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WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, May 10, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, an event will be held at the Caucus Room, in the Cannon House Office Building to call attention to the deteriorating human rights condition in Vietnam. The event will be from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EST. According to the organizers, "Members of the media and the public are invited to this special commemoration. Online registration is via this link http://bit.ly/49hPQSK."
It will mark the 30th anniversary of a U.S. House-Senate Joint Resolution designating May 11th as Vietnam Human Rights Day, which President Clinton subsequently signed into Public Law 103-258 on May 25, 1994. Since then, the annual commemoration has been a bi-partisan event. As Vietnam experiences a deterioration of human rights, organizers of the event aim to bring to the forefront the repression, particularly of the freedom of expression and internet freedom.
Invited speakers include elected representatives, officials from the State Department, and several international human rights organizations. The Honorable Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights will give the keynote speech. Other speakers include Senator Eric Schmitt, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck. Minister Mu Sochua of the Khmer Movement for Democracy and Deputy Foreigner Minister Moo Zaw Oo of the Myanmar National Unity Government will also give remarks.
The event will end with a panel on the role of youth in human rights and democracy. The panel will feature Anna Kwok, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council; Hoang Vi Kha, Executive Director of Viet Toon and Dr. Annika Silva-Leander, Head of North America at International IDEA and Permanent Observer to the United Nations.
The following day, May 15, 2024, will be the Vietnamese diaspora’s Human Rights Advocacy Day. Activists from across the US will descend on Congressional offices of their representatives and senators to promote Vietnam’s human rights. One focus will be the designation of a Country of Particular Concern for Vietnam for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The activists will bring attention to Facebook’s alleged collaboration with Vietnamese authorities to suppress the freedom of speech, in contravention of international laws related to large social networks.
This year, the advocacy apparently will also be directed at transnational repression by the Vietnamese authorities to manipulate, influence, and exploit overseas Vietnamese communities. It requests the unconditional release of 299 prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, as well as the immediate sanctions of the Minister and the Deputy Ministers of Vietnam's Public Security Ministry for human rights violations based on the Global Magnitsky Act.
Hung Phan
Vietnam Human Rights Day Committee
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