FM rejects the U.S State Dept's human rights report 2001
Ha Noi, March 6 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Phan Thuy Thanh on Wednesday rejected as a crude slander the U.S. State Department's human rights report in 2001 criticizing some countries including Viet Nam.
"The report has grossly distorted the reality in Viet Nam as it made a series of slanderous accusations with false evidence," Ms. Thanh said in response to foreign and domestic correspondents' queries about Viet Nam's reaction to the U.S. human rights report issued on March 4.
"By issuing this report, the U.S. is interfering with Viet Nam's internal affairs. Viet Nam strongly condemns and rejects the report.
There is no denying that in Viet Nam all fundamental rights of the citizens, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of demonstration and association and freedom of worship and of non-worship are ensured by the Constitution and respected in reality," Ms. Thanh said.
She stressed "In Viet Nam, there are no political prisoners and no religious prisoners, only those who have violated the laws and been proven guilty under a court of law."
"Every citizen can participate in State and social management according to the laws," she said, "Viet Nam's political system and government are chosen by the Vietnamese people themselves, reflecting their aspirations."
The slanderous allegations in the U.S. State Department's report with regard to the situation in Viet Nam's Central Highlands will convince no one. Instead, they will shed more light on the slanderous accusations by the U.S.
Through their recent fact-finding visits to the Central Highlands, U.S officials and many foreign correspondents have seen with their own eyes the real situation there. They have seen the Vietnamese government's priority policy to boost socio-economic development in the central highland provinces and the constantly improving material and spiritual life of the ethnic minority groups in the region.
"They have also recognized Viet Nam's lenient policy, good-will and efforts to cooperate with Cambodia and the UNHCR in repatriating illegal migrants to the Central Highlands from Cambodia in a bid to help them reunite with their families as soon as possible.
Ms.Thanh concluded "This move of the U.S. will be harmful to the development of bilateral ties between Viet Nam and the U.S. and runs counter to the genuine interests of both peoples."--VNA
