U.S. Should Require Vietnamese Rights Improvement Prior to TPP Accession, Say Lawmakers
The U.S. should not include Vietnam in a final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact until the Vietnamese government permits its citizens to fully exercise fundamental civil, political, labor and religious rights, said a bipartisan group of ten House lawmakers. The lawmakers expressed skepticism that human rights provisions in TPP will bring “meaningful improvement” to government repression of human rights activism, free dissemination of web-based information, freedom of association, collective bargaining and freedom of worship.
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Some Vietnamese garments also continue to be produced through forced or indentured child labor, said the lawmakers, citing Department of Labor and Department of Homeland Security investigation. “The TPP is likely to increase demand for Vietnamese exports and expand foreign investment in the country,” said the lawmakers. “Without ensuring that dramatic advances are made to protect the basic rights of Vietnamese citizens up front, the TPP will exacerbate the country’s existing failure to protect civil, political, labor and religious rights.”
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