Human Rights Watch sets benchmarks for Vietnam

Asia director of Human Rights Watch Brad Adams wrote an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Feb. 28, urging her to set forth several specific actions required by Vietnam in evaluating its progress in its religious policy. Vietnam has been declared by the U.S. State Department to be a "Country of Particular Concern" for its violations of religious rights, and must show significant progress on this front by March 15 if it is to avoid the imposition of U.S. sanctions. (Open letter of Brian Adams, Feb. 28; HRW press release Feb. 28).