Among the partners, vietnam is the only country that bans independent religious groups, the only country considered one of the worst violators of internet vietnam harbors severe child labor and forced child labor violators and regularly jails and tortures those who speak out for human rights, political inclusion with a right to practice their religion. There are today over 100 prisoners of conscience in vietnam wynn van didefend of religious freem down and he was detained and detained last september for continuing his work. His arbitrary detention undercuts any claim that the current vietnamese leadership can become a trusted u. S. Partnership. Prior to his arrest i had the previous to meeting with him in hanoi at his law officer at 10 dwayne tran yip street in 2005. I was deeply impressed with his passion for truth, his defense of universally recognize the his tate, extraordinary courage and deep aabiding live for as a result name. He is truly a patriot. His wife Vu Minh Khanh is with us today to speak on his behalf and for the other prisoners are conscience in vietnam. Her testimony is especial slid timing, because president obama will travel to vietnam at the end of this month. A steady stream of state Department Officials are going to vietnam prior to the trip. In fact, assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labor, tom malonoski is in vietnam today. The the administration should not try to whitewash the record prior to the trip, but must make absolutely clear unequivocal statements in support of democrat sick and free speech advocates. And minority groups and Human Rights Defenders. The unconditional revice of win van diand others should be a precondition of the president s visit. However, if the president goes without any conditionality, i appeal this submittee appeals to the president to demand the immediate and unconditional freedom and release of wynn nguyen van di. A clear message to american interests. Some of 6 who were born after the vietnam war ended. Thats further expand of traits, the lifting of arms embargo is unacceptabled until significant s. Verifiable and irrear versible improvements in human rights. Unfortunately for the past sevenplus years, the administration has failed to deliver such messages to victims of abuse anywhere. No tough message was delivered in cuba, for example, despite an escalation of arrests and abuse. The administration seems eager to proceed with lucrative trade and to lift the bag on el lyle arm sales to vietnam without imposing any real conditions. That would be a colossal mistake. The administration will surely adjust extending these generous benefits by arguing that lifting the trade barriers and expanding diplomatic engagement with vietnam will bring about human rights and other positive advances. Such arguments have long been discredited, however. S. Hanoi responded by launching the first of three waves of arrests that jailed more than 100 dissidents and introduced sweeping new laws restricting freedom of association, assembly and the internet. In short vietnams wto membership allowed the communist government made it free to jail, torture and to abuse. The pressure was off. Why would they not do so again . The communist leadership in hanoi will take our benefits you are our trade benefits, our security commitments, and continue repressing those seeking political reform and universal freedoms. The business of the communist party is staying in power, and repressing those who may challenge their power. They will not embrace human rights improvements or the rule of law unless it is a condition of better relations with the United States. Vietnam needs the u. S. Markets and security commitment much more than the United States needs vietnams markets and security cooperation. Administration should demand additional protection for human rights, Internet Freedom and the rule of law as a condition of u. S. Assistances not doing so is shortsighted, misguided and fails to achieve longterm u. S. Interests, and it throws the victims under the bus. One way to send an Important Message about u. S. Policy priors is to pass the vietnam human rights act hr2140, which i had reintroduced in this congress and is now waiting further action in the house and senate. I would note parenthetically in past generations that i have introduced the vietnam human rights act in previous congresses, have passed the how three times, only to be ignored in the senate. The bill estimates that the United States cannot increase nonhumanitarian assistance to vietnam until the president certifies that the government of vietnam has made substantial progress in establishing human rights protections. The American People should not have to subsidize torture or underwriter the jailing of journalists, religious leaders, labor activists, or advocates of democracy or Internet Freedom. The bipartisan vietnam human rights act will restore the right priorities to u. S. Policy towards vietnam. Who seek or freedoms more than our trade. U. S. Policy must send the unmistakable message to the government of vietnam that human rights improvements are fundamental to better relations, critically linked to our mutual economic and security interests, and will not, i say again, will not be ignored or be bargained away. I would like to introduce our most distinguished witness today, ms. Vu minh khanh, wife of the lawyer nguyen van di, who was arrested of the vitt in a meet penal code for conducting propaganda against the state. Since his arust ms. Vu has been acting for his release, giving interviews with various media agencies to raise awareness. She has volunteered at a church in hanoi, and has been doing so since 2009. The church reaches out to manies vulnerable groups, including those who suffering from drug addiction, orphans and youth. In addition, providing support and counciling to those groups, ms. Vu also assists with the daily Financial Management of the