A member of the congressional caucuses on Vietnam and human rights lashed out at Hanoi for roughing up a U.S. diplomat who was attempting to visit a well-known dissident.
Christian Marchant, a political officer with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, was attempting to meet with Father Nguyen Van Ly, a democracy advocate being held under house arrest. Ly told Radio Free Asia that the diplomat was "wrestled down to the ground right in the middle of the road" in front of hundreds of witnesses.
"We are aware of and deeply concerned by the incident and have officially registered a strong protest with the Vietnamese government in Hanoi," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday.
Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement Friday that Marchant's legs were repeatedly slammed in a car door in violation of international laws protecting diplomats.
"This attack on a U.S. diplomat is beyond reprehensible," Royce said. "My staff has met with this political officer and can confirm that he is no threat to Vietnam. That, however, didn’t prevent his legs from being crushed by Vietnamese officials.
"In the past, the Vietnamese government has reserved the use of its thuggish tactics for peaceful dissidents and those deemed as threats to the government’s stranglehold on power. It’s now become clear that no one is immune from abuse," Royce added.
On the same day of the attack, Royce introduced H.R.156, the Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act, a bill that imposes sanctions on Vietnamese government officials who are complicit in human-rights abuses committed against the people of Vietnam.
More
Christian Marchant, a political officer with the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, was attempting to meet with Father Nguyen Van Ly, a democracy advocate being held under house arrest. Ly told Radio Free Asia that the diplomat was "wrestled down to the ground right in the middle of the road" in front of hundreds of witnesses.
"We are aware of and deeply concerned by the incident and have officially registered a strong protest with the Vietnamese government in Hanoi," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday.
Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement Friday that Marchant's legs were repeatedly slammed in a car door in violation of international laws protecting diplomats.
"This attack on a U.S. diplomat is beyond reprehensible," Royce said. "My staff has met with this political officer and can confirm that he is no threat to Vietnam. That, however, didn’t prevent his legs from being crushed by Vietnamese officials.
"In the past, the Vietnamese government has reserved the use of its thuggish tactics for peaceful dissidents and those deemed as threats to the government’s stranglehold on power. It’s now become clear that no one is immune from abuse," Royce added.
On the same day of the attack, Royce introduced H.R.156, the Vietnam Human Rights Sanctions Act, a bill that imposes sanctions on Vietnamese government officials who are complicit in human-rights abuses committed against the people of Vietnam.
More
No comments:
Post a Comment