US Vice President Harris Raises Rights Issues during Visit to Vietnam

KOMPAS.com - US Vice President Kamala Harris raised human rights issues with Vietnamese leaders during a visit aimed at bolstering strategic ties between both nations.

In Hanoi Harris said she specifically discussed the release of political dissidents but did not disclose the results, saying only at a news conference the US must “continue to speak up, when necessary, about human rights issues.”

Vietnam has been the target of global criticism for limiting free speech, a free press, and clamping down on those it considers political dissidents.

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“We're not going to shy away from difficult conversations,” Harris said on Thursday, August 26.
Harris did not respond directly when a reporter asked why the US criticizes China for human rights abuses while aiming for a stronger relationship with Vietnam.

“Difficult conversations often must be had with the people that you otherwise may have a partnership with,” Harris said. “And we do have a partnership with Vietnam.”

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Her visit to Vietnam ended a weeklong trip to Southeast Asia when she also met with senior officials in Singapore to counter China’s influence in the region.

Harris said the US reached a number of agreements with Singapore and Vietnam, including one involving cyber defense cooperation. She said the US also delivered a million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam on Thursday, on top of the five million that had previously been delivered.