Obama implores Vietnam to embrace human rights

AFP, HANOI: US President Barack Obama told communist Vietnam on Tuesday that basic human rights would not jeopardise its stability, in an impassioned appeal for the one-party state to abandon authoritarianism.
In a sweeping speech, which harked back to the bloody war that defined both nations but also looked to the future, Obama said that “upholding rights is not a threat to stability”.
Vietnam ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media.
But the US leader said bolstering rights “actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress”, in his speech to a packed auditorium including Communist Party officials.
The visit is Obama’s first to the country and the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973.
Obama’s visit has formally reset the relationship between the former foes with the lifting of a US arms embargo.
Trade has dominated the trip, with multi-billion-dollar deals unveiled, as well as further endorsement by both sides of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

 

Obama implores Vietnam to embrace human rights

AFP, HANOI: US President Barack Obama told communist Vietnam on Tuesday that basic human rights would not jeopardise its stability, in an impassioned appeal for the one-party state to abandon authoritarianism. In a sweeping speech, which harked back to the bloody war that defined both nations but also looked to the future, Obama said that upholding rights is not a threat to stability. Vietnam ruthlessly cracks down on protests, jails dissidents, bans trade unions and controls local media. But the US leader said bolstering rights actually reinforces stability and is the foundation of progress, in his speech to a packed auditorium including Communist Party officials. The visit is Obamas first to the country and the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Direct US involvement in the conflict ended in 1973. Obamas visit has formally reset the relationship between the former foes with the lifting of a US arms embargo. Trade has dominated the trip, with multi-billion-dollar deals unveiled, as well as further endorsement by both sides of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).