The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)'s recent recommendation for putting Vietnam back on the list of "countries of particular concern" (CPC) for religious freedom is utterly groundless and unacceptable as it is out of tune with the real religious situation in Vietnam and the fine development of Vietnam-US relations.

The historical significance of Victory Day over Fascism (May 9) and the great contributions by former Soviet soldiers in the 20th century have been acknowledged and respected by humankind. Despite misleading views about the issue, the values of the victory remain fresh and will be unchanged forever.

The US Congress and Government should not allow those forces that lack goodwill towards Vietnam to undermine the fruits so far reaped by the two countries. The Human Rights resolution recently passed by the US House of Representatives is just a piece of outdated thinking and a wrongful act against the development of bilateral relations.

The Hanoi Police’s Security and Investigation Agency on April 21 arrested Tran Khai Thanh Thuy on the charge of propagandising against Vietnam when she was caught distributing more than 30 articles with content opposing the Vietnamese Party and State. Thuy was found to be a close aide of Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan, who, in the game of lawyers, carried out activities in an attempt to overthrow the Vietnamese State.

Material gathered by the security agency shows that Le Thi Cong Nhan, under Nguyen Van Dai’s instructions, actively lent a helping hand to Dai’s activities in an attempt to overthrow the Vietnamese State.

Several international human rights organisations and overseas reactionary forces have accused Vietnam of human rights violations after the Hanoi Investigation Police arrested Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan on March 6 on the charge of “propagandising against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under the Criminal Procedures Code. However, their outlawed activities and insidious schemes strongly refuted their accusations.

Our State is of the people, by the people and for the people. The people master the country, the State acts as the people’s tool to govern the country and State officials are the people’s servants. State properties all belong to the people, and State power comes from the people. This is the very important political and humanitarian nature of our State. Former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An has sent an article on application of this thinking to VOVNews.

In 2006, rice and fruit vegetable growing areas accounted for 74 percent and 15 percent of the country’s total cultivated areas respectively. Meanwhile, the fruit and vegetable market is 10 times bigger than the rice market. It is a big question whether we continue to seek a large share of a “small cake” (rice) or a small share of a “big cake” (fruit and vegetables) on the agricultural product market of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Several officials from the US Department of State on April 10 expressed their concern about the Vietnamese State’s reaction to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s acts during her two-day visit to Vietnam late last week. In a move to justify and support Sanchez’s performance, they said that the US should continue to deal with the human rights issue in Vietnam. Yet the US public, including a large number of overseas Vietnamese residents, strongly opposed Sanchez’s acts in Vietnam.

Relying on certain principles to clarify and handle issues involving contradictory opinions between the Government and National Assembly agencies is the general lesson drawn from actual operation of the NA. VOVNEWS will bring you excerpts from an article written by former NA chairman and deputy to the 11th NA, Nguyen Van An, analysing the issue.