To justify its comments, the US Department of State listed a number of actions taken by the Vietnamese Government that are alleged to have violated fundamental human rights. Among them, the department said Vietnamese people holding different views still face detention.

On what ground could the department come up with such a biased judgement when there was no suppression or imprisonment of dissidents in Vietnam, except for some people who attempted to undermine the efforts of the law-governed Vietnamese State to protect the stability and unification of the country.

While Vietnamese people were jubilantly celebrating the traditional lunar New Year Festival (Tet) three weeks ago, a group of extremists led by Nguyen Van Ly in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue contacted and joined reactionary elements overseas in an attempt to undermine the cause of national construction and development. On February 18, the police took legal proceedings against Ly on charges of producing, storing and distributing anti-Vietnamese State material. In early March, the investigating police also arrested Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan in Hanoi on charges of dispersing such material.    

Any nation and any genuine government in the world would strictly deal with law-breakers. The Vietnamese Government’s above-mentioned action was only aimed at consolidating the country’s socio-political stability, creating favourable conditions for economic development, improving people’s living conditions and better protecting fundamental human rights. Only those still bearing a grudge against Vietnam are brazen enough to accuse it of violating human rights. 

The US Department of State falsely claimed that the Vietnamese Government banned the media from covering people’s opinions on the Party’s role and the Government’s performance in relation to national key issues.

Obviously, such wrongful allegations in the US Department of State’s report on human rights situation in various countries in the world can cut no ice with the public. Moreover, they constitute an insult to the Party, State, Government and people of Vietnam.

In fact, the Vietnamese press disseminates information and people’s opinions on national key issues every day. In preparation for the upcoming election of deputies to the 12th National Assembly in May, many national newspapers, the Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam Television are doing their best to fully reflect people’s opinions on this important political event. Even the Prime Minister and several ministers are ready to answer people’s questions online. During a recent live exchange, PM Nguyen Tan Dung answered many people’s questions related to major political, social and economic issues as well as his family affairs.

There is no denying the Vietnamese State’s constant efforts in promoting and protecting human rights since the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). In the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh solemnly declared to the world that All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. Among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.