Good afternoon.  I am pleased to welcome you all to today’s town hall event with our very distinguished guest — the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Michalak.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Representatives Loretta Sanchez, Edward Royce and Dana Rohrabacher.

As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, I had the great pleasure of chairing Ambassador Michalak’s confirmation hearing to become the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam.

During his confirmation hearing, I asked Ambassador Michalak if he would be willing to meet with the Vietnamese community in California to get a first-hand overview of the community’s thoughts and ideas about how best to move the U.S.-Vietnam relationship forward.  Ambassador Michalak graciously agreed.

I appreciate that the Ambassador moved so quickly to set a date for today’s town hall meeting and that he understands the importance of listening to and communicating with the Vietnamese community in California.  The Vietnamese community in California has a valuable role to play in shaping the future of U.S.-Vietnam relations.

The last few years have seen a rapid expansion of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship.  This year, President Nguyen Minh Triet visited the United States – the first such visit by a Vietnamese head of state since the end of the Vietnam War.

However, the continued growth of our bilateral relationship remains hindered by the Vietnamese government’s refusal to afford all of its citizens basic human rights.

Vietnam has a one-party authoritarian government that imprisons its own citizens – including peaceful democracy advocates – without charge or trial.  This government censors free speech and dictates what churches its citizens can belong to.

If Vietnam aspires to be a fully integrated and respected member of the international community, it must cease such behavior once and for all.  And it is our duty, as a leader in the international community, to make clear to Vietnam that the suppression of basic human rights is entirely unacceptable.

Today, I am pleased to announce that I will soon be holding a hearing on the status of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship in the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

As part of this hearing, I intend to fully examine human rights concerns, including the crackdown that occurred earlier this year in Vietnam against prominent human rights activists.

I trust that with continued dialogue and your sustained efforts, we can move the U.S.-Vietnam relationship forward in a way that will one day soon guarantee freedom of religion, thought, and expression for all Vietnamese citizens.

Thank you again for coming to this important event to share your thoughts