Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Two U.S. diplomats paid a working visit to the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on Sept. 3 and 4 to study the province’s socio-economic situation as well as religious, ethnic and human rights issues.
The officials, Frank Januzzi, assistant to the U.S. Senate External Affairs Committee, and R. Siui Bergstein, political official from the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, were welcomed by Pham The Dung, chairman of the Gia Lai People's Committee.

Mr. Dung later briefed the two officials on the current sustainable socio-economic developments and strong political stability and security of the province.

Gia Lai province has a population of more than 1 million people from 34 ethnic groups. These ethnic groups have joined together and helped each other to improve and develop their living situations, said the chairman.

Mr. Dung also assured the U.S. officials of the local people’s right to religious freedom. The local administration has always respected that right without any exception, he confirmed.

The Catholic, Buddhist, Protestant and Caodai religions dominate Gia Lai province, with almost 220,000 followers, nearly a quarter of the province’s population. Almost 100 churches, 66 pagodas and a number of mosques have been built in the province.

In recent years, the FULRO reactionary organization, abetted by other hostile forces, attempted to lure part of the ethnic minority community to serve their scheme of establishing a so-called "Dega State". This caused public disorder in some places, but the local administration immediately stepped in and restored public order, said Mr. Dung.

FULRO leaders and other hostile forces have also resorted to all sorts of measures to distort the Vietnamese State and Party's policies as well as the situation on security, religion, ethnic minorities and human rights in the Central Highlands and in particular, the Gia Lai province, said Mr. Dung.

At the end of the working session, Mr. Januzzi said that the U.S. Congress and government were committed to respecting Vietnam's independence and sovereignty. He also said that diplomatic, economic and trade relations between the two countries were improving.

The U.S. government will develop investment policies to help Vietnam, said Mr. Januzzi. He added that the U.S. also expected the Gia Lai authorities to continue with its open policies allowing social and economic organizations as well as individuals to visit and study the local situation.

Mr. Januzzi said that he hoped the province would increase opportunities for cooperation in investment for socio-economic development in the area.

During their visit, the U.S. officials also worked with the local Department on Ethnic Groups and Religion, the provincial Protestant Church and religious clerics from the neighboring Pleiku Diocese. They also made field trips to the La Sao Coffee Company, the Chupah Rubber Company and the private Hoang Anh sawmill.

Vietnam News Agency