organization and works to promote and protect human rights through the church. Id like to yield for our chairman, mr. Ed royce. I just would start by thanking chris smith for holding this hearing at exactly the right time. Now is the time we have got to get the attention of the International Community on these human rights abuses. So, yes, in a few weeks, the president of the United States is going to be traveling to vietnam, and while maintaining peace in the south china cease and improving trade ties is an important shared goal, the Administration Must carefully take into account vietnams human rights abuses as this relationship develops. That is the conundrum, because this is has not gotten better. I have med with the venerable other religious leaders when they were under house arrest. I heard about the circumstances. I check in with human rights ngos, and as we all know, this is situation is not improving. Human rights have got to be at the very top of the president s agenta. The reality as we all know is that vietnam remain a oneparty communist state with significant human rights abuses. As we will hear today from the wife of the lawyer and activist, and i want to thank chris smith for his efforts here to elevate this issue, but as well hear, nguyen van di, shell share with us the reality that vietnam has a long, long way to go. In december he was badly beaten by government well, i guess we should call them thugs, because they beat her, and was taken into custody. Since that time took her husband into custody. Since that time hes been denied access to his lawyer, even his family. He sits in solitary confinement. His condition is unknown, and ms. Vu is rightly concerned sad hi his Treatment Police still frequently Human Rights Watch says they frequently torture suspects to elicit confessions and sometimes use Excessive Force in responding to protests over convictions, land confills case, because land grabbing is one of the things the party does, and other social issues. So last year more than 40 bloggers and rights activists were beaten by plainclothesed government agents. Not surprisingly not one of the thugs that did the beating were held femme punished. While other laws restrict freedom, bloggers like it ahn ban sun and nguyen minute dfu and others remain in prison for what the state or what the communist party calls abusing the rights to freedom of democracy. Not surprisingly vietnam now ranks in the world 175th out of 180 countries for press freedom. That means vietnam is behind cuba, its worse than saudi arabia, its worse than iran. Thats why were here at this hearing. Freedom of religion is a significant concern in vietnam as the government continuing to restrict religious practice through registration requirements, through harassment, through surveillance, branches off the buddhist chump and independent catholics and property assistants are b protestants are banned, and several have remained under house arrest since 199 for his religious beliefs. If the United States and vietnam are to build a stronger relationship, the vitt in a immediate government must honor the basic human rights. With respect to freedom of speech, religion, assembly. And thats the message the president of the United States needs to send during his upcoming visit. I wrote to the president last week, asking that he carry exactly that message we are all watching the president s trip, cannot be a replay of his trip to havana. We have to have these issues addressed. Mr. Chairman, thank you again for calling this important and timely hearing. Chairman royce, thank you for your very eloquent and strong statement, and consistent support for the human rights advocates in vietnam and especially today for nguyen van di, again hes back into prison, as i said in my opening, four years of prison, four years of house arrest. Without objection, a very, very wellwritten appeal that ms. Vu made at the time of the first arrest, without objection, i would like to make it part of the record and i yield the floor to mids vu for such time as she may consume. Translator first of all, i would like to deeply thank chairman christmas and chairman royce for this opportunity to speak. My name is Vu Minh Khanh, wife of attorney nguyen van dai. Dai is a Human Rights Defender now in jail. My husband was first arrested in 2007, then sentenced to four years imprisonment, plus four years of house arrest for violating article 88 of vietnams penal code for quote unquote conducting propaganda against the state, end quote. My husband was disbarred and his law office was shut down. After having completed his house arrest, my husband was again arrested and charged with under the same article 88. My husband had been detained for almost five months now, yet i have not received any information about him. He has been held incommunicado and not allowed to meet with my family, myself nor with his defense lawyers. Twice a month i am permitted to bring foot to Detention Center b14 in hanoi for his daily needs, but i do not know if he has received any. In fact i do not know if he is held at b14, because in vietnam the Public Security force can do whatever they want. If they transfer inmates, they do not inform the family members accordingly. For example, this has happened to a blogger currently with another. First, if in fact my husband has been tortured physically and or mentally or given false information, i would not know. My husband has not been allowed to receive a copy of the bible, a gift from the u. S. Ambassador mr. Ted arsias. Specifically ten days before his arrest, he was attacked and severely injured following a human rights Training Session for about 60 penal in the province, about 300 kilometers from hanoi. Having been attacked ten days ago prior, his injuries had not healed. He was then arrested on december 16. Throughout his human rights activism, my husband was constantly followed, threatened d. Each time