Vietnam demands TRP stop granting accreditation for Ksor Kok


Vietnam requests the so-called Transnational Radical Party (TRP), which is enjoying the consultative status with ECOSOC, to stop immediately granting accreditation for Ksor Kok and his Montagnard Foundation Inc. (MFI) to attend UN meetings and conferences to advance their terrorist campaign and their separatist agenda.

So said Le Luong Minh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN at the annual session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)'s NGO Committee on the Special Report by the TRP in New York on May 14.

An American Veteran's Letter to Senator Brownback


SENATOR BROWNBACK:

War Veteran: Vietnam Is Moving In The Right Direction

Statement of Jaime Vazquez, Director of Veterans Affairs, Jersey City, N.J. To The Senate Sub-Committe on East Asia and Pacific Affairs

Washington, DC
Thursday, February 12, 2004

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committe, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First, allow me to thank you for the opportunity of addressing you today on the very important issue of the relationships between the United States and the country of Vietnam.

Facts about religions in Vietnam


According to incomplete statistics, up to 19 million Vietnamese practice one religion or another, making up of about a quarter of the 80 million population. Among them, there are nearly 57 thousand in the clergy and over 10 thousand students. There are over 10 thousand religious groupings that are in control of nearly 23 thousand worshipping places throughout the country. Besides, there are over two thousand entities conducting charity operations.

1. Buddhism:

We are confident of Sangha development, says chief monk

(11/19/2003 -- 18:12GMT+7)

Ha Noi, Nov. 19 (VNA) - "Given our past achievements, we hope that Viet Nam's Buddhism will expand and contribute more to the nation with every passing day," said the Most Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Editor of the Buddhist newspaper Giac Ngo (Enlightment).

The monk wrote an article for his newspaper on the occasion of 22nd founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha. It follows below:

Places of worship abound as U.S. debates sanctions


The Washington Times, May 29, 2003


As religious freedom legislation aiming at Vietnam makes its traditional way through the U.S. legislative process, pagodas and churches in Vietnam are open and well visited. There is an obvious discrepancy between the perception of religious freedoms in the halls of the U.S. Congress and for the observer on the ground.

Heyday of Vietnamese Buddhism: chief monk



On October 29, the Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, permanent deputy president of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha's Executive Council and National Assembly (NA) deputy of the Hanoi constituency, spoke before the NA about the current situation of the Sangha. To shed light on his speech, Lao Dong (Labour) daily newspaper interviewed the Most Venerable on the sidelines of the NA. Following is the interview:

Q: How do you judge the Party and government's policies towards religion, including Buddhism?

Value survey shows high assessment of democracy and human rights

Nhandan.org.vn, August 2, 2003

Statistics from value surveys show that the people of Vietnamese highly value democracy and human rights in Vietnam. Professor, Academician Pham Minh Hac, head of the National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities’ Institute for Human Study, writes.

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha develops together with nation

Nhandan.org.vn, July 22, 2003

Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, vice permanent president of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), has confirmed that VBS has always joined the nation in every step of development. The most venerable condemned the liking human rights conditions on non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam, considering it a brazen interference into Vietnam's internal affairs, ignoring the international law.

Statement by VN's Foreign Ministry Spokesman on Smith Amendment

STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESMAN OF THE VIETNAMESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

On 15 July 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives approved several amendments to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of the 2004 – 2005 fiscal year, including one concerning Vietnam which imposes human rights conditions on and links them to non-humanitarian assistance to Vietnam.

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