Vietnam and America: All aboard?

IT TOOK until 1995, a full two decades after those iconic American helicopters beat a hasty retreat from the roof of an official residence during the fall (or liberation) of Saigon, for Vietnam and America to normalise their diplomatic relations. Since then building up their relationship has been a “painstaking process”, in the words of John Kerry, the head of America’s state department and a veteran of the war’s losing side.

Harmonious encounter: U.S.-Vietnam differences likely to be downplayed in presidential visit – The Edge Review

The Edge Review (July 19th, 2013): When Vietnam hosted the East Asia Summit in 2010, the keynote press conference was a joint appearance by then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

In a small side room of the cavernous Hanoi National Convention Centre, an untimely technical hitch interrupted the English-to-Vietnamese translation of Clinton’s remarks, which were being relayed through headsets to the many non-Anglophone local journalists scribbling away, elbow-to-elbow, in the packed chamber.

19 NGOs’ letter to U.S. President Barack Obama: Please ask the Vietnamese President to free Le Quoc Quan

Southeast Asian Press Alliance:(23 July 2013): Nineteen human rights organizations have written to U.S. President Barack Obama to raise the issue of the detention of human rights defender and blogger Mr Le Quoc Quan to when President Truong Tan Sang of Vietnam meets Obama on 25 July.

The President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20500

Vietnam leader faces rights pressure on rare US visit

AFP: Vietnam's president on Wednesday starts a rare visit to Washington to boost trade and security ties between the former war foes, but activists urged the United States to press him on human rights.

President Truong Tan Sang will on Thursday become only the second Vietnamese head of state to visit the White House since the countries normalized ties. He will meet Wednesday with business leaders and Secretary of State John Kerry.

Obama invites Vietnam president for rare trip

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit the United States this month, sources said Wednesday, looking to boost cooperation on security and trade despite concerns over the communist state's rights record.

President Truong Tan Sang's visit would be only the second by a Vietnamese head of state to Washington since the former war adversaries normalized relations and comes as both governments see growing common interests.

Two people familiar with the trip plans, who were not allowed to be quoted by name, told AFP that Obama has invited Sang to the White House during the last week of July.

Vietnam's Latest Show Trial

The Wall Street Journal: As early as Tuesday, another dissident is due to face trial in a Vietnamese courtroom. This time the defendant is Le Quoc Quan, a lawyer and one of the country's highest-profile activists. His case will be of particular interest to Americans.

Last December, Mr. Le was arrested after he wrote a column for the BBC's website in which he argued for a new constitution without a guarantee of a Communist Party monopoly on power. He regularly blogs on rights issues, and he has participated in protests against Chinese territorial claims to sovereignty over South China Sea islands also claimed by Vietnam.

Advocates Keep Spotlight on Le Quoc Quan

On July 9, 2013, the trial of Le Quoc Quan, one of Vietnam’s most active human rights defenders and an outspoken blogger, was supposed to take place in Hanoi. But Vietnamese authorities at the last minute decided to postpone his trial until further notice. This is the latest in a string of fair trial violations that have been committed towards the activist since his arrest last year.

Twelve US Representatives call for Attorney Le Quoc Quan’s unconditional release

CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON D.C 20515

June 25, 2013

His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung

Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

c/o Embassy of Vietnam

1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 400. Washington DC, 20036

Prominent Catholic rights activist's trial postponed

UCANEWS: Vietnam has postponed the trial of one of its most prominent human rights defenders amid mounting pressure for his release by activists and international human rights organizations.

Joseph Le Quoc Quan, a Hanoi-based Catholic lawyer, was due to go on trial today for alleged tax evasion.

However, in a notice sent to Quan’s lawyer yesterday, the People’s Court of Hanoi said the trial had been postponed because the trial judge had gone down with flu. No new date for the trial has been supplied.