he was attacked it related to his work, because the government did not like it and had requested him to top doing human rights work. However, my husband believes his at this time are within his rights under the vietnamese constitution and international law, because the police constantly follow my husband all day, i believe they would know clearly who attacked him. However, the government claims they do not who the assailant were. My husband accepted the risks that comes, and this is the reality that human rights activists have to face constantly. My husband also has hepatitisb. Therefore, i am very worried about his health condition. My husband experienced democracy initially in germany, have been witnessed the fall of the berlin wall, he returned to vietnam and studied to become a lawyer. In 1997, my husband ran for the National Assembly with the hope he could speak up for the people. In 2000, my husband officially began his activism and fought for freedom of religion. The first human rights case my husband took was in 2000, when he defended a member of the Protestant Church who was brought to court, because she tried to stop the police when they came to disband a Prayer Service at the local church. Tlafr my husband provided free service to the christians who were suppressed based on their religion. Those who fought for democracy and human rights, victims of land grabs or home loss, and two people who were physically attacked and arbitrarily detained. He also led training courses about human rights in his law office. Sings he started his activism in 200, aside from the four years he was in prison and right upon his release, my husband continued to immediately raise his voice for human rights even when he was still under house arrest. He always fevantly tried to fight for freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly through nonviolent method and through provides education on human rights. My husband also focused. He started classes on human rights for different people within society and wrote articles on the rule of law. My husband usually worked with many others and within the country. He also advocated with foreign governments, as he had a good working relationship with many embassies in vietnam and government officials from around the world. S regardless my husbands arrest in 2007, the Police Arrested him at his law office while he was teaching a class on human rights to his students. The topic of the class was based on a book on Civil Society, which the American Embassy in vietnam had published. As for his arrest this time, it was while my husband was leaving the house to meet with a delegation from the European Union who were in vietnam for the annual European Union vietnam human rights dialogue. My husband is currently facing from three to 120 years imprisonment. He has worked hard to protect human rights, and these activities cannot possibly be seen as criminal. Therefore, i hope that congress and the u. S. Government, especially obama on his trip to vietnam, who helped demand for his immediate and unconditionable release. I sincere his thank you for spending time to listen to my husbands case, respectfully. Ms. Vu, i would like to thank you for your absolutely compelling testimony that will be heard by many in america and hopefully around the world, as youve been telling the story, im glad that other news outlets have not only cared year opeds and very profound on words and sentiments, but notice the congress is listening very carefully. I want to thank c spanned for being here so that a larger america audience will get to hair you and to realize that thing are horrific for your husband. I do have a couple questions, and id like to that. Dr. Binh for the translation, and for your advocacy as well. I have a couple questions. You know, you point out in your testimony that use husband was arrested this second time as he was leaving the house to meet with a delegation from the European Union who were in vietnam for the annual human rights dialogue. Im wondering, first of all, i believe the dialogues are essentially, but they should not be seen as a substitute like the government of vietnam that commits egregious violations of human rights against its own peoples dialogue is great. No one is suggesting that it needs to be suspended, but needs to be like the lifting of an arms embargo, like greater trade and other kinds of interactions. Im wonders if any of the americas have raised their voices in support of your husband after he was arrested, again, en route to meet with them. To dialogue with them. Trunks i am not sure what transpired between the conversation of my husband and the European Union delegates who met with my husband prior to his arrest. I do know after his arrest, they actually contacted me and met with me and showed a lot of support. Thats so extremely important. I would hope as well as you point out in your testimony that the continued gross mistreatment and others would become the subject of the Human Rights Council. Where vietnam sits in a place of dignity as a member of that council. It is bret teaguingly disturbing that an abuser of human rights could simultaneously be an arbiter of how well or poorly other countries are doing. First fix your own house and get that in order. So i think we need to press the case there as well. Let me ask you, if i could, about how you have been treated by the authorities. You mentioned in your testimony that an attempt for his Defense Attorneys to get certificates has not been allowed. Could you further elaborate on what that process is all about . And how you yourself have been treated when you advocate on behalf of your husband . Translator so in short, after his arrest, when i hired three lawyers, they were refused to be able to meet with dai, nor able to proceed with any legal actions for his cass, to prepare for his case. At for myself, i noticed that theres a camera constantly in front o