives on Sept. 6, the spokesperson for the
Foreign Ministry Phan Thuy Thanh on Sept. 7 released a statement.
She said: "Viet Nam acknowledges the ratification of the Viet Nam-US bilateral trade agreement, BTA, by
the US House of Representatives as a necessary step toward the enactment of the agreement".
She noted: "The BTA, signed on the basis of mutual respect for each other's independence and sovereignty,
equality and mutual benefits, is the outcome of joint endeavours by both Viet Nam and the United States. The
early ratification and enactment of the Agreement will benefit both Viet Nam and the U.S.".
The spokesperson went on to say: "On the other hand, we strongly reject the approval of the so-called 'Viet
Nam Human Rights Act' by the US House of Representatives. This document groundlessly distorts reality in
Viet Nam, cruelly intervenes into the internal affairs of Viet Nam, runs counter to the United Nations Charter
and the fundamental principles of international laws, and creates a dangerous precedent in international
relations by attaching economic and trade ties to unacceptable political conditions. The act reflects the ill
intention of a group of people who want to put pressure and conditions on U.S.-Viet Nam relations, which runs
counter to the interests of the people of Viet Nam and the U.S., hinders the improvement of bilateral ties, and
will certainly be widely condemned by public opinions."
"The Viet Nam-U.S. relationship is a relationship between two sovereign nations and can only be developed
on the basis of mutual respect for each other's independence and sovereignty, non-interference into each
other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits. In that spirit, we firmly reject the "Viet Nam Human
Rights Act" and request the cancellation of this wrongful act," Thanh said.
"It is the U.S. who waged a brutal war of aggression against Viet Nam, grossly violating the fundamental
rights of the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people experienced a long and arduous struggle against
foreign aggression and suffered great sacrifices and losses to regain the most fundamental human right of
living in peace, independence and freedom and in pursuit of happiness and human dignity. The Vietnamese
people are resolved to maintain their sacred human rights and shall not allow any violation of these rights by
anyone," the spokesperson said in conclusion.
Vietnam News Agency - September 7, 2001.
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