Statement of the NA Foreign Affairs Committee
Statement of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Vietnam National Assembly
1. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Vietnam National Assembly strongly objects to the approval on 15th July 2003 by the US House of Representatives of the Amendment to HR 1950 Bill on Foreign Relations Authorization, wherein the issues of “democracy” and “human rights” are exploited for the purpose of gross interference in the internal affairs of Vietnam, thus jeopardizing the relations on an equal footing between the two countries.
1.1. The adoption of a legal document dealing with the internal affairs of another country constitutes a serious violation of fundamental principles of international law, including the principle of equality and of respect for national sovereignty. At the same time, this undermines the relations with a member country of ASEAN - a dialogue partner of the US.
1.2. The Amendment revives the negative precedent of Cold War practice in international relations, namely linking international assistance with internal affairs of the country concerned. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Vietnam National Assembly states that the Vietnamese people welcome all humanitarian and nonhumanitarian assistance and cooperation from other countries, including the United States, provided these are based on the principles of international law, of equality, mutual respect, and do not entail extraneous conditions or intervention in one another’s internal affairs.
1.3. The requirements imposed on Vietnam concerning so called “democracy” and “human rights” amount to a distortion of the situation in Vietnam and altogether denies the rightful social development policy of Vietnam which centers on the human person and combines the common interests of the community with the rights of each citizen. These positive policies and measures have practically benefited every Vietnamese citizen. The consistent policies and accomplishments of the Vietnamese State have been recognized and welcomed by the Vietnamese people from all walks of life, from all ethnic nationalities and religions, as well as by foreign governments, international organizations and foreign visitors, including American Congressmen, businessmen, academics, veterans, and tourists.
1.4. In the context of the growing relations between Vietnam and the US, the adoption of the above amendment will negatively impact on the normal cooperation between the two countries, including in areas of particular interest to the United States.
2. For the sake of the broader interests and the longterm relations of the two peoples, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam calls on the members of the Senate to remove the above wrongful Amendment from HR 1950 Bill. The National Assembly of Vietnam states its readiness to consolidate and expand its relations with the US Congress on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and non-intervention in each other’s internal affairs, and of joint efforts to narrow down differences and enhance common ground.
Hanoi July 15th, 2003
