July 22, 2010
HANOI, Vietnam U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on
Thursday urged Vietnam to improve its human rights record and pledged
greater cooperation in dealing with the lingering impact of Agent
Orange from the Vietnam War.
In Hanoi for events marking the 15th anniversary of normalized
U.S.-Vietnam relations, Clinton said, "Vietnam, with its
extraordinary, dynamic population, is on the path to becoming a great
nation with an unlimited potential."
However, she said, "That is among the reasons we expressed concern
about arrest and conviction of people for peaceful dissent, attacks
on religious groups and curbs on Internet freedom."
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, who joined Clinton at an
opening press conference, responded, "This is I think a difference
between Vietnam and the U.S."
Khiem said, "Human rights have common values but ... it depends a lot
on the cultural and historical background." He noted that President
Barack Obama has said human rights values shouldn't be imposed from
the outside.
Clinton also promised to continue working with Vietnam on the
consequences of Agent Orange.
Between 1962 and 1971, the U.S. military sprayed roughly 11 million
gallons of Agent Orange across large swaths of southern Vietnam.
Dioxin, a toxic chemical used in the herbicide, has been linked to
cancers, birth defects and other ailments.
Vietnam says as many as 4 million of its citizens were exposed to the
herbicide and as many as 3 million have suffered illnesses caused by it.
"We have been working with Vietnam for about nine years to try to
remedy the effects of Agent Orange," Clinton said . She promised to
"increase our cooperation and make even greater progress together."
Later, at a lunch hosted by the local American Chamber of Commerce,
Clinton raised human rights again.
"It is true that profound differences exist, particularly over the
question of political freedoms," she said. "The United States will
continue to urge Vietnam to strengthen its commitment to human rights
and give its people an even greater say over the direction of their own lives."
At the same time, however, Clinton said the U.S. does not see its
relationship with Vietnam as rooted in differences or in memories of the past.
"We have learned to see each other not as former enemies but as
actual and potential partners, colleagues and friends," she said. "We
will continue to choose engagement and cooperation over escalation
and division."
Clinton recalled her first visit to Vietnam more than a decade ago
when she accompanied her husband, former President Bill Clinton, on a
trip here shortly after his administration restored diplomatic
relations with Hanoi.
She said she had not known what to expect but was overwhelmed by the
friendly welcome they received from the Vietnamese people.
"Everywhere we went we felt the warmth and hospitality of the
Vietnamese people. For us, it had a profound impact," she said.
Clinton arrived in Hanoi on Thursday for two days of talks that will
also include a regional security forum with senior officials from
around Southeast Asia. Those discussions are expected to focus
largely on the threat posed by North Korea.
Clinton came to Hanoi from Seoul, where she announced new U.S.
sanctions against North Korea and, with Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, offered strong support for South Korea.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment